I thought I saw a product called mildew gas when I first bought my boat. Having a brutal alleric reaction to mildew I am interested in anything that kills mildew completely throughout the boat interior.
Is there something like this available?
While I have added a nicro day/night vent and another passive vent, and use tilex mildew remover every once in a while, I still have lots of little mildew spots all the time.
I saw at West Marine a product called mildew bags or something, but the sales clerk said it is just a dessicant. I noticed that the literature on the box said does not contain Formaldehyde. So I therefore assume the old product had Formaldehyde in it and maybe was phased out cause it was hazardous in some way?
Anyone have any more info or experience in this stuff?
THanks
Speaking of Mildew
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James V
- Admiral
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 9:33 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Key West, Fl USA, 26M 06, Merc 50hp BF "LYNX"
Some of the mildew products just absorb the water out of the air.
As far as I know there is only 2 solutions.
1. Liquid Lysol. Mix 3 parts water 1 part Lysol and spread all around the boat execpt cusions.
2. Ozone at toxic levels for 2 or more weeks, Seal up the boat tight. West Marine sells this. Air the boat out well before using.
A well vented boat makes very little if any mildew. Prop open all spaces when you leave.
Good luck.
As far as I know there is only 2 solutions.
1. Liquid Lysol. Mix 3 parts water 1 part Lysol and spread all around the boat execpt cusions.
2. Ozone at toxic levels for 2 or more weeks, Seal up the boat tight. West Marine sells this. Air the boat out well before using.
A well vented boat makes very little if any mildew. Prop open all spaces when you leave.
Good luck.
Is there a connection here between your mildew problem and corrosion on your cutlery and tools?
Is there an excessive amount of moisture on board? Have you checked for water in the bilges possibly caused by the usual culprits - leaking windows, deck fittings, steering thru hull etc, etc.
I noticed when I was taking on water like this and it had accumulated in the bilges, there was a greatly increased amount of condensation on all the hard surfaces.
Mike
Is there an excessive amount of moisture on board? Have you checked for water in the bilges possibly caused by the usual culprits - leaking windows, deck fittings, steering thru hull etc, etc.
I noticed when I was taking on water like this and it had accumulated in the bilges, there was a greatly increased amount of condensation on all the hard surfaces.
Mike
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Craig LaForce
- First Officer
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 9:38 pm
THinking of trying this stuff.
http://www.traskresearch.com/order.htm
Ozone would be good, but you have to keep it plugged in for a few weeks and since they usually spark would worry me.
Anything that requires me to scrub every inch of the boat is not going to work, because there is no way I am doing all that work, plus just the cleaning would increase my exposure. And how do you scrub cushions?
The fogger would seem a good idea, but pretty expensive. Maybe an airless paint sprayer would make a fog?
My boat is reasonably dry, having fixed most of the leaks over the years, but occasionally there is a quart of water in the starboard bilge.
It's not that I get a huge amount of mildew, but a spot the size of a dime is enough to kick my allergies into high gear.
WHen I first bought the boat it was 1 yr old and the entire underside of the hatches was black with mildew. I had no previous experience with mildew and did not even realize that was what it was. Almost put me in the hospital and took some time to diagnose, since my doctor at the time was no "Dr. House".
I guess once something is that infested with mildew, you need to really get aggressive. Maybe the ozone is the way to go if I am really careful.
http://www.traskresearch.com/order.htm
Ozone would be good, but you have to keep it plugged in for a few weeks and since they usually spark would worry me.
Anything that requires me to scrub every inch of the boat is not going to work, because there is no way I am doing all that work, plus just the cleaning would increase my exposure. And how do you scrub cushions?
The fogger would seem a good idea, but pretty expensive. Maybe an airless paint sprayer would make a fog?
My boat is reasonably dry, having fixed most of the leaks over the years, but occasionally there is a quart of water in the starboard bilge.
It's not that I get a huge amount of mildew, but a spot the size of a dime is enough to kick my allergies into high gear.
WHen I first bought the boat it was 1 yr old and the entire underside of the hatches was black with mildew. I had no previous experience with mildew and did not even realize that was what it was. Almost put me in the hospital and took some time to diagnose, since my doctor at the time was no "Dr. House".
I guess once something is that infested with mildew, you need to really get aggressive. Maybe the ozone is the way to go if I am really careful.
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James V
- Admiral
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 9:33 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Key West, Fl USA, 26M 06, Merc 50hp BF "LYNX"
After the first trip I put the Lysol in the bildge and sprayed the glass. When I came back 3 months latter there was very little Lysol smell. I do this after every trip now. I do not clean the bilge execpt to take out any water.
So far so good.
I have seen your product before and Mold is a problem. Good luck.
So far so good.
I have seen your product before and Mold is a problem. Good luck.
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Jack O'Brien
- Captain
- Posts: 564
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:28 pm
- Location: West Palm Beach, Florida, 2000X, Gostosa III
No Mildew
I've had my X for four years in south Florida where even the concrete driveway in full sun gets mildew. I had to clean the inside of the boat ONE TIME. That was one time too many. Bought a small dehumidifier. The dehumidifier keeps everything inside the boat toasty dry and NO MILDEW for 3 and one half years now. 
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Frank C
Craig -
Ozone generators are used to deodorize cat kennels - probably the most severe test you could devise. Treating a severe mold infestation requires shocking the environment with concentrations beyond safe occupancy. Considering your alergy problem is so uncomfortable, the mold and mildew problems may extend beyond just the boat. You may want to do some Google research on Ozone Generators to learn more about them. They run from $500 to a BoatBuck to handle a house, but sounds as if you may benefit by having that sort of power. If you simply want a treatment for the boat, I think the cost could be down to about $250. The nice thing about owning an ozone generator .... it can permeate an environment like the boat or a basement. If concentration is high enough, for long enough, it will kill active mold and its spores. Ozone's half-life is only 30 minutes, so you can re-occupy soon after a shock treatment.
Ozone generators are used to deodorize cat kennels - probably the most severe test you could devise. Treating a severe mold infestation requires shocking the environment with concentrations beyond safe occupancy. Considering your alergy problem is so uncomfortable, the mold and mildew problems may extend beyond just the boat. You may want to do some Google research on Ozone Generators to learn more about them. They run from $500 to a BoatBuck to handle a house, but sounds as if you may benefit by having that sort of power. If you simply want a treatment for the boat, I think the cost could be down to about $250. The nice thing about owning an ozone generator .... it can permeate an environment like the boat or a basement. If concentration is high enough, for long enough, it will kill active mold and its spores. Ozone's half-life is only 30 minutes, so you can re-occupy soon after a shock treatment.
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Craig LaForce
- First Officer
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 9:38 pm
OK Mike, I think you made the connection.
My current theory is that the corrosion was not caused by the batteries after all, but rather the copius amount of Chlorine based mildew killer I have been spraying on the boat (Tilex mildew remover). Chlorine must evolve off of the stuff and being an extremely heavy gas, no doubt falls to the bilges and corrodes the heck out of anything metallic down there.
I have almost completed my fix for this hypothetical problem. Installing a bilge blower to use periodically to clean any heavy gases from the bilges.
I will mount the blower to pull air from the lowest spot aft of the battery area, just under the port fuel locker, and run the hose up to vent through said locker, which no longer is used to store fuel.
It would be nice if I could find a 12 volt timer to turn it on once a day for a few minutes, but otherwise I will just run it each time I visit the boat.
The main clue was that the corrosion on some aluminum angle material I had stored in the bilge had a green corrosion layer on it.
My current theory is that the corrosion was not caused by the batteries after all, but rather the copius amount of Chlorine based mildew killer I have been spraying on the boat (Tilex mildew remover). Chlorine must evolve off of the stuff and being an extremely heavy gas, no doubt falls to the bilges and corrodes the heck out of anything metallic down there.
I have almost completed my fix for this hypothetical problem. Installing a bilge blower to use periodically to clean any heavy gases from the bilges.
I will mount the blower to pull air from the lowest spot aft of the battery area, just under the port fuel locker, and run the hose up to vent through said locker, which no longer is used to store fuel.
It would be nice if I could find a 12 volt timer to turn it on once a day for a few minutes, but otherwise I will just run it each time I visit the boat.
The main clue was that the corrosion on some aluminum angle material I had stored in the bilge had a green corrosion layer on it.
On the last Vancouver boat show there was a seminar about mould in the boats. The speaker told us that none of the product on the market work. They just temporary clean the surface. Mold will be back if you do not remove condition for the growth. Mold needs just two things to survive, moisture and food. Since it will eat anything organic (including your fingerprint on gel coat) food is everywhere, you have to remove moisture. Dehumidifiers are the best solution, with moisture (I think he said) below 50% there will be no mold. Unfortunately I do not have power in my storage and I have to live with it. For the cleaning I found out that All Canadian Mold and Mildew Remover (sold here in Vancouver in Steveston Marine) works pretty good. Treated areas will be mold free 2- 4 months, they claim up to 12 months. I tried it on the cushions and it worked, smells like bleach and it is concentrated, I have one gallon of it for two years and I still used only 20% of the bottle.
Zoran
Zoran
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Frank C
very interesting Zoran!
I've commented before that I see no mold/mildew problems on the boat here in NorCal, but your stat explains why. Except for our occasional rainy days, 50% is probably a good estimate of avg humidity. I'd guesstimate our "rainy days" are only about a quarter of the time during rain season ... November thru April.
Guess it's nature's way of compensating us for CA's high tax rate!
I've commented before that I see no mold/mildew problems on the boat here in NorCal, but your stat explains why. Except for our occasional rainy days, 50% is probably a good estimate of avg humidity. I'd guesstimate our "rainy days" are only about a quarter of the time during rain season ... November thru April.
Guess it's nature's way of compensating us for CA's high tax rate!
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Craig LaForce
- First Officer
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 9:38 pm
Just an update. I installed the bilge blower over the weekend and the effect is amazing. 5 minutes as soon as the boat is opened up and the boat smells like ... nothing, just fresh air.
It is sort of noisy though, almost like a shop vac. I think this will end most of the corrosion problems (that I theorize were caused by chlorine gas released from bleach containing cleaners) and reduce any explosion risks (not that I should have any risk anyway) and it certainly has fixed any musty odor issues.
I did not think it would have that dramatic an effect.
It is sort of noisy though, almost like a shop vac. I think this will end most of the corrosion problems (that I theorize were caused by chlorine gas released from bleach containing cleaners) and reduce any explosion risks (not that I should have any risk anyway) and it certainly has fixed any musty odor issues.
I did not think it would have that dramatic an effect.
antimold bilgeblower and craig.....
Given that air circulation by a bilge blower will likely limit mildew in the cabin, I can provide an average of maybe an hour a day draw of air by a 170 mA computer fan, drawing thru the bilge to the front dinette seat from the aft most part of the aft berth, powered by a 5 watt solar plate, in SW MI in winter.... but is this more effective than just leaving all the lockers open to the cabinand hoping for drafts thru the main hatch as air movers in the bilges as I have done in the past? Dunno.
There is no substitute for a continuous, substantial, AC 110V electric power supply to drive a big thru-put fan or dehumidifier or heater, but such is not available where my boat spends the winter.
Hoping for no mold again th is winter.........Ron
There is no substitute for a continuous, substantial, AC 110V electric power supply to drive a big thru-put fan or dehumidifier or heater, but such is not available where my boat spends the winter.
Hoping for no mold again th is winter.........Ron
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Catigale
- Site Admin
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Ron - if you open up your bilge lockers, then put a single Nicro vent anywhere on the boat to pump air in, and wipe the boat with dilute bleach in the fall, I think you would be fine.
My Nicros turn in the dead of winter on even a cloudy day at 43N latitude, so they dont need much light to pump in air.
Since I cover the boat with a tarp I dont get Nicro action (I take the batteries out) but the boat only sits December until mid March and my experience is its just too cold for a lot of mildew formation.
I uncover mid march and on go the Nicro vents, and all is well...
My Nicros turn in the dead of winter on even a cloudy day at 43N latitude, so they dont need much light to pump in air.
Since I cover the boat with a tarp I dont get Nicro action (I take the batteries out) but the boat only sits December until mid March and my experience is its just too cold for a lot of mildew formation.
I uncover mid march and on go the Nicro vents, and all is well...
One more thing I forgot to mention earlier. In order for mold to grow, the spores need to attach to the surface and if there is a slight breeze they will not be able to. So, airflow is the other thing you can introduce to stop mold growth. This will work with fans inside the boat but it will not work in the bilges (usualy there is no air flow there). Dry air is still the best solution.
Zoran
Zoran
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Night Sailor
- Admiral
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I use postive forced air ventilation on my boats, but you might consider this one.
For what it's worth. Here's a method a trawler owner uses in Florida. Set a couple of small plastic pans out in places where mildew is likelly to develop based on your experiences. Fill the pans with ordinary charcoal briquets. Replace the briquets every three months or so with fresh ones. Use the old ones for the BBQ grill. They are said to absorb moisture from the air, and the mildew mold won't grow on the charcoal.
For what it's worth. Here's a method a trawler owner uses in Florida. Set a couple of small plastic pans out in places where mildew is likelly to develop based on your experiences. Fill the pans with ordinary charcoal briquets. Replace the briquets every three months or so with fresh ones. Use the old ones for the BBQ grill. They are said to absorb moisture from the air, and the mildew mold won't grow on the charcoal.