After last October's 12 inches of rain in 9 days, My boat was pretty well saturated. Because of that, I have mold and mildew on all wood below. It is concentrated on the lower 12 inches though, so that is good. What do you use to clean this up without burning your lungs with bleach? Thanks, Eric
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Borax is good, Copper sulfate works
There is a shelf full of mold and mildew fighting products in the super markets. Chlorine bleach is very good and you don't need full streength. 1 Cup in a bucket of water will do the job just don't be in a hurry to rince.
There is a shelf full of mold and mildew fighting products in the super markets. Chlorine bleach is very good and you don't need full streength. 1 Cup in a bucket of water will do the job just don't be in a hurry to rince.
Spray bottle
We used a spray bottle of hot water with a little bit of bleach. That and a bit of scrubbing worked well. Kevin
We used a spray bottle of hot water with a little bit of bleach. That and a bit of scrubbing worked well. Kevin
Germacide
There is a product sold at commercial cleaning supply companies called Germicide this is the same product that bars use to wash their glasses. We had a flood with 4 foot of water and had to remove the wall board. We treated the framing with the product several times and it removed the odor and mildew
There is a product sold at commercial cleaning supply companies called Germicide this is the same product that bars use to wash their glasses. We had a flood with 4 foot of water and had to remove the wall board. We treated the framing with the product several times and it removed the odor and mildew
I like the bleach water too.
Eric: I like the bleach water too. This is just to kill the spores. When you are done cleaning up with the bleach water, I would suggest that you wipe EVERYTHING (wood) down with Lemon or Citrus oil. This will kill any bleach smell and will also clean up the wood too. We usually do this at least once or twice each year.
Eric: I like the bleach water too. This is just to kill the spores. When you are done cleaning up with the bleach water, I would suggest that you wipe EVERYTHING (wood) down with Lemon or Citrus oil. This will kill any bleach smell and will also clean up the wood too. We usually do this at least once or twice each year.
Go to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website
and do a site search for mold and mildew control and removal. There you will find that mold removal is potentially dangerous, especially if the mold/mildew has dried out. Clorox, etc. will only kill, stun the cells and spores. To REMOVE them so that they dont cause a reinfection you need to use a caustic detergent to DISSOLVE them. If you leave the dead cells, they become nutrients for other subsequent species to infect and feed upon. When done cleaning, etc. wipe all the surfaces with the caustic detergent and let it dry .... this will equate to 'whitewashing' that our ancestors did to *prevent* mold from growing in the first place. If you have access to a chemistry lab or chemical supply, get a commercial prepared mixture of peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide ... one of the best broadscale disinfectants - kills *everything*. If you want to pursue the cleaning and remediation in more depth, etc. do a websearch: for either stachybotrys or aspergillus
and do a site search for mold and mildew control and removal. There you will find that mold removal is potentially dangerous, especially if the mold/mildew has dried out. Clorox, etc. will only kill, stun the cells and spores. To REMOVE them so that they dont cause a reinfection you need to use a caustic detergent to DISSOLVE them. If you leave the dead cells, they become nutrients for other subsequent species to infect and feed upon. When done cleaning, etc. wipe all the surfaces with the caustic detergent and let it dry .... this will equate to 'whitewashing' that our ancestors did to *prevent* mold from growing in the first place. If you have access to a chemistry lab or chemical supply, get a commercial prepared mixture of peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide ... one of the best broadscale disinfectants - kills *everything*. If you want to pursue the cleaning and remediation in more depth, etc. do a websearch: for either stachybotrys or aspergillus
Rich H It sounds like you have got it going on
This sounds like its right on the money. It's one thing to kill the germs and another to remove them.Be sure to flush out completely with clean water. I've always used the bleach and flush system myself. I will look into Richs idea of a more complete chemical breakdown. Thanks. Keep it up, Ctskip
This sounds like its right on the money. It's one thing to kill the germs and another to remove them.Be sure to flush out completely with clean water. I've always used the bleach and flush system myself. I will look into Richs idea of a more complete chemical breakdown. Thanks. Keep it up, Ctskip
Mold
Wow, lots of idea's and a broad range of solutions. Thanks, and keep any ideas coming. RichH, what kind of danger? Thanks, Eric
Wow, lots of idea's and a broad range of solutions. Thanks, and keep any ideas coming. RichH, what kind of danger? Thanks, Eric
The danger .....
... is that many of these mold and mildew species are extremely toxic especially to those who have predisposed senstivity. The worst danger is to disturb (any) mold when it is dry and release the spores -- the spores can get aspirated very deeply into the 'end cells' of the lungs and cause 'great' damage. There have been many reported cases of extreme toxicity and even death to those who are 'sensitive'. Such sensitivity is usually cumulative ... from repeated exposures. The CDC website and most state health department websites now (finally !!!!) outline what should be done for mold/mildew control and remediation - its just simple hygiene. Incidentally, these mold/;mildew 'species' are the same that invade most boat system water tanks and cause all the foul taste and other grief .... the spores enter the tankage when you draw down the tank (because they are already living there in the 'adjacent spaces'); such tanks should have filters on the tank vent to prevent such entry by aspiration when you draw water from the tank .... just like they do in most industrial, municipal, pharmaceutical, food processing, beverage processing, biotech water (tank) applications. The NSF specs that make the recommendations and practices (for the RV industry, etc. which only govern the commissioning of 'new' installations) are about 30-40 years out of date in comparison to the current FDA (fFederal Food and Drug Administration) regs. To remediate mold/mildew do what our ancestors did: wet it to prevent 'dusting' it, use a very strong (alkali) soap to dissolve it, then 'whitewash' to prevent it in the future ... just use the strong soap to apply and dry on those surfaces that are subject to mold. The caustic film thats applied and let to dry keep the spores from 'growing'. Our ancestors had been doing that for about 3000 years ... and it worked! Thats why they sought out limestone caves for storage of food, wine, cheese, etc. --- the caustic/alkalai nature of the limestone. Further, the zillions of teeny black spots that seem to 'appear' on boats in the NE after a long rain storm or a period of 'wet humid weather' in early spring through mid-summer .... probably 'artillery fungus' and the cure is the same as above.
... is that many of these mold and mildew species are extremely toxic especially to those who have predisposed senstivity. The worst danger is to disturb (any) mold when it is dry and release the spores -- the spores can get aspirated very deeply into the 'end cells' of the lungs and cause 'great' damage. There have been many reported cases of extreme toxicity and even death to those who are 'sensitive'. Such sensitivity is usually cumulative ... from repeated exposures. The CDC website and most state health department websites now (finally !!!!) outline what should be done for mold/mildew control and remediation - its just simple hygiene. Incidentally, these mold/;mildew 'species' are the same that invade most boat system water tanks and cause all the foul taste and other grief .... the spores enter the tankage when you draw down the tank (because they are already living there in the 'adjacent spaces'); such tanks should have filters on the tank vent to prevent such entry by aspiration when you draw water from the tank .... just like they do in most industrial, municipal, pharmaceutical, food processing, beverage processing, biotech water (tank) applications. The NSF specs that make the recommendations and practices (for the RV industry, etc. which only govern the commissioning of 'new' installations) are about 30-40 years out of date in comparison to the current FDA (fFederal Food and Drug Administration) regs. To remediate mold/mildew do what our ancestors did: wet it to prevent 'dusting' it, use a very strong (alkali) soap to dissolve it, then 'whitewash' to prevent it in the future ... just use the strong soap to apply and dry on those surfaces that are subject to mold. The caustic film thats applied and let to dry keep the spores from 'growing'. Our ancestors had been doing that for about 3000 years ... and it worked! Thats why they sought out limestone caves for storage of food, wine, cheese, etc. --- the caustic/alkalai nature of the limestone. Further, the zillions of teeny black spots that seem to 'appear' on boats in the NE after a long rain storm or a period of 'wet humid weather' in early spring through mid-summer .... probably 'artillery fungus' and the cure is the same as above.
A helpful tip
The SAFEST and most effective mold eliminator is plain old white distilled vinegar. Use a spray bottle and a cloth. Not only does it kill the mold it is even more effective in preventing the return of mold much more so than bleach. I have tried both and the vinegar is better. And the boat only smells like a salad for a short while.
The SAFEST and most effective mold eliminator is plain old white distilled vinegar. Use a spray bottle and a cloth. Not only does it kill the mold it is even more effective in preventing the return of mold much more so than bleach. I have tried both and the vinegar is better. And the boat only smells like a salad for a short while.
Yep, white vinegar.
We have used white vinegar for years. If you see any mold getting started, wipe it down with vinegar, and do not wipe it off. Leave it damp and let it dry onto the surface. We also have a spray bottle of it. If it is someplace you can't quite reach, just spray some in there. Like greg said before, it does smell a bit strange for a while, but it goes away quickly.
We have used white vinegar for years. If you see any mold getting started, wipe it down with vinegar, and do not wipe it off. Leave it damp and let it dry onto the surface. We also have a spray bottle of it. If it is someplace you can't quite reach, just spray some in there. Like greg said before, it does smell a bit strange for a while, but it goes away quickly.
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