I seem to spend more time cleaning my boat than sailing so obviously I'm doing something wrong. Any advice on the best thing to prevent mildew? Also, I have it really bad on the fuzzy wall covering. Has anyone replaced the wall covering with something else? If so, what did you use? Also, I always seem to get water in the cabin after a good rain, even though I have this nifty cover, and I use a tarp too? Ideas?? Thanks, Mary
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Fresh air and sunlight are mildew's worst enemies
So find a way to increase the ventilation inside your boat. Installing a Nicro solar vent, or even a pair of 'em--one pulling air in, the other exhausting it--is prob'ly the best option.
So find a way to increase the ventilation inside your boat. Installing a Nicro solar vent, or even a pair of 'em--one pulling air in, the other exhausting it--is prob'ly the best option.
Venting and De-humidifier
As Peggy said, venting, and I would also add get a de-humidifier. We did replace the cheesy hull-liner/carpeting in our boat with a white vinyl product. It's easy to clean and has the look and feel of calf-skin. Getting rid of the old carpet brought about a huge improvement in the smell.
As Peggy said, venting, and I would also add get a de-humidifier. We did replace the cheesy hull-liner/carpeting in our boat with a white vinyl product. It's easy to clean and has the look and feel of calf-skin. Getting rid of the old carpet brought about a huge improvement in the smell.
Ditch the nifty cover and tarp
I would suspect that the cover and tarp are a significant cause of the mildew. Unless they are positioned to allow air to flow freely under them, they may even be causing mini rain storms beneath them. Since it doesn't sound like they are doing much to keep water out, you might try leaving them off for a while.
I would suspect that the cover and tarp are a significant cause of the mildew. Unless they are positioned to allow air to flow freely under them, they may even be causing mini rain storms beneath them. Since it doesn't sound like they are doing much to keep water out, you might try leaving them off for a while.
Dry Inside
And... some more thoughts: 1. Try to find the leaks. Keeping the inside dry is an important first step to fighting mildew. 2. Soap: Try not to use soap as it's residue when not totally rinsed will actually become food for mildew. In any event, substitute something like pure Castile soap or Ivory flakes. 3. In the Northwest many of us have to constantly fight mildew - this is the stuff rain forests are made of and our area has more than the average for the Puget Sound, it seems. We've used a Ladybug high temperature steam cleaner for the fist time last year and it was quite effective, but not 100 percent. Nor did we expect it to be. The main use was on the hull liner and fiberglass. If used on varnish to the maximum temperature the steam will discolor it. 4. Ozone generator: Bought one especially for combating mildew on the boat but quit using it after I found out about it's negative side effects on gel coat, varnish, and health. The health impacts one can combat by airing out the boat before going below but the oxidation to gel coat and varnish requires more work than it's worth. Recommend saving your money on this item. Besides, it didn't seem to work as well as advertised. 5. Take stuff off the boat during the off-season. 6. Next on my to-do list is a few 12v fans and a solar panel to keep the air circulating. The boat was a lot fresher smelling this year than it has been in past years.
And... some more thoughts: 1. Try to find the leaks. Keeping the inside dry is an important first step to fighting mildew. 2. Soap: Try not to use soap as it's residue when not totally rinsed will actually become food for mildew. In any event, substitute something like pure Castile soap or Ivory flakes. 3. In the Northwest many of us have to constantly fight mildew - this is the stuff rain forests are made of and our area has more than the average for the Puget Sound, it seems. We've used a Ladybug high temperature steam cleaner for the fist time last year and it was quite effective, but not 100 percent. Nor did we expect it to be. The main use was on the hull liner and fiberglass. If used on varnish to the maximum temperature the steam will discolor it. 4. Ozone generator: Bought one especially for combating mildew on the boat but quit using it after I found out about it's negative side effects on gel coat, varnish, and health. The health impacts one can combat by airing out the boat before going below but the oxidation to gel coat and varnish requires more work than it's worth. Recommend saving your money on this item. Besides, it didn't seem to work as well as advertised. 5. Take stuff off the boat during the off-season. 6. Next on my to-do list is a few 12v fans and a solar panel to keep the air circulating. The boat was a lot fresher smelling this year than it has been in past years.
mildew prevention
I agree with all of the prior responses and would add that I've had great success with a product called (surpisingly!) No More Mildew that I ordered from National Alergy Supply www.natlallergy.com. Used it once in the early part of the season and, along with the other suggestions you've received, have not had any mildew. It comes in a spray bottle for around $20 - product number 60-0032B/ Also have used another product called NAS-12 which is a cleaner. From their desciption: "Chlorine bleach products can be harmful with prolonged use. NAS-12's safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, odorless formulation works on shower walls and curtains, grouting, vinyl outdoor furniture, vinyl wallpaper, paint surfaces, boat exteriors, leather...any surface where mold and mildew grow. NAS-12 is pre-mixed, easy to use and contains no chlorine. Spray it on, let it stand for a few minutes, then scrub lightly with a sponge or cloth. Quart bottle comes complete with a sprayer"
I agree with all of the prior responses and would add that I've had great success with a product called (surpisingly!) No More Mildew that I ordered from National Alergy Supply www.natlallergy.com. Used it once in the early part of the season and, along with the other suggestions you've received, have not had any mildew. It comes in a spray bottle for around $20 - product number 60-0032B/ Also have used another product called NAS-12 which is a cleaner. From their desciption: "Chlorine bleach products can be harmful with prolonged use. NAS-12's safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, odorless formulation works on shower walls and curtains, grouting, vinyl outdoor furniture, vinyl wallpaper, paint surfaces, boat exteriors, leather...any surface where mold and mildew grow. NAS-12 is pre-mixed, easy to use and contains no chlorine. Spray it on, let it stand for a few minutes, then scrub lightly with a sponge or cloth. Quart bottle comes complete with a sprayer"
Get rid of the spores!
Mary: I would recommend that you get the inside of the boat free of mold spores. If you do not kill them they will continue to multiply. Wipe down all of the hard surfaces with a bleach mixture to kill the spores. Once you have killed these spores, you need to clean the hull covering. You also need to get the leaks fixed. You will be hard pressed to ever keep the interior clean without stemming the flow. Then you need to determine how you are going to keep the interior dry and clean. There is evidence that Ozone will keep the mold/mildew at bay. You can try an ozone generator that you run on a timer (30-60 min, 2-4 days/week). You should not run this while you are in the boat. It is suppose to deteroiate rubber products but if you run it for a limited amount of time each day or so while you are not there, there should be little if any effect.
Mary: I would recommend that you get the inside of the boat free of mold spores. If you do not kill them they will continue to multiply. Wipe down all of the hard surfaces with a bleach mixture to kill the spores. Once you have killed these spores, you need to clean the hull covering. You also need to get the leaks fixed. You will be hard pressed to ever keep the interior clean without stemming the flow. Then you need to determine how you are going to keep the interior dry and clean. There is evidence that Ozone will keep the mold/mildew at bay. You can try an ozone generator that you run on a timer (30-60 min, 2-4 days/week). You should not run this while you are in the boat. It is suppose to deteroiate rubber products but if you run it for a limited amount of time each day or so while you are not there, there should be little if any effect.
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