Mold and mildew cleaners

T

thataway

Active member
Practical sailor sends out regular news letters, mostly hyping their publications. Every once and a while they give out some "free" information which is quite good.

This piece on mildew and mold abatement is good.

Top was "high-chlorine-content Klean-Strip Mildew Stain Remover. It has 19x the amount of sodium hypochlorite than regular common bleach". MaryKate and Starbrite cleaners also worked well.

favorite bleach-free cleaner in this test was the Spray Nine. A top performer with the best price, Spray Nine also notched Budget Buy honors. Another top chlorine-free cleaner was Nautical Ease.
Click to expand...

The need for air circulation, low humidity, and vents was also mentioned.
 
Spray nine can damage some surfaces as well as strip paint. Be careful with that one. The chlorine at that level must be caustic. I can’t do anything with fumes because of lung problems, so borax ( the laundry detergent) is what I use 1 cup to a gallon of water. Borax is one of the best for killing mold safley. Also easy to get. Lol.
 
Yes, any of these reagents can be toxic. I recommend that all read the article, not just what I put for the "recommended" products.

I have used "Mighty Dry" marine grade dehumidifier (no longer made) but that increased the heat significantly. I am using an automatic ozone generator (bursts of ozone at intervals) , combined with good ventilation and that seems to be working very well. There are many ways to prevent mold, and that is most important if possible, rather than to have to used toxic product to remove the mold and mildew.
 
I bought a CD22 located in Virginia. Had a marine surveyor put it through it's trials, and when I picked up the boat, it was absolutely infested with black mold in so many locations, that I almost walked away from the deal (why the mold wasn't on his report is beyond me).

I did not want to take a moldy infested boat back to Illinois, a very humid state as well. I asked my chemist wife what I should do to remove the mold, and she said to use:

Alkyl (C14 60%, C16 30%, C12 5%, C18 5%) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride ..........................10.0%
Alkyl (C12 68%, C14 32%) dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride..............................................10.0%

This is the active ingredient in a product called Monterey Consan 20 available at:
https://www.montereylawngarden.com/prod ... consan-20/

THE PRODUCT WORKED PERFECTLY AND TOTALLY KILLED THE BLACK MOLD. You spray CONSAN on the mold with a small pump sprayer, let it dry in place (10 TO 15 min), and the mold is dead. The skeletal bodies of the black mold stay behind, but are easy to remove by spraying bleach on them and then washing them off with water (I used a pressure washer, except inside the cabin).

Two years later, I have no re-occurrence of black mold in any parts of the FRESH FISH, even around the twin fuel tanks where the stuff was growing in multiple layers.

BTW: I am not sponsored by Monterey. Just advising on what worked for me.

Good luck with your project
 
BTW: CONSAN is not toxic to the paint on FRESH FISH, and does not stink. I saw no damage to any parts of the boat as the material is made to be used around lawn and garden areas. I did wear gloves, but did not need a respirator when working in confined parts of FRESH FISH.
 
Go to WalMart or any grocery store and buy Clorox disinfectant spray. Comes in a yellow spray bottle. Will do the trick.

John
Swee Pea
 
A much milder but effective treatment for mold/mildew is vinegar. Spray it on
lightly and let it dry to help prevent future growth after initial cleaning/removal
of heavier growth if present. No strong odor or surface damage like Clorox
containing mixes.

Even baking soda can be used.

Aye.
 
Agree the tough part is not to let mold and mildew get going when away from the boat in the first place.

Eileen has settled on plain hydrogen peroxide (std 3%) in a hand pump sprayer for the niches and 'mouse fur' as very safe, pretty effective, cheap and with no downside dangers. She uses a brush to scrub in and remove it. Works well on a clean boat (the Practical Sailor article dealt only with" heavily contaminated" surfaces, so it's not a fair comparison).

John
 
I have used vinegar for years. Works great, good heavy spray, let it soak, then scrub, and rinse with clean water, and wipe dry then spray a light dose of vinegar and let that sit to dry. Have not had and mold or mildew in about 10 years. Over the winter or for long storage times, I use 3 of the "Turbo Dryers"about 75 watts if I remember right. Very low, mild heat, and a small fan. Keeps it dry and takes a chill off.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

IMGP6319.thumb.jpg
 
Back
Top