Mildew & Fabric

[mikehoyt]

I have a fabric hull liner which has traces of visible mildew in some places. There are obviously invisible traces in others.

What is best method to clean fabrics of mildew without harming or discolouring the fabric?

Thanks,

Mike

[davidk]

I''m suggesting curing the problem not the symptons. This normally occurs due to lack of air circulation. Therefore you need more ventilation when leaving the boat. I would try proprietry cleaners just trying a hidden area first to make sure you do not bleach the fabric ... infact it is some mix of bleach that you need.

[mikehoyt]

David,

In this case the cause was that all windows and fittings were removed for prep work and then the entire boat was sealed for painting the deck. Unfortunately the removal was done outside and it rained just prior to being moved indoors for the work. This caused the lack of ventillation and the warm moist environment that were ideal conditions for mildew.

I am looking for specific brands so that I can remove the mildew (ie kill) without discolouring the hull liner. I will attempt to clean a small out of the way location first.

Thansk,

Mike

[Bluesmoods]

Go to a web site at www.wepi.com and get the MarineKleen Odor Kill product. It works (I bought it and use it) The product kills mildew, removes stains and stops all related odors. I use the trigger spray for that and the small solid tub for odor control that you just place in the cabin out of the way.

Good luck.

[MaryBeth]

Tho you''ve probably already found an answer, if not, try Lysol. The bottle of Lysol that you get in the laundry section of the supermarket. Works well on leather and vinyl and other fabrics, tho you want to ALWAYS test for color fastness.

Truth be told, I even had to soak a pair of Sperry''s in Lysol and water overnight. (In the aft cabin on a Beneteau 45f5, your head is not far above the cabin sole, and it was either the shoes or me. The shoes had been at sea for many months, as we had, but had not had the option of bathing.)

So, try Lysol. I know it sounds like an easy, old-fashioned solution, but it works in quite a few situations.

Good Luck,
MaryBeth

[mikehoyt]

Thanks All,

The hull liner is a mildew resistant poly blend of some kind. I used Starbrite Mildew cleaner and it did not harm this fabric or discolour it. On the fibreglass and wood surfaces it works especially well. Suspect it may be bleach based.

Mike

[bderosa]

Any suggestion on how toget rid of mildew from pillows with foam core?? Would a good dry cleaning do the job?? My pillows do not have zippers so I have to treat them as a whole.

[pandaman]

problem, mold, look in sailnet under
quantum. American dry cleaners assoc. says
the only way to kill mold and mildew and
remove the odor is by use of an ozone
machine. Item above the bilge use cabin aire
in the bilge use bilge buster. Will not
remove the black but will stop any further
growth of mold and mildew and will remove
the odor from the item and the boat. hope
that helps in some way.

[chris_miller_sr]

My lovely but aged, recently purchased 1973 Columbia 30 has a Unifridge Soloid State model PC-4 refrigerater. The previous owner, who never of course took frivolous liberties with my boat did disconnect the frig. Is it a good unit, should I fix it? It is not your normal compressor - condenser type. Also,Moyer Marine is rebuilding the old A-4. should I use an old, but apparently servicable dual lined exhust system or should I go with an equally availble water box system? The boat smells bad, but I love her.
Chris.