How can I remove spilt tea from VHS tapes?
The process is much the same as that for removing mold and mildew from video tapes, but probably with a better chance of success. If the tea contained milk and/or sugar, it is important to remove as much of these contaminants as possible. If the tea spilled onto a table on which a tape was lying and penetrated the interior of the cassette, it will have to be dismantled to clean properly. You should very carefully clean the tape with a soft cloth (e.g., a lens cloth) and a solution of mild soapy water (a couple of drops of dish detergent in litre of water), followed by a thorough water rinse. Do not scrub the tape, as you may damage the magnetic coating. If this layer is rubbed off, the content is also rubbed off. This is a finicky operation, because you either have to draw the tape out of the housing foot by foot or disassemble the cassette, remove the tape, clean the tape and the interior of the cassette, and then reassemble the cartridge. It is difficult to unroll and then neatly rol
