Mold Killer

[NAWWAL]

I learned that using Clorox ,by itself or in combination with other ingredients, is effective but can be hazardous to your health. I switched to using Hydrogen Peroxide. I used it straight to remove mold on my metal windows in my house and it worked great. No fumes, no hazardous concerns.

[cburger]

A plastic sray bottle filled with a solution of 50% water 50% white vinegar. Makes a great all purpose cleaner for the boat as well

[SweetSailor]

Wow. You weren't kidding about needing the mask. Great directions, ssullivan! Thanks!

[viking69]

Having lived in the tropics for many years on and of boats I have found bleach to be by far the best. Easy to use and seems to hold it away for the longest.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by viking69

Having lived in the tropics for many years on and of boats I have found bleach to be by far the best. Easy to use and seems to hold it away for the longest.

I've found that there is actually very little mold growth in the tropics (am here now).

The worst mold growth occurs in a liveaboard boat (cooking, breathing, sweating and don't even THINK about showering) in high lattitudes. Why?

Mold needs 3 things to grow:

1) Still air (as in a closed up boat for warmth)

2) Moisture (as in a closed up boat with people living inside)

3) Dark, cool places (like a closed up boat in the winter)

What happens is your breath, cooking moisture and everything else gets in the air, makes humidity in that dark, cool boat and then condenses onto any surface that is less than the dewpoint in temperature. Mold couldn't have a more idea environment to grow.

These are the worse mold conditions for interior mold. Glad this thread helped, SweetSailor. I do like the peroxide idea above too... no harm in not using bleach! It's the borax that keeps the mold gone.

I have quite a passion for keeping mold at bay since becoming very sensitive to it after having lived with it as a liveaboard. I figured it was "boat smell" for a while. It wasn't. I became more and more allergic/sensitive. Now, if I go near the stuff, I get a huge headache and sometimes an upset stomach. I'm allergic to nothing else at all.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

I've found that there is actually very little mold growth in the tropics (am here now).
.

Sean,

I thought you were in Florida. I'm in the tropics, just south of 23 deg 30mins North.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Sean,

I thought you were in Florida. I'm in the tropics, just south of 23 deg 30mins North.

Ha ha! That's right. I'm in FL (furthest south on this adventure was 25 deg). Heading far from the tropics actually. My bad. I was rushing in the post.

I'm *close* to the tropics and have worked in them for a few years. This is the basis of my comparison.

[stevensc]

I see the soleus has a collection tank for the condensate, does the tank have a hose fittin to let it go into a sink or drain and not need to be emptied?
Thanks
Steve

[windsaloft]

We arrived in San Francisco amidst the wet, cold rains that apparently define winter here. Our neighbor on the dock greeted us, helped us tie up on the icy wood (!!??!!) dock, and gave us this advice right off the bat (which we followed religiously and appear to have sidestepped the worst of the mold problems, and as the boat has been San Diego/Baja based her whole life, she has probably been kept pretty aired out):

- don't let ANYTHING touch the hull while the outside temps are below 50
- lift all your cushions and don't let anything waterproof (naugahyde) sit against something else (wood) without circulation.
- open every cupboard, etc., and pull stuff away from the edge of the boat.
- ventilate as much as you can figure out how to, and put a heater inthe boat to keep the inside temp above 50.

Granted, we weren't living aboard when we first got here, and it took us about an hour to leave the boat and an hour to restore it upon return, but we lived ashore for a few months and it worked. We also hung damprids in all the closets and in the electronics laz, they collected boatloads :=) of water.......

Now in the dryer season, we still ventilate like fiends, proactively wipe down and air out non-circulating surfaces (like under the v-berth mattresses) at least weekly, put anything cloth out in the baking midday sun when it is dry and warm --- we've been aggressive to prevent mold, and to date, are succeeding.

We used the West Marine little disc heater fan in the v-berth, and a dehumidifier in the main cabin, and we have great airflow through our dorades and cracked front hatch under the dinghy on the deck. We didn't like the goldenrods as much, but in a colder climate might have --- THANKS for the borax idea --- we'll be adding that to the mix!

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by stevensc

I see the soleus has a collection tank for the condensate, does the tank have a hose fittin to let it go into a sink or drain and not need to be emptied?
Thanks
Steve

It has a little "break out" piece of plastic to use an external drain hose. This is probably a less desireable feature in this unit. You could also go to Lowe's or some hardware store and retrofit like this:

Put hole in bottom of collector, get plastic fitting to fit snugly, epoxy, then connect a hose when you want to drain that way, or a cap when you want to use the built in collector.

[john540]

I have tried The West Marine unit, the disposable unit (which spilled nasty stuff everywhere) and the Soleus, and the Soleus is by far the way to go, in my opinion. I also read recently in a boating publication, that they performed several tests on different chemicals and solutions for removing mold, and the best mix was one part hydrogen peroxide, one part water, and half a part boat soap. Haven't tried it yet though.

[bstreep]

I've found the "break out" feature works just fine. Here's a feature I DON'T like:

When the temp gets above 98, the unit kicks off. It never kicks back on again!

[Aqua Vitae]

I have been fighting the good fight since day one, and I have four things that do great:
-Damprid in stows and hanging locker
-Bleach solution to kill and remove the mold
-Mold-proof paint that I have been painting any surface that is not gelcoated with (more on this in a minute)
-Liveaboard girlfriend who takes the mold battle to heart

So, the paint I found at Lowe's. The gelcoated sufaces aren't painted b/c they are the visible ones on the interior, so they get cleaned often anyways. For everything else, the paint label says that mold cannot grow on the paint film (minimum of two coats) and costs about $11 a quart or $30 a gallon. It is also guarenteed for five years. Recently, they also got interior grade, but I use the exterior grade b/c I think it is probably better. Think Zinnser makes it, but there are many brands available. Have been painting all the stows with this stuff and it works GREAT! Now, I don't really paint the stuff in the stows with it, but I believe it cuts the surfaces that can grow mold in half.....

[SeaKing]

We are just trying the paint, I found the name on another thread on this board months ago. We will know how it does soon enough.

[Kurteduard]

Originally Posted by 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.

Use Vanish Max for Impossible to remove black mold spots old dry and new we use Vanish Max fabric stain remover liquid, sold in most supermarkets, it removed all new and old mold / mildew in our Maxum SCR 3200 1996, apply and rub the area a little and remove some seconds after with a wett cloth, spray with 3M mildew Block spray every 4 to 6 months..