mildew-ozone machine

[magsail]

Hello,

I read some older posts, 4 years ago, so I am wondering, can we use an ozone machine in the cabin of an old 38 foot sailboat that has a fair amount of mildew. We are in New England. Shrink wrapped but water came down new mast into bilge over the winter...

[r.furborough]

I would not recommend the use of an ozone generator on a boat. Ozone attacks and degrade rubber based component and could possible result in problems with hoses and seals.

[magsail]

Thank you.

I've heard that Mold Away works well and for fabric we should use an iosso mildew remover. It is overwhelming. Thank you.

[GaryHLucas]

My boat had a terrible black mold problem. I found it growing on every hidden surface out of sight. I tore out all the cabinetry that had it, and I'm going to try painting all those surfaces in paint with a copper filler. Mold can't live on copper, so that should keep it from ever returning. Interesting experiment anyway!

Gary H. Lucas

[Sabreman]

When we purchase dVictoria, there was a strong mold smell that we coundn't remove until we replaced a rotted bulkhead and shelf. But the mold was everywhere and we used gallons of Tilex Mold and Mildew remover from stem to stern, in the overheads and beneath the floor. We still keep a spray bottle of the stuff on the boat because we hate mold smell. We found that the source of the mold has to be attacked for it to go away permanently

[mrybas]

Mold Armor (green bottle, available at Home Depot) is very effective. Get the individual bottles of Remover & Preventer. They also make a combination Remover & Preventer (supposedly does both in one bottle) but it is not as strong. This stuff makes mold disappear with no scrubbing!

[Brezzin]

Originally Posted by r.furborough

I would not recommend the use of an ozone generator on a boat. Ozone attacks and degrade rubber based component and could possible result in problems with hoses and seals.

Although I agree that ozone and rubber don't mix, I'll add that most hoses, if not all and seals on a boat today are not rubber but a synthetic mix that are not affected by ozone. Practical Sailer did a thing on ozone generators a while back and they were pretty pleased with them and the results.

[sailingdog]

I'd point out that without removing the cause of the mold/mildew, fighting it is a losing battle. Having a dry cabin with no leaks is a key part of the solution—and fixing all the leaks that are letting water into the cabin is the first step. Then, once you've fixed the leaks, having decent ventilation of the ENTIRE CABIN will go a long way to preventing mold/mildew from returning.