Ahoy all sailors; Any ideas on reducing my mold beneath berth cusions on my 25.5? I have tried to keep her dry, but even the slight dampness turns to mold. Appreciate any help. Bill
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ventilation
What do you have for constant ventilation, if you have nothing I would install a solar/battery ventilator. also its a good idea when away from the boat to keep all covers below decks proped open and cushions proped up or standing on edge. I also leave a small electric fan running sometimes below decks to circulate air. just my 2 cents.
What do you have for constant ventilation, if you have nothing I would install a solar/battery ventilator. also its a good idea when away from the boat to keep all covers below decks proped open and cushions proped up or standing on edge. I also leave a small electric fan running sometimes below decks to circulate air. just my 2 cents.
search the archives
Searching the archives on the word mildew found this thread.. (see link below)
Searching the archives on the word mildew found this thread.. (see link below)
Need to kill them first.
Bill: I believe that you are experiencing a problem with reproductive breeding. You need to kill the spores. This is usually taken care of with a bleach solution on all of the hard surfaces. As for the fabrics, you will need to figure out what to do to clean your cushions and any other soft surfaces. Then you can go on a maintenance project of keeping it clean and dry. There is some stuff we use called Damp Rid. It comes in different forms. Some of the devices can be hung up and others are in containers. This is a good maintenance item. Dry and ventilation are real keys to keeping it under control.
Bill: I believe that you are experiencing a problem with reproductive breeding. You need to kill the spores. This is usually taken care of with a bleach solution on all of the hard surfaces. As for the fabrics, you will need to figure out what to do to clean your cushions and any other soft surfaces. Then you can go on a maintenance project of keeping it clean and dry. There is some stuff we use called Damp Rid. It comes in different forms. Some of the devices can be hung up and others are in containers. This is a good maintenance item. Dry and ventilation are real keys to keeping it under control.
25.5 mold
We take all our 25.5 cushions home with us if we're not going to use the boat for a while. I agree with Steve D's proposal. If you have mold now, its time to wash the interior with a weak bleach / water solution. Rinse with a lysol and water mix. Pay attention to the sinks, drains and drain hoses, especially the forward one since it can get water in it as a normal course of sailing. Check for leaks, especially from the anchor locker. If there is growth in the carpet on the sides of the cabin, its because there's something for it to grow on and might need cleaning at least to get rid of the mold spores. For the carpet I think I'd want to go over it with a sponge dampened with lysol and just let it dry onto the surface. If it gets any moisture, the lysol would activate and kill off any mold. I haven't tried it, but in theory it should work. I don't think there would be any damage to the fabric but there might be a little discoloration for a while. Make sure the carpet is dry before closing the cabin. It shouldn't be too hard, our cabin is like a sauna when the sun's out. Some extra fans / ventilation should help dry out the cabin. Check the bilge. If you ever get any moisture there, it can be a holding area for mold. You should be especially sensitive to this if you have an inboard and packing drips. Use plenty of dehydrator in the cabin if its going to be sealed up. Put it in the sink by the v-birth since any overflow will drain out the starboard through hull without having to open the valve in the galley. Once mold gets a foothold, its often hard to get rid of it. Its possible that you'll hve to clean the entire inside of the boat. I don't know if it will prevent mold, but leaving a few open boxes of baking soda in the cabin seems to keep odors in check. We always keep a couple of open boxes in the boat, one in the galley, one in the forward compartment. Might also want to consider one near the bilge or on the table in the dinette.
We take all our 25.5 cushions home with us if we're not going to use the boat for a while. I agree with Steve D's proposal. If you have mold now, its time to wash the interior with a weak bleach / water solution. Rinse with a lysol and water mix. Pay attention to the sinks, drains and drain hoses, especially the forward one since it can get water in it as a normal course of sailing. Check for leaks, especially from the anchor locker. If there is growth in the carpet on the sides of the cabin, its because there's something for it to grow on and might need cleaning at least to get rid of the mold spores. For the carpet I think I'd want to go over it with a sponge dampened with lysol and just let it dry onto the surface. If it gets any moisture, the lysol would activate and kill off any mold. I haven't tried it, but in theory it should work. I don't think there would be any damage to the fabric but there might be a little discoloration for a while. Make sure the carpet is dry before closing the cabin. It shouldn't be too hard, our cabin is like a sauna when the sun's out. Some extra fans / ventilation should help dry out the cabin. Check the bilge. If you ever get any moisture there, it can be a holding area for mold. You should be especially sensitive to this if you have an inboard and packing drips. Use plenty of dehydrator in the cabin if its going to be sealed up. Put it in the sink by the v-birth since any overflow will drain out the starboard through hull without having to open the valve in the galley. Once mold gets a foothold, its often hard to get rid of it. Its possible that you'll hve to clean the entire inside of the boat. I don't know if it will prevent mold, but leaving a few open boxes of baking soda in the cabin seems to keep odors in check. We always keep a couple of open boxes in the boat, one in the galley, one in the forward compartment. Might also want to consider one near the bilge or on the table in the dinette.
P
Patrick
I have found a small area of mold
on or rather under the plywood in the vee berth. There is apparently a place where water has leaked in and sort of been trapped between two pieces of plywood. It has not rotted but is definitely moldy. I have cleaned it with a disinfectant soap and then painted it with a very thin mixture of epoxy and thinner. I will give it several coats of this stuff. The plywood soaks it up like a sponge and it will take several applications to seal the edges of the wood.
on or rather under the plywood in the vee berth. There is apparently a place where water has leaked in and sort of been trapped between two pieces of plywood. It has not rotted but is definitely moldy. I have cleaned it with a disinfectant soap and then painted it with a very thin mixture of epoxy and thinner. I will give it several coats of this stuff. The plywood soaks it up like a sponge and it will take several applications to seal the edges of the wood.
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