I just watched a youtube video that used Borax and water.

I would even attempt it. I am sensitive to mold and KNOWINGLY bringing the spores into your home is not a smart idea. Trash it better that than your health.

Pictures? How many cabinets and what is your investment into them?

I think a lot of people over-react to mold, mostly because of fear-mongering first on television news, and more recently on the net. (The same annoying chain emails also tell me that I should be boiling and/or bleaching my dish sponge and doormat every other hour or something. I don't.)

Make no mistake, there are some types of fungus that are hazardous, and others that some people are allergic to. If this applies to you, you probably already know it, and take appropriate precautions.

Fortunately, nobody in my household is sensitive to mold. When I find it, I scrub it down with a bleach solution (lots of ventilation) and rinse thoroughly.

Steve: I tried and cannot get photos where they are currently stored, as the most damaged are in the back, and I can't budge even a boxed smaller one on my own. For this very small K, the cost was about $7000 in 2002 (looong story), but would be much more now, and even the original amount is a substantial investment for me. I recently checked the cost of the same cabinetry for a hallway nook - 42" W, 12" D on top, 18" D on bottom: $1500. Some of that is the larger width, but it gives you an idea (Bertch Kitchen-Plus Clairmont). As I recall, the worst damage is to 3 or 4 cabinets - not all the way around, about a foot in spots. Some have no damage.

David: I'm allergic to mold, but if it could be contained, I hope I'd be okay. I just want to be sure it's not toxic, and I haven't been able to find someone who tests (a local home inspector is certified, but can no longer test, as licensure is now required) and apparently the home test kits are not always accurate. I've read that bleach without a surfactant does not penetrate wood, while mold penetrates wood deeply because it's porous. I'm glad, though, that bleach has worked satisfactorily for you.

clean the wood with tsp (tri sodium phosphate...)

place cabinets so that air flows around them. open the doors up

and clean all surfaces. allow to dry.

see if mold comes back. if so re-clean with tsp and allow wood

to dry.

you won't "kill" mold but you can clean it if its topical and paint

to encapsulate.

mold needs food source (wood) and moisture to develop.

eliminate the moisture, clean the wood. repeat until mold growth

is contained.

I often see people forced into pricy remediation from mold without

ever determining what allowed the moisture to collect to a point where

mold grew. when I got my mold remediation certs, one of the classes was

called Mold Is Gold. the guys talked about it like it was the next asbestos

gold mind. Really turned me off to the whole scare/scam homeowners tactics

I often see remediation taking place with no thought or solution to what

caused the mold to grow. in a few months/years...same problem occurs.

Personally, my plan of action is to determine moisture source, eliminate it,

allow area to dry..clean & move on. don't let yourself fall for scare tactics.

only 2 molds are toxic, out of hundreds of types of mold.

take advice with a grain of salt.

best of luck

"bleach without a surfactant does not penetrate wood"

Maybe add a good, aggressive detergent to the bleach?

Don't forget ventilation, the fumes from that stuff can be nasty.

Good ideas in Energy's post. The insider's perspective mentioned is sobering, but not surprising.

Clean/bleach; dry thoroughly; then paint or seal. I'd probably use an oil-base or epoxy paint or sealer. But I'm not an expert, just a frugal homeowner. :)

As I understand the OP, the problem is how far the wood has been affected, not the presence of surface mold. If the wood has swelled/begun rotting from the moisture absorbed, treating for mold is useless, since the integrity of the wood has been compromised. Those treatments do not reach the interior of the wood in most cases anyway.

energy: The boxed cabinets sat on pallets over concrete many years, absorbing the moisture that came up through the concrete, so the source would be eliminated. Those were damaged in varying degrees; the ones stored higher were not. The Mold Is Gold class must have been disheartening for anyone who cares about others, not just how much money they can make off them. I get the cleaning (though not sure contractor would be thorough), but how do you judge that the mold has been contained? Hope I do have some luck here - thanks for the good wishes.

David: I need to be frugal :-)... I'm running out of money... labor is waaay over estimate/budget. Thanks for suggesting an aggressive detergent to help bleach penetrate as well as paint/sealer, also for mentioning ventilation. I'm going to discuss issues with the contractor.

HandyMac: I agree... the big question is how far the mold has penetrated... impossible to know, really, since it's not visible, and as you say, treatments won't usually reach it. The integrity of the wood has clearly been compromised on some areas of those cabinets most affected... does that mean it's all compromised on those cabinets? I guess I'd better consider dumping those. If they were repaired and installed, I couldn't see further mold growth unless it was on the interior.

Thank you all for taking the time to offer suggestions and insights. I do appreciate them!