A common problem I’ve come across with decades-old analog media — particularly VHS — is mold that develops inside the cassette cartridge. The white fuzzy glaze on black magnetic tape often develops after being stored in damp basements and attics for years on end. Tapes like this, if run through a VCR, could do a lot of damage to the increasingly rare device.
I’ve been told to either throw tapes away when they get contaminated or open up a VCR to run a makeshift cleaning process. The…