Cleaning light MOLD from spinaker

[Ropeburn]

Happy Holidays to all. I pulled out an older spinaker I had in the basement, and overall in quite good shape. In an area around the head of the sail about 3 feet from the top are black mold dots. Some bigger than others.

Is there a product to consider, to help clean it, or any suggestions. A neighbor suggested filling a trash can with warm water and some bleach, but I am not sure I want to go that way.

 

[RichH]

Removal
To remove mould from nylon fabric, brush away visible mould growth. Hand wash the section of infected fabric in water and regular detergent. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and allow it to dry thoroughly.

Stains
Most ripstop nylon fabrics are not '100% colorfast', do not use 'chlorine bleach', clorox (weakens the nylon), oxalic acid, etc. If the nylon fabric has been stained by the mold, you can soak the stain in lemon juice, rub it with salt, then leave it in the sun to dry. After it dries, rinse with water. Test a small area of the nylon fabric with the lemon juice first to be sure it will not damage the fabric's color. You must thoroughly DRY the fabric before storage to prevent color 'bleed' between panels of different colors.

http://www.newmantools.com/pipestoppers/NYLON_chem_resistance_nt.pdf

 

[Bad Obsession]

I wonder if sailcare wouldn't be a bad solutions....

 

[Allan12210]

We didn't have visible mold but the sail, sock and bag smelled bad from a long time ago when the entire boat stank. This past spring I filled my recycle bin with water and I used some Woolite and Fabreze powders. It soaked for two days, stirring occasionally, then alternately siphoning the water out (that can weighed more than 300 lbs). I rinsed with fresh water several times. Luckily I live on a T intersection, so I have a very convenient mast next to the driveway for drying. I almost got it down before the police came. Luckily it was a neighbor who is my friend. He thought it was cool.

The colors did not run and it looks and smells nice.