Need Help With Mold Eradication
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From: TX
Need Help With Mold Eradication To start the Z is getting a good 3/5 to 3/4 restoration done on it. I just started.
Car has been sitting in the driveway here in Texas for about 3 years, I don't have a canopy or space in the garage for it.
I removed the whole interior except for dash. Left the vapor barriers off for over a year not really thinking how stupid of an idea that was…..Now I have mold growing on a lot of stuff inside the interior, the seat belts have black mold spots on them, the dash and steering wheel have green mold all over it, which
I have pretty much got rid of with this stuff called Vital Oxide (kills and prevents mold growth for up to 3 months). All black tape on wires have green **** growing on them, I'm removing all electrical tape, a pain in the *** but need new tape anyway as its old and deteriorating.
My main concern is the mold coming back even with the vapor barriers back on and the Vital Oxide so post to do its job…
I have small water leaks here and there to, going to hopefully fix that with mint condition weather stripping I got off ebay on some dudes part out.
I know this stuff is microscopic so can be a real pain in the *** to get rid of.
Anyone successfully eradicated this **** without it coming back? If so what method or means were used to get the job done?
I'm to the point of gassing the car if thats what it takes
Car has been sitting in the driveway here in Texas for about 3 years, I don't have a canopy or space in the garage for it.
I removed the whole interior except for dash. Left the vapor barriers off for over a year not really thinking how stupid of an idea that was…..Now I have mold growing on a lot of stuff inside the interior, the seat belts have black mold spots on them, the dash and steering wheel have green mold all over it, which
I have pretty much got rid of with this stuff called Vital Oxide (kills and prevents mold growth for up to 3 months). All black tape on wires have green **** growing on them, I'm removing all electrical tape, a pain in the *** but need new tape anyway as its old and deteriorating.
My main concern is the mold coming back even with the vapor barriers back on and the Vital Oxide so post to do its job…
I have small water leaks here and there to, going to hopefully fix that with mint condition weather stripping I got off ebay on some dudes part out.
I know this stuff is microscopic so can be a real pain in the *** to get rid of.
Anyone successfully eradicated this **** without it coming back? If so what method or means were used to get the job done?
I'm to the point of gassing the car if thats what it takes
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
Mold is tough to kill, I've had a tiny spot of it on top of the front seat on my '71, right by the headrest. It only shows up over the course of winter storage (indoors), no matter how dry I keep the environment (using moisture absorption material.) I've tried every type of cleaner I can think of that won't damage the seat material, but for nearly a decade now it keeps coming back. Thankfully, it's only a small spot and once the warmer temps of spring arrive it doesn't come back until the next winter.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 275
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From: TX
Mold is tough to kill, I've had a tiny spot of it on top of the front seat on my '71, right by the headrest. It only shows up over the course of winter storage (indoors), no matter how dry I keep the environment (using moisture absorption material.) I've tried every type of cleaner I can think of that won't damage the seat material, but for nearly a decade now it keeps coming back. Thankfully, it's only a small spot and once the warmer temps of spring arrive it doesn't come back until the next winter.
The damn mold spores are a pain to eradicate. Some good info below, problem for me is getting the area hot enough and stable for the duration of eradication without damaging the surface. With the vapor barriers going back on and a couple more Vital Oxide treatments hoping it will take care of my infestation. Read that fungicides work really well, problem is the smell of them will never go away if applied inside the car (wouldn't be a good idea).
Species, Lethal Temperature & Time Duration, Reference
Alternaria alternata, 63şC/145şF 25 minutes, Domsch, 1993
Aspergillus fumigatus, 65şC/149şF 30 minutes, Bollen, 1969
Aspergillus niger, 63şC/145şF 25 minutes, Domsch, 1993;Page 102
Chaetomium globosum, 57şC/135şF 10 minutes, Domsch, 1993;Page 119
Cladosporium herbarium, 50şC/122şF 10 minutes, Ridley, G.unpublished
Stachybotrys chartarum, 60şC/140şF 30 minutes, Domsch, 1993
So far the only spot inside my car that it keeps coming back on is the steering wheel. It back again, in fact going to go do another treatment on it right now, gotta try and kill this ****. Steering wheel can be replaced from a part out if really needed, hell needs to be replaced anyway, worn to **** over the years.
I'm watching this thread for additional ideas. My Hombre suffered a bad heater core leak for a couple months that's now fixed. Yesterday I went to move the sub and amp rack made of MDF, the back was moldy. I took the sub out of the box and discovered a forest of mold in there. Under my passenger side carpet, standing pool of coolant. FML, that was new carpet!
So I'll be pulling it all soon to clean, but what works best as a preventative measure? A box of baking soda? Desiccant packs in corners of the interior?
So I'll be pulling it all soon to clean, but what works best as a preventative measure? A box of baking soda? Desiccant packs in corners of the interior?
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 275
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From: TX
I'm watching this thread for additional ideas. My Hombre suffered a bad heater core leak for a couple months that's now fixed. Yesterday I went to move the sub and amp rack made of MDF, the back was moldy. I took the sub out of the box and discovered a forest of mold in there. Under my passenger side carpet, standing pool of coolant. FML, that was new carpet!
So I'll be pulling it all soon to clean, but what works best as a preventative measure? A box of baking soda? Desiccant packs in corners of the interior?
So I'll be pulling it all soon to clean, but what works best as a preventative measure? A box of baking soda? Desiccant packs in corners of the interior?
As far as a preventative measure, make sure all moisture is out of car, water leaks etc. I'm looking around to see if theres any interior coatings that can be applied to help prevent growth or to cover the spores up entirely. I would think if it can't get air the spores would suffocate if covered but can't confirm this yet.
This stuffs a nightmare, but trust me I will find eradication methods and preventive measures, just going to take trial and error and time.
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
This is one thing I didn't try due to concerns regarding damage, I've had great luck using bleach on mold in the past but never on a surface as sensitive as automotive interior fabrics. So far I have tried everything from typical soaps to rubbing alcohol to Lysol without any luck, I've considered hydrogen peroxide but I'm worried about color damage similar to anything chlorine-based.
What about ammonia?
Thread Starter
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From: TX
This is one thing I didn't try due to concerns regarding damage, I've had great luck using bleach on mold in the past but never on a surface as sensitive as automotive interior fabrics. So far I have tried everything from typical soaps to rubbing alcohol to Lysol without any luck, I've considered hydrogen peroxide but I'm worried about color damage similar to anything chlorine-based.
What about ammonia?
What about ammonia?
Heres whats in Vital Oxide
Chlorine Dioxide
Alkyl (60% C14, 30% C16, 5% C12, 5% C18) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride
Alkyl (68% C12, 32% C14) dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride
So it has an altered form of bleach, and come crazy altered ammonium chloride solutions in it. It has killed everything but the mold on the steering wheel as far as I can tell. The steering wheel is where it all started then spread like crazy. I'm hoping it just needs a longer treatment/application time to fully eradicate the mold at the source.
I think for me when I get the car in the garage and vapor barriers on then clean
every inch inside (sense the whole interior is basically out) I will be able to eradicate it all, hoping to at least. Going to do 5 treatments back to back using different applicators (scott's shop towels etc.) to avoid the potential of spreading the spores from one contaminated applicator to the next area.
Do you know what the correct adhesive is to use to put the vapor barriers back on?
My original 18 year old adhesive is finished, it has dirt on it and dry not tacky any more, needs to be replaced.
