I must have left a partially damp towel a few weeks ago on one of my vinyl boat seats and I just noticed today there are some black marks on the vinyl... looks like mold but usually mold wipes off with a towel does it not? I tried to wipe it off with a towel and soap and water and it does not go away. I used the "magic eraser" on it to scrub off the top layer and it's still there. I am familiar with mold due to condensation on my window sills but when that happens in the winter months I can simply use a towel and wipe it clean with water and soap or bleach.
Does anyone know if there is a certain form of mold which clings to vinyl and won't come off? And more importantly how the heck do I get it off my vinyl seats? I will try to snap some pictures tomorrow.
Other members have had great success with Spray Nine Cleaner on vinyl seats
http://www.arimaowners.com/index.php?topic=15905.0
:yeahthat:
Do the black marks look like little dots in clusters? If they do it could be artillery fungus. It will clean up with Spray Nine and a towel, but need to rub a little harder to clean it off.
Yes they do look like black dots and in clusters
Looks like there are several variations of this product... There is spray nine heavy duty cleaner and disinfectant, spray nine marine, spray nine mold and mildew remover... How are these products different? Do I want the mold and mildew recover or the spray nine marine version? Anyone know what this stuff is made from?
Mariner; Lay a towel, dampened with bleach, on the affected area. Black mold will simply disappear. Doesn't take too long.
Yat
Yat, will the bleech discolor my colored vinyl seat?
I've been using Marine 31 to clean off the stubborn mold/mildew, basically a bleach solution. Spray it on and leave for a few minutes....wipes right off. Also had success with Lysol bathroom cleaner....
If your seats are colored I would avoid using bleach.
here's what it looks like... I am not sure why it's not coming off even with a mild abbrassive such as magic eraser. Perhaps it's stuck inbetween the microscopic pores of the vinyl? It's a vinyl foam type of material on my seat and just a few months old and so I don't want ruin it with any material that would discolor or breakup the vinyl material.
Should I use a mild bleech soution or a cleaning solution with bleech or should I purchase a bottle of the spray nine? Which type of spray nine do I use? thanks for your help.
From the link I provided in my first response the regular Spray Nine and the marine Spray Nine are exactly the same. You just pay more for the marine branded one. By looking at that material and how porous it is, that's gonna be a tough one.
Quote from: mariner on January 02, 2019, 10:08:11 AM
here's what it looks like... I am not sure why it's not coming off even with a mild abbrassive such as magic eraser. Perhaps it's stuck inbetween the microscopic pores of the vinyl? It's a vinyl foam type of material on my seat and just a few months old and so I don't want ruin it with any material that would discolor or breakup the vinyl material.
Should I use a mild bleech soution or a cleaning solution with bleech or should I purchase a bottle of the spray nine? Which type of spray nine do I use? thanks for your help.
That mold/mildew looks to be on the white part of the seat? If so, I'd still recommend the Marine 31....check it out here....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNyMm2PfJ0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNyMm2PfJ0). I have some if you want to try it out....
It looks like artillery fungus, which likes vinyl products, and it can be a PITA to get off if it's been sitting a long time. It has a tar like consistently when fairly new and when you go to wipe it, it can smear like tar. If it has sat for awhile, it can stain.
I had that on my seats and some on my boat. Buy some Spray Nine Regular formula, found at The Home Depot and use a mild abrasive bristle brush for your seats.
Spray a decent amount of spray 9 on, then use the brush in a circular motion, wipe with a towel and it should come right off. If it doesn't come off, chances are it's stained in which is harder to clean and you might need to use more pressure on the brush or use a different chemical.
Bleach or Hydrogen Peroxide will kill the mold. Might not remove the black stain deep in the pores ?
Mariner; If your concerned about the potential of color fading, I would make-up a 50/50 solution of bleach and water to clean those seats. Soak a towel and lay-it on the moldy area. Leave it for just a few minutes and check. You'll be amazed at how quickly that mold will clear..........no rubbing, no scrubbing. That said, I find it hard to believe you would ever see discoloration on that vinyl..............and I'll tell you why I say that: My wife has cleaned mold this way for years on our canvas. Although the canvas is white, there are black vinyl "binding strips" (for lack of better words) sewn all around the edges of our canvas. My wife has bleached that black vinyl (along with the white) many times, over the years; with "full strength bleach", no less. That binding is just as black as the day it was born.
Yat
Quote from: Yachter Yat on January 02, 2019, 11:00:23 AM
Mariner; If your concerned about the potential of color fading, I would make-up a 50/50 solution of bleach and water to clean those seats. Soak a towel and lay-it on the moldy area. Leave it for just a few minutes and check. You'll be amazed at how quickly that mold will clear..........no rubbing, no scrubbing. That said, I find it hard to believe you would ever see discoloration on that vinyl..............and I'll tell you why I say that: My wife has cleaned mold this way for years on our canvas. Although the canvas is white, there are black vinyl "binding strips" (for lack of better words) sewn all around the edges of our canvas. My wife has bleached that black vinyl (along with the white) many times, over the years; with "full strength bleach", no less. That binding is just as black as the day it was born.
Yat
:yeahthat:
Croaker; Pores?..........Yes,clean as a whistle. Let me just offer this "testimonial": Every once in a while I get lazy and don't bother to open-up and dry-out the canvas before parking the boat for the winter. As a result, sometimes we've opened the canvas in the spring to find the straps moldy. Now, talk about "pores".........you've looked at your canvas straps, right? When we've encountered this in the past, what my wife would do is simply fill a small plastic container with bleach; deep enough to soak the affected areas. I can't quite remember how long she soaked them.........I'd say, perhaps no more than 10 minutes. They wind-up looking like new when removed.........even deep into the smallest pore you can imagine. Try it, you'll see.
Yat
X2 on the spray nine that stuff is pretty amazing
Dev
thanks for all the feedback everyone... I have some foaming bleach cleaner that I will try on a small spot with a scrub brush. Since I already have it in the house, I will see if that works. If it doesn't, I'll grab a bottle of spray nine.
mariner; How about this: Try those cleaners in one spot and the bleach in another. BTW, I have to fess-up; this is a "trick experiment". I already know the results......just want you to see for yourself. :jester:
Yat
I know Yat's 2 favorite things are Lifeseal and his bleach potion :biggrin:, mine is Lifeseal and Spray 9 :jester:. But use caution when using bleach that is not diluted properly, as it can break down the threads in your seats.
If you need a degreaser, bleach alone will not completely help. You will want to use some Dawn dish soap first on the area, then thoroughly wipe clean. Then you can use diluted bleach for your final cleaning.
Don't mix Dawn and Bleach or Vinegar and Bleach together, they will make toxic fumes.
Also Dawn dish detergent is a great thing to have at the house and it's not just for washing dishes.
Get oil on your favorite clothes, put some Dawn on the spots, rub it in, toss it in the washing machine, and once dried, the oil stain will be gone. Works on old oil stains and towels used for holding oily fish. :twocents:
X2 on the Dawn. I keep a bottle in my truck. Works great on greasy hands and grease clean up after working on the vehicles. It's also used to clean up wild life after oil spills
Spent the last hour on the boat using Clorox 3 pack bleach cleaning solutions... the 3 pack comes with 3 different bleach cleaning solutions including 1 that is a foaming bleach solution designed for mold and mildew. Tried all three without any success. I could smell the bleach so I am wondering if trying yat's bleach recommendation would do anything more on these stains. I let it sit for a few minutes and started scrubbing with a hard bristle brush to no avail.
Yat, should I try 100% bleach and see if that works better or I will order the spray nine and have to wait till it arrives before giving it a try.
Luckily the mold stains on my seat gave me a reason to take a closer inspection on the other parts of my boat and I started noticing small areas that are starting to crop up. I had a foam seat that I lifted and it had taken over the foam when I unzipped the seat cover. I have a number of the plastic boxes with the water attracting pellets inside to remove moisture from the air but it doesn't seem to be working. My boat has a boat cover but there are areas that allow some air to enter and escape so it's not completely sealed off to the outside. I was in the boat about 2 times in the past 2 weeks doing some work and had the Mr. Heater on to keep me warm. I wonder if the moisture and resulting condensation is from the Mr. Heater or is it just natural buildup over the winter months from the weather in the Pacific NorthWest or perhaps both.
I have the windows on the hardtop slightly cracked open to allow additional airflow. Should I open it up as wide as it can go to get more airflow? I am thinking of going over to walmart and buying a dehumidifier. My boat is parked in the driveway and can get an extension cord to reach to the boat to allow the dehumidifier to operate. THat will likely end all issues with mold.
What does everyone else do to prevent moisture and mold over the winter months in the PNW due to our relentless rain and humidity?
If you want to buy Spray 9 and you're near downtown Vancouver bc, I saw online the Home Depot there has Spray 9, $10 CAD, same with Walmart.
Regarding bleach, I wouldn't use 100% bleach on your seats.
Quote from: mariner on January 03, 2019, 06:04:38 PM
Spent the last hour on the boat using Clorox 3 pack bleach cleaning solutions... the 3 pack comes with 3 different bleach cleaning solutions including 1 that is a foaming bleach solution designed for mold and mildew. Tried all three without any success. I could smell the bleach so I am wondering if trying yat's bleach recommendation would do anything more on these stains. I let it sit for a few minutes and started scrubbing with a hard bristle brush to no avail.
Yat, should I try 100% bleach and see if that works better or I will order the spray nine and have to wait till it arrives before giving it a try.
Luckily the mold stains on my seat gave me a reason to take a closer inspection on the other parts of my boat and I started noticing small areas that are starting to crop up. I had a foam seat that I lifted and it had taken over the foam when I unzipped the seat cover. I have a number of the plastic boxes with the water attracting pellets inside to remove moisture from the air but it doesn't seem to be working. My boat has a boat cover but there are areas that allow some air to enter and escape so it's not completely sealed off to the outside. I was in the boat about 2 times in the past 2 weeks doing some work and had the Mr. Heater on to keep me warm. I wonder if the moisture and resulting condensation is from the Mr. Heater or is it just natural buildup over the winter months from the weather in the Pacific NorthWest or perhaps both.
I have the windows on the hardtop slightly cracked open to allow additional airflow. Should I open it up as wide as it can go to get more airflow? I am thinking of going over to walmart and buying a dehumidifier. My boat is parked in the driveway and can get an extension cord to reach to the boat to allow the dehumidifier to operate. THat will likely end all issues with mold.
What does everyone else do to prevent moisture and mold over the winter months in the PNW due to our relentless rain and humidity?
As you noted, try to get as much air circulation as possible. When you do happen to get a good sunny day uncover and open all windows. Also try to keep a regular mold maintenance routine going and stay on top of it before it gets to bad. Easier said than done I guess
I use Dri-Z-air to reduce moisture in my boat I have 2 in the cuddy and 2 in the rear
http://www.drizair.com/
Dev
I was in 2 Walmarts today and didn't see it on the shelves. Will check homedepot in a day or 2 to see if I can get my hands on one.
While at Walmart there happened to be a portable dehumidifier that was on clearance for 100. It has electronically controlled settings where I can set it and it will automatically turn on and off depending on the settings. I know these units are meant for indoors but if i have a hardtop with a cover over it should it not be close enough? I am now trying to figure the right humiditu figure that will keep the inside of boat dry enough without having the dehumidifier constantly run. Seems like 60 or 65% relative humidity seems to be a good balance. Anyone use else use a portable dehumidifier inside their arimas over winter?
Canadian tire also carry's them and most marinas
Dev
Mariner; I'm not familiar with the "Clorox 3 pack cleaning solutions" you mentioned. My wife always used full strength bleach on the mold on our canvas and straps. Mold simply disappeared. Now that said, I just spoke with her about this process. She said, after the bleaching, she always washed those areas with dish washing soap and then rinsed with water. As I said earlier, we've bleached the canvas, the black vinyl binding and the threads holding that binding as well. We've never had a problem with fading or deterioration of any of those materials. Based on our experience, I'd find it unlikely you would cause any damage to those vinyl seats. If anything, I'd be reluctant to do too much "scrubbing" on those surfaces. My :twocents:
Yat
Another thing: Every couple years I bleach the bilge in my boat. Don't know the exact proportions of water to bleach, but nowhere near full strength. My bilge is spotless and smells clean with no evidence of mold. You could eat soup out of it! (ha)
Quote from: Yachter Yat on January 04, 2019, 05:10:57 AM
Mariner; I'm not familiar with the "Clorox 3 pack cleaning solutions" you mentioned. My wife always used full strength bleach on the mold on our canvas and straps. Mold simply disappeared. Now that said, I just spoke with her about this process. She said, after the bleaching, she always washed those areas with dish washing soap and then rinsed with water. As I said earlier, we've bleached the canvas, the black vinyl binding and the threads holding that binding as well. We've never had a problem with fading or deterioration of any of those materials. Based on our experience, I'd find it unlikely you would cause any damage to those vinyl seats. If anything, I'd be reluctant to do too much "scrubbing" on those surfaces. My :twocents:
Yat
Another thing: Every couple years I bleach the bilge in my boat. Don't know the exact proportions of water to bleach, but nowhere near full strength. My bilge is spotless and smells clean with no evidence of mold. You could eat soup out of it! (ha)
Yat, I've heard of eating soup out of a bread bowl, but out of an Arima :shrug9: Some hot clam chowder sounds good :food:
Sometimes my bilge makes squid and sardine soup :rimshot: :facepalm:
Quote from: AJFishin on January 04, 2019, 09:01:21 AM
Sometimes my bilge makes squid and sardine soup :rimshot: :facepalm:
Yes......and I bet, one tiny spoonful and you'd never, ever have to worry about mold again. :jester:
Yat
I put a light bulb in the cuddy that keeps some warmth in there..and almost no cost to run. Also 1 or 2 DRZ-Z pellet moisture things. Remove all cushions for winter. I have had good luck with a green bottle of CLOROX called Clean Up - Disinfectant Bleach Cleaner on small areas of mold or discolouring. Open up on sunny days
I just got my hands on a bottle of spray nine and it did not work. Bleach did not work. Bleach cleaners and foaming bleach did not work. Tried tons of elbow grease with a scrub brush and with a magic eraser and neither work. Throwing in the towel. I fought the mold and the "MOLD WON". I fought the mold and the "MOLD WON".
Thanks for everyone's suggestions. If anything positive came from this, it was a good early alert to make me pay more attention to the issue of condensation/dampness on my boat. I now have a dehumidifier that I bought from walmart on clearance(regular price $250 and on clearance for $99). I have it plugged in and to automatically go on when the humidity reaches a certain level. Mold should no longer be an issue in the boat as I see how much water is collected each day in the drain pan. Can also set it to dump the condensation water into the bilge so that i don't have to dump the bucket every week.
Sorry to hear nothing worked out for cleaning the mold, but that's a great deal on a dehumidifier. It sounds like your seats are just stained, but glad they're not damaged.
I am glad they are not ruined as well. It was a good lesson for me to be more careful about watching the humidity. It could have been worse as I also had the cuddy cushions inside the boat, albeit I had put some blocks under them to lift them off from the base to allow air to circulate beneath them. They were not affected. I just took them out and put them in the garage. The dehumidifier works great and keeps the moisture level low enough to minimize the chance of any further issues. It only goes on when it hits a certain level so it's not killing the electricity bill either and it's 100x more effective than those disposable moisture attracting containers.
I think the problem was due to me being on the boat a few times in the past few weeks and using the heater buddy. I did not notice the condensation until the last time I took a closer look. I am wondering if I would have moisture issues if I were to use the heater buddy on fishing trip with the side windows cracked open. I know a few folks here have them and was curious if anyone has experienced issues with using the heater buddy while fishing. MOre specifically, not while fishing but after you are back and the boat is parked. Does the moisture stay in the boat or does it evaporate with some airflow? Next year I am installing a proper diesel heater but for now this is what I have to work with for some heat during the cold winter months.