# Cleaning The Mold Off Old Lures, Any Ideas?



## bassmastermjb

I know this has probably been asked or thought of a couple hundred times, but does anyone know the best way to remove the moldy, waxy buildup that forms on the older lures? I knoe toothpaste works to clean dirty lures, but it doesn't work on the ones covered in mold. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.............Mark


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## luredaddy

Mark, The best way to remove the white chemical reaction on old plastic baits, is to heat them with a hairdryer then wipe it off with a cloth. There is no better way. John


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## Snakecharmer

I ussually let them soak in some bleach/water mixture and then scrub them with an old toothbrush. Arbogast lures seem to be the worse with the lure mold.


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## pppatrick

i would imagine a vinegar and water solution would be the least abrasive. bleach sounds far to abrasive even if mixed with water.

i don't know if i've ever seen "mold" on old lures, i have encountered that white waxie film mentioned above, mostly on old arbogast and heddon lures.


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## freshwater_newb

If we're strictly talking mold, use plain old distilled white vinegar, undiluted, and give it a 24hr soak. The acidity will kill every thing living.

It will also eat away any rust on the metal parts of the lure. Just give it time.

I use pure distiled white vinegar to take the rust off of cast iron pots and pans. It eats it off.


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## bassmastermjb

Well, I tried the distilled vinegar with so so results.I let the lures sit for 24 hours, it did lift some of the mold or waxy buildup, but not all of it. I'll let the next batch in for 48 hours and see what happens. I picked up 15 older tackle boxes filled with lures last week and there are hundreds of lures that are covered in mold, Arbogast, Heddon, L&S, Beno's, Cisco's, Bagleys and so on. There wasn't much that weren't completely covered in the thickest mold I've ever seen on lures.............Mark


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## catmando

Toothpaste on the delicate ones and wd40 on the durable stuff.


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## catmando

The beno is one heck of a sm lure.


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## pppatrick

Probably wouldn't hurt to apply the hair dryer as luredaddy suggested. Sounds like you have a vintage lure gold mine on your hands! 


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## freshwater_newb

sorry to hear it didn't work as advertised. pure white vinegar will eat away most any living thing, PLUS oxidation.

not sure what to say now. you sure the stuff is not just discolored still and needs a bit of a buffing? I dunno, grasping at straws here.

is the color of mold buried inside of paint on a wooden lure? that would be pretty much fixed in place on a vintage lure. 

I do, for real, use white vinegar to restore vintage, buried in the barn-mud forever cast iron pots and pans. never fails to work.




bassmastermjb said:


> Well, I tried the distilled vinegar with so so results.I let the lures sit for 24 hours, it did lift some of the mold or waxy buildup, but not all of it. I'll let the next batch in for 48 hours and see what happens. I picked up 15 older tackle boxes filled with lures last week and there are hundreds of lures that are covered in mold, Arbogast, Heddon, L&S, Beno's, Cisco's, Bagleys and so on. There wasn't much that weren't completely covered in the thickest mold I've ever seen on lures.............Mark


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## bassmastermjb

I've been using toothpaste for years to clean most lures. I've never encountered the amount of mold or waxy buildup as I have on the ones I'm trying to clean.........Mark


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## MY BONNIE

Try a magic eraser, I have used them to polish spoons.

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## bassmastermjb

Update, this batch was left to soak in distilled vinegar for 2 days. The Arbogast and Beno lures only needed a light scrubbing with toothpaste to get clean. The Heddon and L&S lures weren't fazed one bit with the vinegar. So this is what I'm going to try next....heat the lures with the blow dryer and liquify the mold, them place them in the vinegar. I'll let you know what happens in a couple of days...........Mark


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## SConner

Not sure if you mean mold or the waxy white coating that gets on many old plastic lures but you might try one of these products:
Lighter Fluid
Mayonnaise
WD-40
Baby Oil
Goo Gone
Hair Spray


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## bassmastermjb

yes, it's the waxy buildup you get on some of the older lures that have been sitting in a tackle box for years..........Mark


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## Snakecharmer

bassmastermjb said:


> Update, this batch was left to soak in distilled vinegar for 2 days. The Arbogast and Beno lures only needed a light scrubbing with toothpaste to get clean. The Heddon and L&S lures weren't fazed one bit with the vinegar. So this is what I'm going to try next....heat the lures with the blow dryer and liquify the mold, them place them in the vinegar. I'll let you know what happens in a couple of days...........Mark


Did you ever find a solution? I just picked up a tackle box that I need to clean the lures.


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## laguna21

Maybe try a borax and water solution, kills mold


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## jeffro

I always just tie a line to them and drag them through water.


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## mr max

Try dropping the lure & a few generic polident denture cleaning tablets in olive jar.After a few days wipe the lure off and repeat if needed.


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