mold on carpet
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Antidote
Well-known member
Carpet cleaner. I used pet defense and the spots haven't come back. I also leave the side windows cracked about an inch.
got_em_on
Well-known member
Mix up oxy clean, bleach and water in a garden pump sprayer. Soak entire carpet down with hose. Spray on solution, have a beer/wait 30 minutes, wash rinse repeat if needed. No scrubbing needed and it will clean all of it up.
I too have gotten some of the black spots on the 'carpet' in the cabin and pilothouse. I've used a number of different cleaners, and all worked fairly well. Most recently I've used Woolite Carpet Foam, because, well because my wife told me to; and she is always right ☺. Just spray a little on the spots; brush it; wipe it off. It works fine.
It also helps to try to reduce the mold/mildew growth in the first place. Learning why it is there, goes a long way to helping prevent it in the first place.
What I'll explain about mold and mildew applies to all boats, and most-all other places on earth (houses, crawlspaces, cars, shops, building, forests, caves... ). Mold doesn't happen in deep outer space and or the arctic-poles, because most of the ingredients aren't present there.
We live in different climate-zones, so although what's below applies to all of us, some climates have more, or less, of the ingredients, and/or 'time/durations'. Therefore, different severities of mold/mildew growth.
Here goes! Those who get bored easily, 'turn the channel' (if you're even still here!☺). (I wrote about this once before).
We were taught, that there are 30,000-35,000 forms of mold/mildew; although I asked, I was never shown the entire list! (One 'source' even stated 40,000. I still haven't seen the list). I think 'their' point is, is that there are a lot of molds and mildews.
For Mold/Mildew to exist anywhere, there HAS to be five ingredients present. Remove just ONE of the FIVE, and m/m cannot exist.
The 'Five Ingredients';
1) Mold spores. (they exist in most every breath of air you breathe). So, they're hard to filter/control. It's not practical to try to super-filter all the air.
2) Oxygen. (m/m cannot grow without oxygen). But if we remove the oxygen, we can't live there either.
3) Mold Food. (m/m 'food' is everything organic). M/m cannot live in a non-organic and/or sterile environment; the m/m would starve. It's hard to have a sterile boat (or house/car/truck/yard!); that means no 'dirt' of any kind. But the cleaner the surface/area, the less chance of m/m growth. Clean, clean, clean, clean!
4) Correct Temperature; M/m colonies cannot grow/thrive/live where the temperature is below 40 degrees F or above 115 degrees F. (This is not exact-science; some say 35 F and 110F, or 120 F. and ALL are correct; some of the 30,000+ M/m have slight difference tolerances. But, the point is, humans don't like those temperatures either, so it's not a great way to try and control m/m somewhere that we too want to be. (Then, I've been asked, how does mold/mildew grow on boats? in the winter?, in some northern climates? (easy answer; because all 5 ingredients ARE present for some period of time; usually starting after around 15-30 hours when all the ingredients come together).
5) Moisture; (This is the 'Biggy'!)... If there is water present, it is not that you 'might' have, or 'might' get mold/mildew. You will. If there is 'dampness' present, it is not that you 'might' have/'might' get m/m. You will. If the air in your boat maintains 70% or higher relative humidity (for 15-30 hours) it is not that you 'might' get mold/mildew. You will.....
Conclusion; There are two ingredients we have the most control over. Moisture/water, and Mold-Food. Keep the boat as clean as possible, and keep the boat as dry as possible.
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Ozdogg
Well-known member
Great explanation, Andy! Just purchased some Woolite. We'll see how well it works.
It work well on the mildew on the 'carpet' in our 2520.... I was also going to try a hand-held steam machine, but was afraid the steam might melt the glue that holds the 'carpet' in place.....
GotChrist?
Well-known member
https://stingysailor.com/2021/11/06/remove-and-prevent-mildew-for-pennies/I used Formula #2. The fur looked great. I applied with a large hand held sprayer. After it was dry, I noted minute dust flying where ever I patted it. It was probably the dead mold and dry ingredients. So I made up a batch of carpet cleaner, Best Homemade Carpet Cleaner Solution - HappyMoneySaver applied it, then rinsed with a hose. Boat is on a trailer so it ran out the bilge. The fur looked brand new afterward.
