Mildew Smell on Bed Cushions

[Celestialsailor]

...again...the OP said he had an odor...nothing else. We don't know for sure even if it's mold, let alone black mold. Perhaps they can clarify For all we know the odour is gecko puke!

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

...again...the OP said he had an odor...nothing else. We don't know for sure even if it's mold, let alone black mold. Perhaps they can clarify For all we know the odour is gecko puke!

exactly why i sed to open the cushions to see what it is--is PROBABLY blackmold. etc.....

mold does have a distinctive odor. is also foul and hazardous to health causing pneumonias resistant to antibiotix, as is a mold. cure is horrible. dont go there. been there, seen that and had to treat it. not pretty what molds do to humans.

[bobconnie]

Moistness, water leaks, no air movement, wet bedding equals MOLD what ever color it is it's still mold !! Kill it clean it up and try to make sure it don't happen again ! Bleach kills Mold of most any kind (take this from us Louisiana folks) Bleach it and dry slowly in the SUN if possible!! If smell remains toss the damn stuff and chock it up to a learning experince!! Just make sure to stop all leaks no matter where from, leaks are the death of a boat, all leaks need to be fixed as soon as possible! leaks can sink a boat if unattended!! and that can kill ya a lot quicker than Mold LOL Just my 2 cents

[zeehag]

sad to say, bleach really only bleacghes mold. vinegar changes the environment in which it lives, causing its extinction.
will grow back rapidly after only using bleach, and cushionry cannot tolerate bleach. the foam crumbles with bleach.

[bobconnie]

Ahh depends on the foam !! Zee really we have foam here to LOL

[Celestialsailor]

I believe this was all covered in another thread about molds where more blanket statements were flying around until one of our chemist types finally dispelled all the witchcraft theories.

[downunder]

Vinegar will help clean up but will not stop mold regrowth.

Google Clove oil which will stop mold growing.

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[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by zeehag

vinegar does not hurt the fabric or stain it. vinegar KILLS spores by changing the environment to one unfriendly to spores and molds.
the usual mold in boats is black mold. it is illness causing, and can be fatal.
leave something open for ventilation in boat when you are away. circulation of air prevents molds fr om forming. they like it moist and dark and airless.

The mold that causes me dramas always looks like black dots? It is like a stain that is impossible to remove from fabrics.

Yes, ventalation is the go. Prevention is better than cure? I want to put a Davry & Co musheroom vent and maybe even a deck prism admitting light overy v berth. Likewise, when the sun is shinning and the eind dry open all ports and get things on deck for air and sun.

[zeehag]

i do not DO old wives tales--i do what WORKS. i have lived aboard since 1990 and have btdt with everything more than one time, usually.... many different boats until this formosa.
have fun and do what works for you. keep it simple.

[elliebell]

Originally Posted by zeehag

west marine will sell you anything you wish to spend too much money on.

[Nemo55]

I am with Zee on this one,,,Mold is indeed insidious,,,the only added treatment that i know of that will kill mold for sure is placing cushions etc in a deep freezer,,,the colder the better.
The extreme cold temperature bursts the cell walls of the mold spores, thereby killing once and for all,,,but finding a freezer to do the job may be trixy for some,,,also,,i would do the full sun treatment afterwards,,,just because i love the sun and think its pretty neat anyhow...

[Benjmin]

White Vinegar.... I actually just finished mine. My foam had a smell that made me nauseated from five feet away. Now the foam smells like nothing. What I did was complex and took 3 weeks. But the majority of the labor was done the first day. If you want to know how I did it message me and I will share. Btw you will have to remove the fabric from the foam. It is not the end of the world.

[Celestialsailor]

Heres something from ebay. A ionizer (ozone generator). A lot of 5 for $50. If you were to leave your boat for some time and had solar....just leave them on. They draw .5 watt each. The O3 clings to the particulate (mold spore in this case) and kills it. Worth a look see.

[landonshaw]

Thanks for all of rhew replys. Trying to look into the cushion, it does not look black. Looks more whitish. The covering is zipped on, but there are buttons that are attached with stitching that goes clear throught the cushion. Bad design, not able to remove the foam pad.
We have had them out in the sun for a few days, 4, and the smell is gone. will continue for another week.

[Celestialsailor]

Glad everything worked out for you. Happy to hear it wasn't the dreaded black mold.