Mold Killer

[rleslie]

Can anyone recommend a good caustic detergent/cleaner that will kill mold? We came back to the boat after being away for two weeks @ Christmas and mold was everywhere.

Are there any pre-formulated products or do we need to mix our own? Something like this: http://www.propertyperfections.net/


Also, has anyone had luck with small dehumidifiers that can fit on a sailboat?

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[delmarrey]

This has been discussed in great detail if you go to the SEARCH box above and enter the words mold and/or mildew you will find a load of information to resolve your problem.

enjoy.............................._/)

[Wahoo Sails]

I've been dealing with this problem for 8 years ... and without a doubt, the very best, most effective thing I have found, is also the cheapest & easiest ... white vinegar.
Bob

[ssullivan]

Let me tell you info from another thread and massive mold experience. I had it so bad when I got this boat, I thought it was just some dirt. It was evil, NASTY Wisconsin Black Mold. Harsh stuff. It actually showed up as pnumonia in a chest x-ray I had and I didn't even know I was that affected.

Here's the absolute best, 100% best way to clean it so you only have to do it once a year at best:

1) Get a real mask (like with the removable metal screw on cartridges that will also protect you from chlorine) 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. I didn't believe it at first, but then found out the hard way.

2) Buy some kind of laundry detergent (powdered), some bottles of Clorox, and 20 Mule Team Borax. All of the above can be found in a grocery store.

3) Get a bucked of fresh water, mix in laundry detergent, a healthy dose of bleach and a real healthy dose of borax.

4) Get out some ScotchBrite pads, a sponge and a stiff bristle brush.

5) Don your space suit.

6) Put bleach in a sprayer bottle, full strength.

7) Start by spraying bleach on all the mold. Spray a nice, heavy coat on. Watch the mold turn to yellow, then start to fade out. Now you can take your mixture of borax, detergent and bleach and scrub until the surface looks brand new. You will get any water stains off this way too.

8) After scrubbing, drain or remove any standing water and let the area dry. Use a fan if there isn't enough ventillation to have it dry naturally. DO NOT RINSE!!!

That's it. The bleach will kill the mold and help clean the area, while the detergent freshens it up. The borax stays put after you're done scrubbing and keeps the pH such that mold can't regrow. The only time you'll get more growth is if the borax gets washed out by running water coming in, or slowly degrades after a couple years.

If you have running water coming in, you need to fix the leak to keep from having more mold.

It is imperative to not take any shortcuts too. You must remove all dead mold, or it will give new mold something to feast on while it's growing. We did this toward the end of the summer this year and remain mold free right now, living aboard, cooking aboard, etc...

This methods works like crazy, and your boat will feel fresh and clean inside, instead of stale and "thick."

[rleslie]

WOW...two totally different approaches. One turns the boat into a bio-hazard zone and the other is quick and easy! Unfortunately, it seems that the bio-hazrd approach will be more effective in preventing the return of the mold.

Thanks for the info.

Also, can anyone recommend a good small dehumidifier?

Roger

[ssullivan]

Roger,

The bio-hazzard method isn't really that bad. I just prefer to be very safe since it's a closed environment. The bleach is rough, but it mostly washes away with your mix of borax, soap and a bit of bleach. After you scrub, the air becomes mostly chlorine free again. What is left over (borax) is your friend. It isn't toxic and will keep toxic molds from growing.

I can definitely recommend the best small dehumidifer on the market. We use a SoleusAir CFM-25E. We scrapped a much larger, heavier and inefficient Whirlpool model for this one. It's been on non-stop since October or so. It uses only 200 Watts, which is extremely efficient for a dehumidifier. It is also whisper quiet, seems to be working well and uses R-134a. A nice plus if you want to recharge it or work on it someday.

Also, I like the fact that on those super sticky days in August at anchor, I can run it off the batts to some extent if I have to close up for a rainshower. I did a lot of shopping and it was the most efficient unit I could find.

PS: I sure wish I didn't have all this "experience" in this area!

[rleslie]

Sean

Thanks for all the info. The SoleusAir CFM-25E gets great review on Amazon.com and for $175 it looks like a good deal.

Thanks again!!!!

[ssullivan]

No problem, Roger. Sombody should benefit from all the mold crap I've gone through.

PS: The SoleusAir also works down to 36F, which is nice if you are wintering over, like we do.

[Sunspot Baby]

A good commercial product that does wonders for us. Scrubfree mold and mildew remover. Works GREAT. Scrubfree works better than any competing brand we have tried.

George

[Lynx]

WOW! what a mold problem. I hope that mine never gets that bad. All that I do is spray down the inside boat with a 4 parts water, 1 part liquid Lysol. Put full strength Lysol in the bildge and in the ice chest. I left the boat this summer in Florida and came back 6 months latter and the only mold was on the spots that I did not spray.

Also, when the boat starts to get that boaty smell, I just spray the Lysol solution, close up the boat for a few hours and no more smell. Note, my boat is less than 1 year old.

[ssullivan]

Yes, certaily a benefit having a new boat. My boat is just about old enough to go to a bar or buy some beer. She spent years of sitting on the hard in Wisconsin, neglected. Somehow, there were literally piles of dirt (as in soil) inside the boat when I first got it, along with hundreds of spiders. It was like being in a cave in Transylvania. In addition there was black mold on just about every surface (ceiling, bilges, all plumbing, cushions, etc... etc...). We made the mistake of not thoroughly cleaning the mold and I got sick from it. I didn't even know it was mold, having never seen dark black stuff before. I thought it was dirty/stained spots.

[Lynx]

I hope that you got a great deal on it. One of the reasons that I bought a costal cruiser new is not to have those problems but the extra space might have been worth it. I will see in the next few years.

[Vasco]

This might be slightly off topic but I leave my boat (sometimes on the hard, sometimes in the water) for six months every summer. Mold can be a problem. Lately I've been hanging up half a dozen of these bags of formaldehyde when closing up the boat, and when I get back to the boat in the fall there is no mold , nor, for that matter, anything alive on the boat. I always air the boat well before boarding. You get the bags at Walgreens in Florida. They're intended for closets or for freshening up musty stuff. I learned this from other cruisers who leave their boats in storage for the summer. Anyone have any views on this?

[ssullivan]

Of course, Rick, that is an excellent way to make sure nothing grows in the boat. Obviously one wouldn't want to eat any foods left hanging around during that treatment or use toothbrushes, etc...

Just doesn't work well for liveaboards (deadaboards in that case)

[Rick]

I'm allergic to the stuff that dust mites leave, as well as dust, mold, etc. etc. and my allergist pointed out that dust mites do not reproduce in humidity less than 50%. So, I've been using a dehumidifier yet the one that I have (don't recall the brand) doesn't do much good at or below 55 deg. F.

I just ordered a Soleusair CFM-25E on Amazon.com from S&H co. for $159 ($165 including shipping!) due to your note that it will work down to 36 deg. Well, if it works well at 50 deg I'll be able to save heating dollars on the boat when I'm not aboard. Thanks!

Sean would you elaborate on your method of cleaning up without rinsing your formula for mold removal? I have not known that idea of leaving the 20 Mule Team Borax on the surface until it gets down to about 5 mules or so. Anyway, I want to try your formula (I have a good mask and cartridges etc.).

As it is I keep all the boat surfaces clean and use washable throw-down "rugs" to keep the dust, mold, and mites down to a tolerable level. The ladies like that as well because attendant with that is no smell. I've noticed over the years that there is nothing more repugnant to a woman (other than an insensitive man) than the whiff of dry rot, sewage, mold, and that "closed up" boat smell from a dirty bilge.