Mildew cleaning

[George Kornreich]

Can a bleach/detergent mixture such as Comet Cleanup or Chlorox Cleaner be safely used to remove mildew on sails? The marine sail cleaners I've tried do essentially nothing. Thanks

 

[Andy]

Dare you try MildewX

Would you dare to try one of those bathroom strength mildew cleaners? I think there is one called MildewX that works great on tile, but what would it do to sails, life preservers, etc

 

[Bill Colombo]

Mildew Problems

George, Basically, bleach is the only thing I know of that will kill mildew on sails. Mildew is a form of live fungus. I would use bleach straight out of the bottle. Any bleach solution available to the general public is already diluted to about 5% which is safe to use. For large areas of mildew you can use a garden sprayer. Be careful to avoid getting the stuff on your hands, clothes, grass, paint etc. Afterwards make sure the sail is completely dry before you fold it up and put it away. Bill C.