Mold and Mildew

[kloudie1]

I have had really good results with the same stuff that the pro mold abatement guys use.. Alkyl Dimethyl benzyl, ammonium chloride.. which is used in swimming pools for algae abatement. Heed the warning labels.. wear a mask.. spritz it on the fiberglass surfaces with a sprayer on fine mist let it dry and do not rinse.. it will take a week or so to get rid of the mold/mildew.. the residual will last a few years.. I only use it on stuff like the insides of lockers and under decks where folks do not contact it.. You can buy the pool algaecide at big box stores .. If ya get the 40% mixture, cut it about half with water .. a cheap and effective way to deal with the black plague..

 

[Forrest15112]

obviously, you are not aware that white vinegar has been a cleaning and cleansing agent for centuries
if you do not know this, mebbe you should not be so sarcastic. sarcasm is a form of abuse, thankyou for yours.
i use white vinegar with huge success. it keeps salt out of ocean going toilet hoses, it cleans your nasty mold problems and KILLS the mold by changing the pH of the environment in which the mold tries to live, and it cleans successfully your water tanks, until you realize this, you will be seeking very pricey and nasty chemicals that do not work and do kill your boat systems.

Sarcasm? I really am going to try it. The balsamic remark was just me trying to be funny. I would much rather my boat smell like the Olive Garden than the swimming pool too.

 

[Chris Patterson]

Roger that Zeehag. When I undertook this last Ericson, there are no words to describe how bad the whole interior looked. All of it. The fiberglass headliner was virtually black. This is when I discovered that cheap dollar store type wasn't worth the bottle it came in. So out came the Clorox. Man, it cleaned it like nobodies business, I mean beautiful white. My thinking was, even after being told it would come back, was NO WAY. The fumes were terrible. And I was utterly convinced that I had killed it, as it about killed me in the process.

However........there it was. Now, I keep this boat very, very well circulated, even keeping it air-conditioned during the summer, 24/7. But I got to noticing little black spots reappearing. It was hard to believe.

Now, I can keep the boat wiped down, it's not that big of a deal. But I know in my heart that the evil still lurks. So now I am going the vinegar route. I haven't done it yet, but I intend to put on straight white vinegar with a sponge. Should I rinse it? Or let it just naturally dry? Cut it with another solution, water, etc? T.S.P. in the mix?

I will NOT be undone by this, so comments, rebuttals, death threats, etc. will ALL be considered..

 

[TENACITY CS36T]

I used vinegar (white vinegar cut with water 50/50) over a year ago and have had no problems since it works!

 

[Drempan]

Just curious... what have you found to be the best (and easiest) way to get rid of mold & mildew stains. The stains are on the felt hull lining in the aft berth.

In order to get rid of mold and mildew from your aft berth,

it is easy to apply colourless remedy of hydrogen chloride acid has become the best ways to destroy mould and prevent the smells. However, colourless alternative of hydrogen chloride acid could be risky and also could destroy lots of areas like wood flooring. You should try out natural solutions first. If you've got experimented with the white vinegar and lime yet the mould maintains coming back put on some colourless alternative of hydrogen chloride acid. Make sure you're using safety hand protection, safety glasses plus a respirator when you are performing this. If you’re issue is severe enough that you must use colourless solution of hydrogen chloride acid, I recommend getting in touch with a professional cleaning experts.

hope it helps!

 

[Merlin Clark]

vinegar works. i use it. i have no mold or mildew. have fun with the rest of the stuff--it doesnt work. i know btdt. have fun.

Vinegar is great stuff but I never tried it for this. Will do.
After working in the hazmat clean up industry I go with the least hazardous cleaning agent to begin with and this fits that practice.
I had an old outboard that had run hot since I owned it and when the pee tube stopped doing it's thing I rebuilt the water pump. No joy so I pulled the thermostat and it was full of sand. In the 2 years I'd owned it this motor was on a sailboat and never hit the bottom.
I put the t-stat cover on, pulled the lower unit and hooked a small bilge pump to the water tube (to powerhead from the pump). Dumped 2 gallons of vinegar in a plastic tub and ran the bilge pump for a couple of hours. The vinegar dissolved the salt deposits that had trapped sand in the cooling system and I ended up with about 3/4 of a cup of sand in the tub.
Thanks Zee!

 

[FourPoints]

Don't forget Hydrogen Peroxide, it is also good for mold and mildew, and is pretty low on the hazardous scale.

 

[Drempan]

but for me it is easy to apply colourless remedy of hydrogen chloride acid, it makes my aft berth "Mildew/Mold free" or you can hire a professional cleaners for good results.

 

[Merlin Clark]

I'll check it out Brian, nice to have more than one arrow in the arsenal.
When I was refitting the outside of my boat, I painted the inside of the slider and foreward hatch with Brightside (I had on the shelf) and I find that those get mildewed sooner and far worse than my old gelcoat.
I did some painting in another area with oil based house enamel and it hasn't mildewed, flowed better (using penetrol) and cost $27/gallon vs $46/qt for Brightside (current WM price).

 

[Merlin Clark]

but for me it is easy to apply colourless remedy of hydrogen chloride acid, it makes my aft berth "Mildew/Mold free" or you can hire a professional cleaners for good results.

Be careful with that and have lots of ventilation and protective gear, it can enter the body through inhalation, absorbtion and injestion:

HCI sounds pretty toxic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_chloride
"The compound hydrogen chloride has the chemical formula HCl. At room temperature, it is a colorless gas, which forms white fumes of hydrochloric acid upon contact with atmospheric humidity."

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/hydrogenchloride/recognition.html
Acute exposure: Acute exposure to hydrogen chloride vapor or aerosol produces inflammation and may cause ulceration of the nose, throat, and larynx; laryngeal spasm or pulmonary edema may occur on rare occasions. Eye and skin burns occur at high concentrations. Burns of the skin and mucous membranes result from contact with the solution [NLM 1995; Parmeggiani 1983]. Frostbite may occur from contact with the cryogenic liquid [Sax and Lewis 1989]. Both the gas and solutions of hydrogen chloride may cause eye irritation, severe burns, and permanent damage with loss of sight [Windholz 1983]. Ingestion causes corrosion of the mucous membranes, esophagus, and stomach; dysphagia; nausea; vomiting; intense thirst; and diarrhea. Circulatory collapse and death may follow [Windholz 1983].

 

[thinwater]

Be careful with that and have lots of ventilation and protective gear, it can enter the body through inhalation, absorbtion and injestion:

HCI sounds pretty toxic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_chloride
"The compound hydrogen chloride has the chemical formula HCl. At room temperature, it is a colorless gas, which forms white fumes of hydrochloric acid upon contact with atmospheric humidity."

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/hydrogenchloride/recognition.html
Acute exposure: Acute exposure to hydrogen chloride vapor or aerosol produces inflammation and may cause ulceration of the nose, throat, and larynx; laryngeal spasm or pulmonary edema may occur on rare occasions. Eye and skin burns occur at high concentrations. Burns of the skin and mucous membranes result from contact with the solution [NLM 1995; Parmeggiani 1983]. Frostbite may occur from contact with the cryogenic liquid [Sax and Lewis 1989]. Both the gas and solutions of hydrogen chloride may cause eye irritation, severe burns, and permanent damage with loss of sight [Windholz 1983]. Ingestion causes corrosion of the mucous membranes, esophagus, and stomach; dysphagia; nausea; vomiting; intense thirst; and diarrhea. Circulatory collapse and death may follow [Windholz 1983].

True, but I assume you also know that HCl is the primary ingridient in stomac acid and one of the primary reasons we need some salt in our diet? While certainly corrosive at high concentration (disolves meat, kills bacteria) it is not toxic in the conventional sense, not at all, unless exposure is extreme. It becomes very irritating to the common sense person before it becomes dangerous.

Safe, if used at long dillution. More is not better for this!!! I would use something else most of the time, but it has its place and is in fact quite environmentally green.

 

[Merlin Clark]

True, but I assume you also know that HCl is the primary ingridient in stomac acid and one of the primary reasons we need some salt in our diet? While certainly corrosive at high concentration (disolves meat, kills bacteria) it is not toxic in the conventional sense, not at all, unless exposure is extreme. It becomes very irritating to the common sense person before it becomes dangerous.

Safe, if used at long dillution. More is not better for this!!! I would use something else most of the time, but it has its place and is in fact quite environmentally green.

That makes sense, thanks Thinwater.

 

[akhartung]

I have been trying this stuff called "Concrobium". It works realllly well as a preventer. Still deciding if I like it for killing mold. This stuff is like food grade.

Here is more info on it
http://www.concrobium.com/

 

[catsailor]

I have been trying this stuff called "Concrobium". It works realllly well as a preventer. Still deciding if I like it for killing mold. This stuff is like food grade.

Here is more info on it
http://www.concrobium.com/

Yes, it is basically washing soda, TSP, and baking soda mixed in a specific ratio. The patent is that simple.
http://www.google.com/patents/EP110...a=X&ei=evXpUMzdDvOy0AGl1oGIDA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA

"In a typical "full-strength" formulation, an amount of solution having a first concentration is prepared by combining approximately 910 grams of SB, approximately 1,930 grams of SC and approximately 2,270 grams of TSP in approximately 208 liters of water; the water used is either deionized water, softened water or water processed through a reverse osmosis (RO) system. Such a typical "full-strength" formulation of the first concentration is thus approximately 2.46 percent (%) solids or active ingredients."

Gotta love the internet. A chemist's best friend.

 

[dbh252]

Yes, it is basically washing soda, TSP, and baking soda mixed in a specific ratio. The patent is that simple.
http://www.google.com/patents/EP1104450B1?cl=en&dq=washing+soda+TSP+mold&hl=en&sa=X&ei=evXpUMzdDvOy0AGl1oGIDA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA

"In a typical "full-strength" formulation, an amount of solution having a first concentration is prepared by combining approximately 910 grams of SB, approximately 1,930 grams of SC and approximately 2,270 grams of TSP in approximately 208 liters of water; the water used is either deionized water, softened water or water processed through a reverse osmosis (RO) system. Such a typical "full-strength" formulation of the first concentration is thus approximately 2.46 percent (%) solids or active ingredients."

Gotta love the internet. A chemist's best friend.

Thanks for this!

Figured it up buying the ingredients from amazon. Comes out to 50 cents a gallon. Lowes sells 5 gallons for $149.00. Yes, I said dollars! Wtf?

 

[thinwater]

However... There is always a "however."

The TSP sold at most stores is not TSP; it is TSP blended with detergents or washing soda. Stupid really--a product should be what it says it is--but read the lable.

Thanks for this!

Figured it up buying the ingredients from amazon. Comes out to 50 cents a gallon. Lowes sells 5 gallons for $149.00. Yes, I said dollars! Wtf?

 

[Steve Dion]

Now that you have a solution to kill the mold/mildew I would suggest a dehumidifer. We have one and the boat feels much better down below when left running 24 x 7.

We turn it off when we are at the boat and fire it up again upon departure.

 

[RichH]

Na2CO3 or washing soda is an alkaline substance, in a mixture of TriSodiumPhosphate (another 'caustic') its probable dual function is to prevent 'caking' of the other components as well as being another 'caustic'.

The basic biology of fungals (mycelia) is dependent on primarily 'acidic' conditions to grow and to propagate. The use of 'caustics' has been known since prehistoric times to retard or prevent fungal growth, both inactivating the fungal spores and to retard the 'filamentous' growth.
Fungals are VERY subject to pH (acid/base) changes ... so using 'vinegar' will kill, stun fungals because of the large negative pH shift ... but the residue (acetic acid) will simply encourage and 'fertilize' new fungal growth.

Caustics will dissolve the fungal cells (if the caustic is applied with sufficient 'dwell' or soak time), prevent reinfection via providing a completely hostile pH surface for spore growth.
Washing Soda is a mild 'caustic', TSP is a mildly strong caustic, Borax is a mild caustic.

Your ancestors since the time of the cavemen, used 'whitewash' (a caustic paste made from calcium hydroxide or 'lime' plus 'chalk' ... all alkalis or caustics) to prevent mold and mildew. You can do the same by applying 'caustics' on non-wood or painted/varnished surfaces and simply let dry.
If you don't like caustics, then apply TIN containing compounds such as 'athletes foot' remedies.

If you want to get a bit 'fancier' use *3M - Marine Mildew Block Spray*, a 'clever' mix of caustics and anti-fungal compounds. example: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=8564

Its not the 'wetness' of the surface that causes mold and mildew to thrive ... its the 'acidity' of the wetness that causes the compatibility. Leave the vinegar for your salads.

 

[Chris Patterson]

Rich sounds like the man to know this, so....I'm considering a product called Nixalite. It's marketed from a company that does bird "remediation", and I don't know. I'm incredibly stupid about these things, (as well as most others), but how does that sound? I'm too incompetent to start mixing my own "witches brew".

 

[RichH]

I checked the Nixalite website, and they manufacture quite an array of products.
They also have an adjacent MSDS website ... so choose your product and then look it up on the msds site ... looking for 'caustics', stannic or stannous (tin), etc. compounds in the 'mix'. Such will usually be applicable as fungicide/control.

FWIW - Although not usually listed for fungal control, bare aluminum usually will not accumulate fungals and usually will attenuate such growth on surrounding/adjacent areas.