If you look at the basic necessities of premium cigars it would seem like they are actually trying to develop mold. For instance, the list of common cigar accessories includes the tightly-closing box known as the humidor, the humidifier, and the hygrometer to ensure that moisture levels are at the best range possible. Consider that cigars thrive in the same conditions that their tobacco was grown – hot and humid – and that this environment is then contained inside of a wooden box. The reason that mold is not a very common problem has to do with the properties of the wood and the tobacco itself.

Cedar wood is the only one used to create the trays and lining of the boxes and it is a very aromatic and oily wood. The oils in the wood are known as volatile and are a serious impediment to most bacteria. The same things can be said of tobacco leaves which are also acidic and inhospitable to mold as well. Then, you might ask, how does mold manage to appear inside boxes and on cigars? This is due to several very understandable problems.

The first common problem is the water inside of the box. More often than not this water is managed by a humidifier. The humidifier can be attached to any area of the interior of the box, but it can also often become blocked by too many cigars or by a tray without any slats for aeration. This leads to an over accumulation of water in a single area, which could mean that cigars are soaking wet or that the wood of the trays is saturated. This will then lead to mold, especially if the box is not opened on a regular basis.

If water is not the culprit, it is usually bacteria on the trays or the cigars themselves. Like many other activities in life, it is best to thoroughly wash the hands before opening and handling cigars. If not, the oils, bacteria, or even the dirt and food residue which cannot be seen by the eye can find a home on the surface of the object and then begin to thrive in the dark, warm and moist conditions of the humidor.

There are many common and workable cures for such a problem, but one of the best is to simply remove all trays, cigars and humidifiers from the box and treat it with Isopropyl Alcohol while the wood still retains its humidity. All of the trays should be treated in the same manner and the box should then be left to dry out completely before being rehydrated and used again.