Mildew on vinyl seats

[Kylepayne86]

After having my boat parked under my carport during the winter, I pulled it out this weekend to clean the mildew off the vinyl seats. I used Starbrite mold and mildew cleaner and that got most of it off but I still have quite a bit of mildew on the seats that I can't seem to remove. Anyone have any ideas on a good product or procedure to get my seats clean again? Attached pictures are Before and after cleaning with Starbrite.

 

[QBhoy]

Hi
is wonder wipes a thing over where you are ? They are hand cleaners over here in the uk. Get rid of almost anything without damage.

 

[harringtondav]

Mr Clean Ultra has always worked for me. Bleach will clear up mildew, but you need to dilute it to a very light mix. Bleach will degrade upholstery stitching if too strong.

 

[Kylepayne86]

Hi
is wonder wipes a thing over where you are ? They are hand cleaners over here in the uk. Get rid of almost anything without damage.

I've never heard of them, but I'll try to find some.

 

[Kylepayne86]

Mr Clean Ultra has always worked for me. Bleach will clear up mildew, but you need to dilute it to a very light mix. Bleach will degrade upholstery stitching if too strong.

I've used 3 different products that all contained bleach (Including Starbrite mold and mildew stain remover), none of which removed the mildew completely.

 

[crazy charlie]

been there done that.Saturate any and all stitchwork with garden hose.Try a face cloth saturated with 50/50 bleach water mix.Wipe it on trying to avoid the stitchwork if possible.Hold the cloth on the worst part for approx 30 seconds.give a thorough rinse starting and ending with the stitchwork.Judge your results and repeat.You may have to do this several times but it WILL eventually all disappear.BTW use regular old bleach and not the new type of splashproof.Dollar store bleach is a good idea since it does not seem to be as potent as Clorox.Post results.Charlie

 

[TBarCYa]

I hate to recommend these because, believe it or not, they're abrasive but we use Mr Clean Magic Erasers on ours and it works wonders.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, if bleach doesn't work, then the stain is not mildew, IMO.

Try some of the "Purple Stuff" cleaner. Spray it on dry and let her sit for 30 sec. Then flush with water.

 

[tpenfield]

I use a mild bleach/water solution before winter layup and during seasonal prep. Save the vinyl cleaner for the dirt & stains.

 

[Sea Rider]

Had same issue with my Zodiac's inflatable tubes, but less than half of the quantity shown in the first picture. Don't know if it's mildew or some type of fungus building up badly. Used a medium grade toothbrush soaked in 10 % Hydrogen Peroxide brushing off the tubes in cirular motion while applying light pressure on them, repeated the process several times.. HP managed to clean 90% off.

Plan brushing same with bleach diluted in water to see if that mix removes the leftovers which now has a very light pale grey looking.. If using the standard Clorox bleach for clothing, which proportion would it be safe to use ?

Happy Boating

 

[JASinIL2006]

I've read that, when cleaning mold and mildew before painting a bathroom, one should use something like OxyClean (sodium percarbonate) rather than regular bleach (sodium hypochlorite) because the former is better at actually killing the spores.

I've tried it, and it seems to be true in our bathroom, at least. I wonder if it might be worth a try on marine vinyl, too? I'd probably do a test on a hidden piece of vinyl before slather the boat with it, but Oxyclean shouldn't be any harder on vinyl than bleach...

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Being organic there comes a time that it will actually break down the vinyl and get right into the material. Then we have a big problemo. If you use a chemical that will get it all out the stitching may break down. Lysol Toilet Bowl cleaner might just work. I would try a spot where it isn't seen, like under the seat. Stay away from the stitching. Good luck and don't let it get like that again. I have white seats on the StarCraft, when I winterize I slather Vaseline on the vinyl. Worked so far for me.

 

[JimS123]

Personally I have never seen a boat interior that bad that was cleanable without ruining the vinyl. Some of the mold stains will always be there. If you do get it clean, be sure to put tons of vinyl dressing on it to get the vinyl supple again after drying it out with all the chemicals. And then, to prevent it from happening again, in the future cover the boat year round with a good CANVAS cover, even if its only a tarp.

 

[Kylepayne86]

Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions. I will try them. I never knew mildew would be this hard to remove. Otherwise, I would have covered it. But I only parked it under my carport and let it sit there. I will not make that mistake again. I'll post updates after everything I try. Thanks again.

 

[gm280]

Wow, that ;looks really bad. And like others stated, if bleach isn't removing it, maybe you need to contact the CDC for their assessment.

When or IF you do manage to get it cleaned off, "PREVENTION" is the key word...