Best Way to Remove Mold in the Cabin

[ardoin]

Another good killer is old fashion Lysol. The brown liquid in a bottle, it kills everything. I think it may contain some iodine so it might stain porous surfaces.

[Hudson Force]

There's much good advice above; however, I'd add another step. After the cleaning arrange for a few days or more with the boat sealed closed with a few bags of "Damp-Rid" hanging inside. You can also use the naptha moth balls, but I rather choose the "Damp-Rid" bags. Treating the air within the cabin will allow for a coverage that you can never achieve by wiping surfaces. Be sure to open the cabin, remove the hanging bags and air things out before you spend a length of time below. We also like to use the "Damp-Rid" bags if we are going to be away from our boat for a week or more.

[gonesail]

vinegar to me smells worse than mildew. i would suggest wiping down what you can with clorox spray cleaner .. then leave fans running in the boat to keep the air moving. if you can leave the boat opened up to release stale air. also use some good air freshener. use febreze on the fabric and put cushions out in the sun for a while.

[zeehag]

clorox will not keep it away as will vinegar. if you dont like smell--go away while it dries.

nothing keeps mold away like good ventilation.

[Gavala]

Originally Posted by gonesail

vinegar to me smells worse than mildew.

+1. Its the application not the drying. Vinegar should be reserved for fish and chips, or fried potatoes to those speaking in a foreign lingo.

[barnakiel]

On rough surfaces you can spray Wetn'Forget. But if you can smell it, there is plenty of it: look thru bilges, lockers, everywhere, for I bet you have a surprise somewhere out there.

b.

[haiqu]

Once you've cleaned it off, best way to keep it gone is to ensure adequate ventilation, and also that there's as little water in the bilges as possible. Drilling three 25mm (1") holes in my companionway cover and fixing some hull leaks made a fairly huge difference.

[slipstreamcat]

Originally Posted by capttman

Best way is to use vinegar and water 50/50 it cleans and kills it so it doesn't come back. Bleach cleans it but does not kill the spores and it regrows

I agree but the best is straight white vinegar then rinse your sponge out in fresh water & dont rinse the vinegar on the surface.

[o_q]

Originally Posted by gonesail

vinegar to me smells worse than mildew.

I never got why people don't have the same reaction as I do with vinegar. It's a horrible smell. But if it got the job done, I'd use it begrudgingly, but would finish it off with bleach, assuming this doesn't undo the first step.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

There's much good advice above; however, I'd add another step. After the cleaning arrange for a few days or more with the boat sealed closed with a few bags of "Damp-Rid" hanging inside. You can also use the naptha moth balls, but I rather choose the "Damp-Rid" bags. Treating the air within the cabin will allow for a coverage that you can never achieve by wiping surfaces. Be sure to open the cabin, remove the hanging bags and air things out before you spend a length of time below. We also like to use the "Damp-Rid" bags if we are going to be away from our boat for a week or more.

Does Damp-Rid make multiple types of products? The Damp-Rid I am familiar with is just anhydrous calcium chloride and simply absorbs gaseous water - dissolving as it does so and leaving liquid water behind in a container. It can help to keep a small space dry, but it doesn't give off any sublimated chemicals poisonous to organisms like naptha does.

But maybe the brand name Damp-Rid also makes products that do so.

Mark

[colemj]

Originally Posted by zeehag

clorox will not keep it away as will vinegar. if you dont like smell--go away while it dries.

nothing keeps mold away like good ventilation.

Chlorine bleach does kill mold and its spores, and is more effective than vinegar.

Vinegar leaves the surface acidic, which helps to keep mold from regrowing for a while, but it will grow back fairly soon because the surface doesn't stay acidic very long. You can continue to wipe down surfaces with vinegar every week to keep the mold at bay.

Mark

[Snore]

Call me thickheaded.... But Clorox spray works just fine thank you.


Attached is a photo of my 32+ y/o ceiling. And the spray I use... Last applied 4-5 months ago.

[gunkylump]

We successfully use a 50/50 mix of white vinegar/original Listerine mouthwash.

Boat smells mouthwash clean after .......and the vinegar does in the mould.

gunk

[gunkylump]

Oooops, forgot to mention, we use a spray bottle to apply.

gunk

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by colemj

Does Damp-Rid make multiple types of products? The Damp-Rid I am familiar with is just anhydrous calcium chloride and simply absorbs gaseous water - dissolving as it does so and leaving liquid water behind in a container. It can help to keep a small space dry, but it doesn't give off any sublimated chemicals poisonous to organisms like naptha does.

But maybe the brand name Damp-Rid also makes products that do so.

Mark

Your description certainly identifies the activity of the product that I am familiar with; however, I do notice that when entering a closed cabin that has been exposed to the hanging "Damp-Rid" the odor is harsh and overwheming. I have assumed that this is a result of more than a dessicant, but I must admit that I don't have a definitive answer to your inquiry.