Mildew Attack!!!!

Mr_Shamrock · Nov 11, 2012

Unfortunately this season we were not able to use the boat much and took the day today to clean it up in preparation for winter storage. It has been about 2 months since we had it out last and to our surprise it was covered in mildew. This boat lives under a large RV carport so it doesn't see the weather. We have had a few mild cases in the past years, but nothing that wouldn't clean up with some "all purpose" type cleaner diluted down to about 50/50 w/ water. I think the lack of use and therefore lack of direct sunlight most of the summer had a lot to do with our current situation. Today we had 3 people scrubbing and scrubbing for about 4 hours and it made a difference, but still is bad. We have it pulled out from the carport right now and hopefully the weather will be decent the next few days to help the situation.
A couple questions:
What is the best/safest cleaner and preventer?

How do we prevent this?
It seems like a catch 22 - if we leave it in the sun it will fade and weaken the upholstery, but if we leave it under the carport it is a mildew magnet. We thought about a couple box fans using timers to turn them on a couple hours a day to keep air circulating (although the carport being open on both ends seems like it would circulate enough). During the winter we have a cover on the boat AND it is under the carport - what are your thoughts on that? It's funny, when we kept it at a marina in the water it never had the first sign of mildew, but it wasn't under a roof (just had the canvas cover snapped on it). Is the carport working against us (24/7 shade)???

HELP!!!

Thanks in advance!

kmarine · Nov 11, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Do you have proper vents in your cover? You say it is canvas. however it may posibly be another material. I like boat vent caps and a minimum of two in all the covers I make. Canvas being a natural fiber is mildew prone. The best breathing covers are acrylic like sunbrella. For extreme wheather I prefer solution dyed polyester like top gun. A proper fiting cover keeping water out is the best defence against stringer damage, floor delamination as well as mildew. proper ventalation insures moisture escaping and condensation removial thich is far more imporntant than most people realise.

cwarends · Nov 12, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Mr_Shamrock said:
Unfortunately this season we were not able to use the boat much and took the day today to clean it up in preparation for winter storage. It has been about 2 months since we had it out last and to our surprise it was covered in mildew. This boat lives under a large RV carport so it doesn't see the weather. We have had a few mild cases in the past years, but nothing that wouldn't clean up with some "all purpose" type cleaner diluted down to about 50/50 w/ water. I think the lack of use and therefore lack of direct sunlight most of the summer had a lot to do with our current situation. Today we had 3 people scrubbing and scrubbing for about 4 hours and it made a difference, but still is bad. We have it pulled out from the carport right now and hopefully the weather will be decent the next few days to help the situation.
A couple questions:
What is the best/safest cleaner and preventer?

How do we prevent this?
It seems like a catch 22 - if we leave it in the sun it will fade and weaken the upholstery, but if we leave it under the carport it is a mildew magnet. We thought about a couple box fans using timers to turn them on a couple hours a day to keep air circulating (although the carport being open on both ends seems like it would circulate enough). During the winter we have a cover on the boat AND it is under the carport - what are your thoughts on that? It's funny, when we kept it at a marina in the water it never had the first sign of mildew, but it wasn't under a roof (just had the canvas cover snapped on it). Is the carport working against us (24/7 shade)???

HELP!!!

Thanks in advance!

Davis Instruments makes a heater "Air-Dryr Model #1000 on Amazon for $55 that is rated for 1000 cubic feet of boat interior space. It draws in air in the bottom warms it and it exits out the top of the unit. The air moves by convection very slowly - no fan - and draws one amp current. You leave it plugged in all winter and its enough warming of the air to eliminate the problem of mildew/mold. Its sits on the boat floor - check it out.

newcomlr · Nov 12, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Not sure if its been done before, but i found some relatively inexpensive solar powered fans online. Thinking about rigging one to move air underneath my cover, and vent out the back of the tune. I have one of those storage covers that didn't come with vents, and since the cover is not custom fitted, I don't think adding top vents will work.

Mr_Shamrock · Nov 12, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

I am not sure the exact material the cover is made of - it is the factory Bennington cover that came with the boat. It does have vents for towing (not sure if these are the vents you are referring to). This latest attack occurred with the cover off though. With the carport we only use the cover during the winter months. I am considering buying an industrial ceiling fan and letting it run for a few hours each day on a timer. I looked for them today, but Lowes and Home Depot didn't have one that I liked. I think Northern Tools sells industrial ones that will move some air. I did find a new (to me) mildew remover/preventer at Home Depot though. It is called Mold Armor and is bleach free so I will see how that works on the stains. I also ordered some 303 from NAPA today. I am hoping with a good ceiling fan for the boating season (no cover) and some type of fan (possibly a floor dryer type fan) to use under the cover during the winter I will find a solution. I have to admit we neglected the boat this season and now I know what the results are - between not using it enough and not keeping an eye on it better I am paying the price now. I guess I felt it would be OK under the carport.

I am going to check out that heater/air dryer that was recommended as well.

Thanks!

southernboater · Nov 14, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

I had a similar problem with mold/mildew while the boat was not covered. Tried leaving the boat in sunlight, uncovered. No luck. A friend and long time boater said I would be better off leaving the cover on. Finally gave in, spent the money to have the mold/mildew removed. Since then I cover the boat after each use and leave it in the drive way. So far, no more problems. I do leave the gates open to allow extra air flow. The top is vented as well.

Mr_Shamrock · Nov 14, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

southernboater said:
I had a similar problem with mold/mildew while the boat was not covered. Tried leaving the boat in sunlight, uncovered. No luck. A friend and long time boater said I would be better off leaving the cover on. Finally gave in, spent the money to have the mold/mildew removed. Since then I cover the boat after each use and leave it in the drive way. So far, no more problems. I do leave the gates open to allow extra air flow. The top is vented as well.

Interesting - I get mixed stories and can see the logic in almost all of them. It seems that if the boat was covered after each use there would be a lot of moisture that would be trapped and would be the perfect place for mold and mildew to grow, but at the same time if it was covered and left in the sun it might actually aid in the drying process. I say this because our boat with the (black) cover snapped on it gets HOT under there when left in the sun. When we used to keep it at the marina it was in a non covered slip, but we kept the cover on it and it was always extremely hot under there. Our normal procedure is to immediately park the boat under the carport after a boating trip and there it remains until the next trip (uncovered, but under a roof). Our thinking is obviously it keeps the upholstery from unnecessary exposure to the sun, but maybe it needs some exposure to get fully dried out. However, maybe we are aiding the growth by parking a moist boat in a permanently shady place. I do know the more we use it the less mildew we get = more sun exposure. This is the first season with this boat that we weren't out at least 3 times a month and although we used to get a small mildew spot here or there it was no where near what we are fighting with now. I guess the simple answer is to use the boat more, but it would be nice to figure out the right combo of sun/cover/roof.

Fleetwin · Nov 14, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Mildew/mold is a product of humidity and temperature. Carpet and upoholstery breed it.

In some cases, the sun can be your friend.

If the boat is in a covered slip, I would not cover it each time. Let it breathe.

Grub54891 · Nov 15, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Not to get off subject but,the sun can work wonders against more than mildew! Used to have a foot Oder problem

tried everything under the sun but nothing worked till a buddy said put your shoes out in the sun for a day or so. Well it worked really well,no more problems

The sun was the best cure for it. As long as you let the boat dry well in the sun it will not mildew if covered properly and vented properly.
Grub

Mr_Shamrock · Nov 18, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

I just wanted to give a review of the Mold Armor stuff that I found at Home Depot. I don't think it did anything to the stains. They may be slightly lighter, but that might just be wishful thinking. The directions state to spray a light mist when done to act as a preventer so we did leave a light coat on there and are going to let it sit like that till next weekend and try another treatment of it. I am starting to think it is going to take something with bleach in it though.

kmarine · Nov 18, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

The vents in your cover are not for towing. They are for circulating air. If this is the factory Bennington cover, is your mold on the seats where the cover touches the vynil seat? I believe the factory cover is a vynil coated polyester. If you have a local canvas shop you could have it checked. They can also add more vents if needed, they are cheap.
I use a 10%bleech solution for ten minutes cleaning mold from vynil. Then follow up with rinsing with clean water 2times. Finally I only use 303 protectant on the seats I make. Especially like the soft type of vynil like Bennington uses.

Mr_Shamrock · Nov 18, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

kmarine said:
The vents in your cover are not for towing. They are for circulating air. If this is the factory Bennington cover, is your mold on the seats where the cover touches the vynil seat? I believe the factory cover is a vynil coated polyester. If you have a local canvas shop you could have it checked. They can also add more vents if needed, they are cheap.
I use a 10%bleech solution for ten minutes cleaning mold from vynil. Then follow up with rinsing with clean water 2times. Finally I only use 303 protectant on the seats I make. Especially like the soft type of vynil like bennington uses.

OK I thought they were for towing as they have a deflector that faces backwards so air doesn't enter while moving. I thought it was to allow air out so the cover didn't blow off while towing. I never tow it with the cover on anyways. The mold is all over, but again, this mold "outbreak" has occurred while the cover has been off. I only cover the boat during the winter (storage) time. During the boating season it stays parked under a RV style carport which is open all the way around, but the sides come down to about 7 feet from the ground. The front and back is wide open. So the boat gets plenty of circulation. Actually today while we were trying this new product it was under the carport and the wife and I both made multiple comments about how windy it was through there. So it is breathing just fine.

Here are a few pics of my set-up...

And some of the worst mildew spots (this is after 2 non-bleach cleanings)...

kmarine · Nov 18, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Ok so you definately do not have a circulation or venting problemb. I an thinking you have some posible issue with the condensation accumulating on the metal and then dripping on to The seats. I sugest bleaching to kill the fungus which will spread with bleech solution keeping it wet scrubing doesnt help much because you need the chemical reaction. A couple of days of direct sunlight perhapse monthly could posibly prevent future staining. Is your foam damp under the vynil? Are you seats wet from dew in the mornings?

Mr_Shamrock · Nov 18, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Thanks for the input! I have never noticed the seats to be wet in the morning when we load the boat. I can't tell if the foam is damp - I never noticed any moisture squeezing out or accumulation in the storage underneath the seats. I think you might be on to something with the condensation on the metal roof as when I took those pictures today I noticed some dark spots under the metal roof as well. I think I need to bleach the roof underneath and pressure wash it too periodically. Of course making sure it is completely dry before putting the boat back in there. I will also make an effort to pull it out a few times a month to let the sun do its thing as well. I was also looking at the above recommended heater/air dryer and am seriously considering buying one to put under the canvas cover for the winter months. If you have had any experience with those air dryer's would you recommend still leaving the gates open or do you want it sealed better so the dryer has less air to dry? Also how much water do you use when rinsing the bleach off the seats? Should I bring the hose up there and run it on them? Thanks again for all the info!!!!

WaterDR · Nov 19, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Much has already been said....heat and humidy breed the stuff. I live just a mile from our marina, so after a full day, if the boat is really wet, I usually let it sit out and dry before I cover it. There are anti-mildew products that you can use and they will work. BUT, you will have to make sure you apply it anywhere. Anywhere you miss a sopt and you will get mildew. Also, the stuff is really not all that safe and not sure of the long term affects on the seats and carpet.

Our previous boat I bought used. It was covered in the crap and I got a deal on it as a result. My kids and I spent about 4 hours scrubbing with white brissle brushes and Jungle Juice. Looked brand new when we were done. The previous owner was a bit pissed when he saw it cleaned up. The guy could have paid someone a few hundred bucks to clean it and would have gotten 2k more for the thing than he did.

Mr_Shamrock · Nov 19, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

WaterDR said:
Much has already been said....heat and humidy breed the stuff. I live just a mile from our marina, so after a full day, if the boat is really wet, I usually let it sit out and dry before I cover it. There are anti-mildew products that you can use and they will work. BUT, you will have to make sure you apply it anywhere. Anywhere you miss a sopt and you will get mildew. Also, the stuff is really not all that safe and not sure of the long term affects on the seats and carpet.

Our previous boat I bought used. It was covered in the crap and I got a deal on it as a result. My kids and I spent about 4 hours scrubbing with white brissle brushes and Jungle Juice. Looked brand new when we were done. The previous owner was a bit pissed when he saw it cleaned up. The guy could have paid someone a few hundred bucks to clean it and would have gotten 2k more for the thing than he did.

What is Jungle Juice? I think they used to serve us that to drink in middle school.

kmarine · Nov 19, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

I would aviod the hose because you do not want to saturate the foam. I use a 5 gal bucket and a towel rung out change water every couple of seats. You want everything dry before storage. I do not have expierience with heaters and mildew. Make sure your cover is cleaned and treated andwater profed as well. Otherwise your cover will transfer mildew spores and you will have to begin all over again.
I use Aquatite waterprofer made by Marchem , I believe starbrite makes one as well.

WaterDR · Nov 22, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Have you tried Marykate Mildew Remover anyone? Read some reviews on it. Most very positive, but some said it did not work. I checked the MSDS and it seems to be essentially bleach (a few percent which is normal) with some penetrating and gelling agents that allows the product to stick to the surface better.

The product is designed for Marine use.

Nightfisher- · Nov 23, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Magic Eraser, wet with a water/bleach solution. Mildew gone. No advice on how to keep it from coming back other than try and stay on top of it. I would kill for a car port setup like you have!

jigngrub · Nov 24, 2012

Re: Mildew Attack!!!!

Armor-all cleaning wipes for vinyl upholstery in the automotive section of Wal-mart.

Replacing your deck carpet with deck vinyl will help cut down on a lot of the mildew.

Mildew Attack!!!!

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