Mildew

[dotnmarty]

Mildew-I found a little mildew on the helm seat. Also some on a canvas ditty bag I left in the cabin. Your suggestions for treatment (and prevention) are appreciated.

[dotnmarty]

Here's what I found on the official Sunbrella site
Heavy Cleaning for Stubborn Stains and Mildew
Sunbrella fabric does not promote mildew growth, however, mildew may grow on dirt and other foreign substances that are not removed from the fabric. To clean mildew, or other stubborn stains:

Eight ounces (one cup) of chlorine bleach.
Two ounces (1/4 cup) of mild soap and/or detergent.
One gallon of water.
Clean with soft bristle brush.
Allow mixture to soak into the fabric for up to 20 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly.
Air dry.
Repeat if necessary.
Retreatment of fabric for water and stain resistance will be necessary.
Remember to protect the area around your Sunbrella if using a bleach solution. Carpet or other fabrics that are not Sunbrella may have an adverse reaction to the bleach.

Retreating the Fabric
As part of the finishing process, Sunbrella fabrics are treated with a fluorocarbon finish, which enhances water repellency. This finish is designed to last for several years, but must be replenished after a thorough cleaning. Based on test results, Glen Raven recommends 303 High Tech Fabric Guard™ as the preferred retreatment product for Sunbrella fabrics. Fabrics should be retreated after thorough cleaning or after five years of use. For more information on retreatment products, please visit www.303products.com.

Applying 303 High Tech Fabric Guard
303 should be applied to Sunbrella fabrics after each thorough cleaning, which typically removes the original finish and reduces the fabric's water repellency.

Clean Sunbrella fabric, using one of the cleaning methods.
Allow Sunbrella to completely air dry.
Apply 303 Fabric Guard in a well ventilated area following instructions on the container.
Apply 303 in a thin, even coat and allow fabric to dry completely.
Apply a second thin, even coating of 303.

[SEA3PO]

You guys scare me with all your talk about mildew..... so I went out and hooked up my ozone generator.....and will let er run all weekend...while I am at the SBS..... When I was working I used it to to kill mold and mildew that would get into cars ducting.... almost impossible to get rid of that mold smell without a ozone generator.... would work overnight with most cars....kinda gives off a chlorene smell. But works gangbusters...and will get into the smallest little places....

Joel
SEA3PO

[CatyMae n Steve]

I always keep dryzez (packaged crystals put in a container and it collects the moisture from the boat) and an electrical unit that (barely) warms and blows the air (generally used in an RV) whenever we're not using the boat. I haven't seen any mildew in the boat...during the cold weather we've had, we've checked a couple times...not toasty inside the cabin, but not freezing either.

[Alyssa Jean]

Joel,

An ozone generator probably is not your average piece of equipment found in the workshop. How big is it, and ball park how much does one cost? Any other information you can give would be appreciated.

See you at the SBS.

[drjohn71a]

Dave, They make ozone generators for use as car/RV air fresheners that plug into the lighter socket - look like a large handled cigarette lighter. You can get them at truck stops. They remove smoke from the air. Basically it creates static electricity that develops double bonded oxygen (Ozone). Maybe a larger unit reduces humidity by the heat energy of that conversion. They do make things smell cleaner.

I think a small vent and some kind of low heat appliance is best to get rid of moisture. The heat allows the air to absorb the moisture and the vent allows the warmed, moistened air to leave the cabin.

John

[Butch]

I have found you could pick up an Ozone generator at a pretty good price from any top line pet store that caters to the salt water aquarium hobbiest. I got my Ozone generator from a place called "That Fish Place" just outside of Lancaster, PA. This store does a REALLY BIG volume of business over the internet. All you need is the Ozone generator and an a small aquarium air pump to be in business.

With that said, I want to say something about Ozone. Ozone is a gas commonly generated by passing air (20 % oxygen) through an electric spark. If you have ever experienced the fresh clean sweet aroma in the air after a thunder storm... that's ozone. Don't let the pleasantly sweet smell of Ozone fool you... It is one of the STRONGEST chemical oxidizers known to man. Ozone in relatively low concentrations over prolonged exposure will attach most metals such as copper, aluminum, and steel. Ozone in low concentrations (parts per million range) will also do a number on natural rubber products if left exposed over time.

Ozone is great for chemically breaking down unwanted organics such as molds and mildew. As a gas it can diffuse through out an area being treated and unfortunately go where you'd prefer it not to; i.e. crimpted electrical connections, integrated circuit boards in non sealed electronics, some onboard plastics, and of course rubber.

The key issue to take into account in using Ozone is it's average concentration over a specific exposure time. For specific applications I'd suggest doing a little reading from the net to get a better understanding of how best to safely use Ozone for your specific purpose. Ozone is good stuff, however, too much of anything good can do more harm than good.

Later all! Butch

[dotnmarty]

More good advice from Butch above, Several years ago we were having a problem with pet odor in our house. We had tried, we thought, everything. A neighbor suggested a machine which turned out to be one of these ozone things. I read the EPA report on it and it was pretty negative. Also found some reports of litigation because of false claims. However, because we were desperate at that point, and because our friend had a friend who sold them, we bought it. It works! I've used it in the house, the crawl space, smoker's cars and now I'm gonna put it on the boat. I'll let you know what happens.

[SEA3PO]

Mine is fairly large...its a box about 20x16x15 and is for comercial use, it's made by Alpine Air and cost somthing like $850 retail.... I paid about half that for mine... years ago... it will do a whole house easily...

In the automotive business we used it to remove smoking odors and animal smells....and worst of all that miserable mildew odor from the air conditioner vents... we would put it in a car, roll up the windows and leave it on full blast overnight or even over a weekend... worked well.

If anyone ever needs it, I would be happy to loan it for a week or two...it fits easily in a box and I can UPS it.. (It is really unhealthy to breathe air in a car with mildew in the air conditioning)

Joel
SEA3PO

[AstoriaDave]

I'd emphasize the cautions Butch notes. Specifically, watch out for any latex (e.g., natural rubber) articles left exposed to long-term ozone exposure. Even vulcanized rubber (such as tires, weather stripping, pigmented rubber bands, inner tubes, and so forth) is affected by long-term exposure.

I do not think a few hours of exposure (say, overnight, now and then) as a prophylactic measure to knock down mildew odors or fungal spores is a problem for these articles, but I'd avoid leaving it on for a week or longer if you have any exposed rubber around.

Not to dwell on this, but latex seals, such as those on serious dry suits and yachting outerwear, are very susceptible, because of their thin construction. Good thing those items of "personal protection" are wrapped in foil -- they are even thinner.

Ozone is bad berries for rubber.

[thataway]

Third the advice from Butch and Dave, and throw in considerations for human health from exposure to ozone in elevated concentrations.
For example from the Calif. State CARB site:

"Exposure to levels of ozone above the current ambient air quality standard can lead to human health effects such as lung inflammation and tissue damage and impaired lung functioning. Ozone exposure is also associated with symptoms such as coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and the worsening of asthma symptoms. .... Elevated ozone levels can reduce crop and timber yields, as well as damage native plants. Ozone can also damage materials such as rubber, fabrics and plastics."

For some peroid of time many boat owners were using the ozone generators. I believe that there is a class action suit involving some of these units. If you use the ozone generators, consider a brief peroid of time. We keep the boat dry--and have found that the dehumidifier is the best solution for this.

One other caution--all of the literature I have seen on cleaning Sunbrella cautions against using detergents. Natural soap or woolite is recommended and that is what we have used, along with the chlorox as noted above.

[dotnmarty]

I did run it on the boat for a couple of hours today but I gotta defer to the experts. No more ozone machine, especially when there are simple alternatives. Thanks to all.

[Butch]

Bob you are so correct... The EPA has published Ozone exposure time weighted average concentrations for Ozone gas exposure. I am having a senior moment here and can't recall the allowable concentration for human protection over an 8 hour exposure period. It is a Time Weighted Average (TWA) for worker safety and is in the part per million range.

For the general population management of Ozone exposure is common sense. Ozone will let you know if the concentration is getting too high. Ozone is an irritation to the olfactory senses. It will cause a raspy throat, coughing, and in some cases a sense of shortness of breath. At the higher ends of exposure it can cause the burning of eyes and excessive tearing. The reason the EPA has chimed in is because of the extensive use of Ozone for disinfection; especially of bottled water industry. I was commissioned back in 1976 to integrate Ozone disinfection in the processing of bottled water.... not for household use as it is today, but for potable water supplies for underground miners in the WV, KY, PA regions. Individual 1/2 pint plastic bottles were filled with Ozone disinfected water. Who would have thought the general population would be buying drinking water in 2007?
Again... Ozone is a great resource for disinfection and management of molds and mildew... ya just have to understand it and respect it for what it is.

Good thread! Butch

[GaryPalsgrove]

One tip I received several years (and various boats) back that still seems to work is to save coffee grounds in an old container and place the half-filled open container in the boat when it is put up for winter. For some reason the mildew likes the coffee grounds better then other surfaces.

This will be the first year I try it in my C-Dory 25 but I have used it successfully in several other boats. I put one can in the v-berth and another on the dinette table. I'll let you know the results in the spring.

Gary Palsgrove
C-Song

[Sea Wolf]