mildew under Casita cushions

[whoot]

Apparently the moisture on my windows has been freezing, then thawing out, and leaking down to beneath my rear bed cushions. There is a little bit of mold/mildew. I assume it is not deadly. Is there a good way to clean that up? My mini-dehumidifier doesn't seem to be doing much, so I will get some damp-rid stuff. But what can I do about the mildew already there? There are some green spots on the wall fabric. Can I just spray it with Lysol or something?

[CampyTime]

Not sure what to advise for inside mildew and mold. I use Concrobium on the outside above belly band, but I don't think that's a good option inside on cushion covers and rat fur. Would probably stain.

Is your trailer off road/in storage now? If so, I might suggest taking your cushions and curtains into the house for winter. At least you wouldn't have to worry about cleaning those up.

Damp Rid works very well for me. Upon any return to trailer I always visibly find water in bottom of unit. Finally, many friends here have advised me to not seal trailer up tight for storage. Not sure where you live or if trailer is in a garage, but I always leave the fantastic fan lid cracked open a wee bit, as well as the little window above the range. I know you have a casita so not sure of your layout. Either way, a little ventilation goes a long way. I hope others will recommend a product to you for safe mold removal.


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[cpaharley2008]

open a vent and store your cushions in an upright position. I use 1 oz of bleach in a 8 oz spray for mold in the bathroom, works well.

[Mary F]

Yes, a mild bleach solution will clean the mildew off the fiberglass benches (even those Clorox wipes would do), but it will probably take the color out of the carpet - so I wouldn't use it on the wall. You also don't want to soak that carpet (any more than it has been), and it may be hard to get out whatever you put on it.

I guess I would try some "Clorox 2" (supposed to be color safe) first, following up with dabs of water and maybe some Resolve (do they still make that stuff?) I don't have any experience with OxyClean; being peroxide based (I think) it might be effective - not sure if it will take out the color of the carpet.

Let us know how it goes - I'm sure you're not the first or last person with this problem.

[Dudley]

Whoot is living in the Casita full time. That rules out bleach or other strong cleaners. Lysol would probably be fine but ventilation would be needed. Pretty damn cold up there right now. It might be an idea to strip the covers off the cushions and wash them. Some carpet cleaner might not be too bad, use a brush and work it in. I would check other areas as well like the front closet and under the sink where it gets cold. The problem is the cushions are tight against the cold wall and it doesn't allow the heat to warm up the area. you may want to tear down the bed every couple of days to dry the carpet.

[Island Claire]

I use a product called Oxygenic - hydrogen peroxide. Does not remove colour. Will foam up when you use it. Rinse well. Low odour. Follow instructions on the label. Bought it at Janitors Warehouse.

[rdcastle]

This is a common problem in boats where the spaces below the cushion(s) are not well ventilated, heated, or insulated. Especially if you are living "aboard" so to speak. Just human respiration puts lots of moisture into a small tight volume. If your windows are dripping wet then some ventilation is definitely needed. The rest is condensation between the cushion bottoms and the fiberglass tops of the spaces beneath them.

[mary and bob]

HyperVent Marine may be the solution to prevent further mildew

[Kai in Seattle]

I e-mailed Hypervent Marine months ago, as a kind of "what if" while we were discovering the mold in our floor, and they said absolutely, that's a perfect use for their product. It's like a HUGE nylon scrub pad, that holds the cushions a bit off the deck/platform/bed to keep air flow going under them. It's pricey...but if we had (have) such mold coming, I'd go ahead and get some. Be sure to get enough. It's designed beautifully to make wider panels as you need them with the adhesive strips already attached to the product.

Good luck with all this! Horrible problem if you don't get ahead of it.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

I e-mailed Hypervent Marine months ago, as a kind of "what if" while we were discovering the mold in our floor, and they said absolutely, that's a perfect use for their product. It's like a HUGE nylon scrub pad, that holds the cushions a bit off the deck/platform/bed to keep air flow going under them. It's pricey...but if we had (have) such mold coming, I'd go ahead and get some. Be sure to get enough. It's designed beautifully to make wider panels as you need them with the adhesive strips already attached to the product.

Good luck with all this! Horrible problem if you don't get ahead of it.

You're lucky, it's available locally for you... easy pickup if you're not far from Marysville, WA! HyperVent Marine - Putting An End To Condensation

[Kai in Seattle]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

You're lucky, it's available locally for you... easy pickup if you're not far from Marysville, WA! HyperVent Marine - Putting An End To Condensation

We are relatively close--they also ship.

[Donna D.]

I know several Escape owners have stopped by HyperVent Marine either on their way up to pickup the new trailer or on the way home.

[Carol H]

A few of the marine supply stores sell HyperVent here.

[Karen L W]

What I've used under my cushions and on the floor of my storage bins are Multy Tiles.






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[vicjen]

I had this problem in Florida with my bed. I had mold between my mattress and box spring. I read somewhere on how to treat this, tried it and it work, and is still working. I sprinkled cockroach powder (walmart) product on the mattress and left it there it went away on it’s own. It is made of Borax a natural powder from the desert is also used in washing cloths. Stuff can’t hurt you or pets.

[Glenn Baglo]

Borate Poisoning in Dogs and Cats

Borax poisoning. It can hurt your pets.
I didn't bother looking up humans.

BTW, arsenic is also natural.