gritty fine black mold

[Susan E]

if you live in the northwest, and in the trees, then i am curious how you remove the fine gritty black mold that coats the inside of our boats ( and now our camper) .

yes we do have a heater on in the boat in the winter which helps. otherwise I could not see the walls for the black mold. but every spring i take soap and 10% bleach and wipe down every surface. i pull out ever drawer and scrub teh walls behind, and even the ceiling has this mold.

anyone know of a spray on wipe down product that kills it. some time i worry i am just spreading and reseeding the mold for next year.

thanks
susan elliott

[Jake B]

inside the cabin we use Tilex w/ bleach. its seems to kill it pretty good with very little if any return.

on the outside of the boat we are always fighting it..

[rogerar]

3m makes a mildew preventive spray that works well, I use it in the hard to access areas and it has worked well for years-available at Defender or West Marine.
Roger

[BrentB]

Any product you use requires a certain amount of contact time that is the time the item being treated remains wet with the disinfectant to be effective. This should be on the product insert or instructions for use.

Covered storage is probably the best solution along with improving air circulation using a fan and/or dehumidifier, repair any leaks and store as many items as possible inside your home after cleaning and keep cabinets and drawers open.

You need to be careful using bleach. It can damage fabrics and dont mix bleach with ammonia.

The above information is basic remediation tips

[ghone]

Hi Susan. Like Brent says , air is the key. Much more ventilation and believe it or not, less heat. Heat helps the mold get going Open the doors, hatches etc crack all the windows and turn the heat off or down to frost setting. Kerri On was stored in BC the first winter in wet conditions with just a full tarp over and windows open a tad. No heat and No mold. We have no mold even now after being aboard 6 1/2 months. We do heat but ventilate also. We wipe all surfaces with diluted vinegar once in a while. I believe vinegar to be a great anti microb product. So vinegar clean , more air and less heat. George. See you soon

[Sunbeam]

Agree on the moving air being good. However, when I have had to scrub mildew, I use a boric acid/water mix. If I remember correctly it's a slight base (ph) and so discourages future development as well (again, IIRC, acid is not quite as good at this). I usually use one mixture/bucket to clean with, then mix up a clean batch to wipe on and leave to dry in place (for the discouragement effect). It's relatively non-toxic to work with.

There are numerous Googlable links to find out more (and decide whether to use boric acid or to choose one of the other methods instead).

Sunbeam

[nordicstallion]

I salvaged 4 of those little 12 volt dc brushless fans from old computers & attached alligator clips & leave them hooked to my big crab pot puller battery in the v-berth storage compartment. Each draw only .12 amps & also have a 3 bank on board charger maintaining batteries during carport covered storage. I get very little mold & I live in a redwood rain forest.used to use Clorox cleaner spray to occasionally wipe down the interior prior to fishing season but use vinegar now due to all the bleached out spots on the sleeves of my jackets! Oops! Vern/C-Dog

[lesliejames09]

Get a real mask and gloves to protect you from spores while you clean. These things are highly toxic and you actually get more and more sensitive to them the more you are around them. We have been using bleach to kill mold and clean it off then go back later and clean again with vinegar which kills the mold spores because of the acid content in it.

[Casey]

Good topic, and of concern to us since we're now preparing to haul the boat back to Florida - probably long term. Florida's heat and humidity has Got to make it a mold/mildew mecca. (Previously, we storing the boat under cover in Arizona where folks don't even think about such issues.)

Naturally we will give Katmai a thorough cleaning and drying once we're back in FL. Beyond that we will use the full, but breathable, storage cover, but the boat will still be exposed to the elements. During previous storage periods in FL (5-6 months, but during the drier winter, not summer) we kept the boat covered and closed-up, but used a sizable container of desiccant (moisture absorbent), changed weekly, inside to reduce the humidity; that seemed to work. We would certainly be 'up for any other ideas for longer-term storage in the FL environment. To address mold issues during the summer maybe we'll just have to make a point of being-onboard and cruising!

Is anyone aware of a bug-bomb type aerosol spray that could be used to get into all the tiny nooks and crannies that we can't access during cleaning (but that probably contain mildew/mold spores)?

Best,
Casey&Mary
...in Prince Rupert, about to haul/trailer Katmai (to FL)

[BrentB]

Remove as many items as possible, open all doors, drawers, etc, install electric fan for constant air circulation. A timer will help reduce electric bill

[Casey]

I Googled "aerosol mildew bomb" and got several hits including the following:

http://biocidelabs.com/Mold_Bomb_Fogger.html

At $45/can it's pretty pricey, but it may be an option.

Best,
Casey&Mary

[Sunbeam]

I'm with Brent. Air circulation is key. Also, as he mentions, remove anything fabric if you can (i.e. store cushions, curtains somewhere off the boat). If you can't remove them, at least prop them up and open any lockers you can (making sure doors or panels aren't encouraged to warp by being open). Empty lockers of any gear you can - especially potentially salty things such as lines and anchor rode (or, stop at Powell on the way back for a couple of weeks to rinse them out -- oh but wait, you have the springs areas at home! I can't wait to check those out with my C-Dory).

Anything with a texture can retain salt or moisture and/or seems to attract spores easier. When in the tropics, wood that was varnished satin was much more of an issue than glossy, for example.

A couple of years ago I was dealing with a mold/mildew situation in a camper. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I read very good things about boric acid (Borax). It it slightly base, which from what I read is a good thing, and also relatively non-toxic and non-damaging. It sounded to me like a better bet than bleach or vinegar. Also you don't have to rinse the final application and the residue (not that you can see or feel it) supposedly repels mold/mildew. Last of all it is basic and inexpensive (in the old fashioned baking-soda type of way).

So, if it were me, I would remove as much gear as possible, clean what's left to within an inch of its life, wipe down with a clean batch of boric acid/water (you can find the ratios online), prop everything possible open, and ensure as much air circulation as possible.

Sunbeam

[mailbox101]

I keep a dehumidifier running at the driest setting when the boat is not in use. It only costs a few dollars a month, which is cheaper then even one mold cleanup.

[BrentB]

What are the active ingredients ?
Is it safe, corrosive , flammable ?
A proven treatment ?

As a point of discussion some federal buildings were decontaminated with vaporized hydrogen peroxide to kill bacterial spores and it worked well with lots of testing after treatment

Dehumidifier and fan seems to me to be very effective

[localboy]

Low heat from an oil heater.
Air flow via a fan made to leave in boats I got at West Marine.
Open all cabinets, drawers etc and stand pillows up (air flow).
Store bedding in vacuum "Space" bags.

So far; so good.