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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: lilstookie on May 26, 2012, 10:59:09 AM

Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on May 26, 2012, 10:59:09 AM
Bah!! Not having a good run at the moment. We aimed to arrive in Cairns during the dry season to avoid flooding and mould. It's been raining pretty much the whole time we've been here and we evacuated the camper yesterday in case of flooding (staying in a flood prone area) and today we've woken to mouldy canvas grrrrr.
I was going to use clove oil and salt but not sure if scrubbing the canvas with a scrubbing brush is ok. Can anyone advise please?

Lil :)


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Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: jclures on May 26, 2012, 11:12:20 AM
I would use White King one part to seven parts water, test in a place not obvious, use it in a hand sprayer, just one of those cheap $2 jobs, , and lightly rub in, then leave to dry.
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: SteveandViv on May 26, 2012, 11:21:34 AM
Yea, I'm sure Danbri from here (haven't heard from him for a while) who has a or had a canvas business also suggested 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: fuji on May 26, 2012, 11:51:07 AM
One litre to quarter teaspoon of oil of cloves in spray bottle and lightly mist on mould. That is according to Shannon Lush.  :D
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Foo on May 26, 2012, 04:19:38 PM
X2 To this statement! :cup:

Foo
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: fuji on May 26, 2012, 05:19:58 PM
One litre to quarter teaspoon of oil of cloves in spray bottle and lightly mist on mould. That is according to Shannon Lush.  :D

One litre of water that is. :D
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Paul (SA) on May 26, 2012, 06:04:37 PM
And don't scrub it no matter how tempted!!!
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: lov2getaway on May 26, 2012, 08:04:32 PM
Just make sure you can put up with the smell of oil of cloves....yuk!
Cheers
L2GA
Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on May 26, 2012, 11:48:23 PM
I love the smell of cloves. Thanks for your help everyone!

Lil :)


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Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: fishfinder on May 27, 2012, 05:33:41 AM
please post on what you used and how well it worked,

thanks
Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on June 10, 2012, 08:53:14 AM
So the winner so far is oil of cloves.
I wiped down the canvas (inside) and all the light fur came off no trouble. The darker spores under the window covers also cleaned off without leaving a mark. 6 drops of clove oil in a spray bottle of water and gave the canvas a light mist.
Left it for 24 hours and wiped off any areas that looked like it had not dried.
No more mould so far ,fingers crossed.



Sent from my brain using my fingers.
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: fuji on June 10, 2012, 09:08:19 AM
I Must go and buy Shannon Lush's book, full of great ideas. Glad my advice was the right advice. ;D
Wayne
Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on June 11, 2012, 07:35:25 AM
One thing to add is you need to do ALL the canvas at the same time otherwise mould pops up in other places. Really pleased with the result so far!

Lil :)


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Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: r0ssrg on June 11, 2012, 08:00:08 AM
Given most campers have wax converters canvas did you check their website or call them at all?

Good to hear your solution worked though.   Hope you get out of Cairns soon and find some blue sky.

Enjoy your trip.  Can't wait for mine.

Rossco
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: BigJules on June 11, 2012, 09:07:52 AM
This trip is great. You have issues, you post them up. We fix them. Now everyone knows what to do.

This is almost a community service you're doing.
Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on June 12, 2012, 07:07:52 AM
This trip is great. You have issues, you post them up. We fix them. Now everyone knows what to do.

This is almost a community service you're doing.

I'd personally have preferred a mould free tent but hey, give you guys all the info so you know what to do.

We should change our name to lab rat !!!!! ????
Stookie

Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on June 12, 2012, 08:56:51 AM
Given most campers have wax converters canvas did you check their website or call them at all?

Good to hear your solution worked though.   Hope you get out of Cairns soon and find some blue sky.

Enjoy your trip.  Can't wait for mine.

Rossco

Email sent to Austrack last week...still waiting on an answer  ???

Blue skies of Cairns in winter have returned...we'll be here for a while now  ;D

Lil :)
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: BigJules on June 12, 2012, 12:02:06 PM
I'd personally have preferred a mould free tent but hey, give you guys all the info so you know what to do.

We should change our name to lab rat !!!!! ????
Stookie

I agree, but a custom title is easier  ;D
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: fishfinder on June 13, 2012, 06:11:39 AM
thanks for feedback now i will go and get some clove oil and hit my annex this weekend
Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on June 14, 2012, 09:19:41 AM
thanks for feedback now i will go and get some clove oil and hit my annex this weekend

make sure to do both sides too, otherwise it will appear on the side you didnt clean
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: r0ssrg on June 14, 2012, 08:25:17 PM
So is the clove oil only for when the mould is present or also as a prevention method.

Ross Guthrie
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Nomad on June 14, 2012, 08:33:08 PM
Just when its present Ross.

Regards
Nomad
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Foo on June 16, 2012, 04:58:00 PM
I Must go and buy Shannon Lush's book, full of great ideas. Glad my advice was the right advice. ;D
Wayne

My wife recons I have a man crush on Shannon Lush! ;D

Foo
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on June 18, 2012, 01:18:35 PM
Week 2 and the mould is back.
OIL OF CLOVES does  not work.
Its great to clean it but not strong enough to kill the spours.

Shannon Lush - FAIL

Going to try wet and forget now......and reproof the canvas

Stookie

Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: GUTourer on June 18, 2012, 07:34:41 PM
I thought a heavy salt and water solution always worked best??  Dunno anything about oil of cloverville but I do know salted warm water brushed on, and let dry works well.  Then brush the dry salt off.
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Malcolm Tugless on June 18, 2012, 08:30:37 PM
Week 2 and the mould is back.
OIL OF CLOVES does  not work.
Its great to clean it but not strong enough to kill the spours.

Shannon Lush - FAIL

Going to try wet and forget now......and reproof the canvas

Stookie

Oil of cloves works, but as mentioned earlier it only brings death to the areas it touches. Any mould spores left unattended will continue their terrorist antics. Same goes for any treatments. Completely drying the canvas prior to any form of treatment will give one an optimal chance of success. Up in FNQ ATM will somewhat negate the optimum options. Enjoy the culture, yogurt and cheese thrive on it.  I've got nothing for ya, except that if you're in town head to Fetta.s Greek Taverna, tell George that bubba sent you.
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Straitened Out on July 30, 2013, 06:36:52 PM
Week 2 and the mould is back.
OIL OF CLOVES does  not work.
Its great to clean it but not strong enough to kill the spours.

Shannon Lush - FAIL

Going to try wet and forget now......and reproof the canvas

Stookie
I know it's a while ago, but did you try wet'n'forget? I need to do my tonneau so looked up this thread.
Cheers
S.O.
Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: fridayman on July 30, 2013, 07:45:56 PM
We recently had a mould problem and got rid of it by doing the following:
- brush and vac all the surfaces that have mould (we did the entire interior to be sure)
- wash about half a canvas panel at a time with a 1:10 part white vinegar solution using a sponge
- rinse off the vinegar solution with a sponge and clean water before the vinegar solution dries
- let it dry thoroughly
Job done and haven't had any mould since.
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Straitened Out on July 30, 2013, 09:15:35 PM
We recently had a mould problem and got rid of it by doing the following:
- brush and vac all the surfaces that have mould (we did the entire interior to be sure)
- wash about half a canvas panel at a time with a 1:10 part white vinegar solution using a sponge
- rinse off the vinegar solution with a sponge and clean water before the vinegar solution dries
- let it dry thoroughly
Job done and haven't had any mould since.
Sounds like a plan! How long has it lasted?
Cheers
S.O.
Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: fridayman on July 30, 2013, 09:45:02 PM
We did it almost 2 months ago and not a hint of mould since (although we've had pretty good weather).
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: SteveandViv on July 31, 2013, 12:03:34 AM
Week 2 and the mould is back.
OIL OF CLOVES does  not work.
Its great to clean it but not strong enough to kill the spours.

Shannon Lush - FAIL

Going to try wet and forget now......and reproof the canvas

Stookie

What happened to the bleach plus water? This was from some one who made canvas gear, is it no good ???
Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: Big Nath on July 31, 2013, 07:45:01 AM
Don't use bleach. Never ever use bleach. Bleach doesn't remove mould, it simply removes its colour, leaving the mould spores in your canvas.

Use equal parts vinegar and warm water.

Also ensure your tent can be aired in direct sunlight.



Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: SteveandViv on July 31, 2013, 08:33:58 AM
Don't use bleach. Never ever use bleach. Bleach doesn't remove mould, it simply removes its colour, leaving the mould spores in your canvas.

Use equal parts vinegar and warm water.

Also ensure your tent can be aired in direct sunlight.

Yea, wouldn't know. It was posted by a Canvas manufacturing owner who a lot of us know. I've never had an issue but we cant camp in the wet so to speak as it is, well too wet ;D

Thanks for the update.
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: achjimmy on July 31, 2013, 08:48:25 AM
We had an older Expanda with lots of mould that had been there many months when we bought it. Used watered down bleach and it removed it for good. Never came back even in some ordinary conditions. We  scrubbed it with brushes. Only thing I would not do again is use bleach and a nail brush on the stitches, definitely weakened them .


The guys on Expanda forum use some commercially available spray 10-1 or seconds or something?

Edit we used Domestos and water. Is that bleach?

Stuff they rave about for Mould removal  is called "30 seconds"  http://30seconds.com.au/ (http://30seconds.com.au/)
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: jclures on July 31, 2013, 09:32:49 AM
I have used bleach a couple of times in different canvas items, never had a problem, and the mould never came back. I sought advice from a couple of local suppliers up here, and they said use bleach, after all in the tropics mould is always a problem.
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Woodsie on July 31, 2013, 09:41:03 AM
Here is the link to Bunnings for 30 seconds:
http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_30-seconds-1l-lemon-indoor-mould-cleaner_P4460441.aspx?rangeid=128&searchByTerms=false&search=&filter=brandname--30+Seconds (http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_30-seconds-1l-lemon-indoor-mould-cleaner_P4460441.aspx?rangeid=128&searchByTerms=false&search=&filter=brandname--30+Seconds)
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on July 31, 2013, 11:41:02 AM
The mould we had was whilst camping in Cairns, We could not get Mother nature to stop the rain long enough to get good drying time.
Once we cleaned with vinegar and although it cleaned the canvas the mould cam back within days.

Oil of cloves , we didnt find it worked at all.
Bleach.......would never use bleach on canvas.........EVER.

Wet and forget worked very well and the mould never came back.

It was a mix of conditions for us.
We where camped on grass for 2 months in Cairns whilst the car was being fixed. The weather was very changeable and humid so things never really got a chance to dry for long before getting wet again.

We live on a station up in the gulf and when we have pulled the tent out the marks can still be seen but have faded and there in no further growth anywhere and we have been through a wet season too.
Wet and forget worked for us and it was the only solution that did.

Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: meandclan on August 01, 2013, 03:47:01 PM
Don't use bleach. Never ever use bleach. Bleach doesn't remove mould, it simply removes its colour, leaving the mould spores in your canvas.

Use equal parts vinegar and warm water.

Also ensure your tent can be aired in direct sunlight.
mate you are the salesman so dont want to disagree but i heard oil of cloves actually kills mould spores at the molecular level BUT does it stain and thats why you recommend vinegar? cheers kev (i got the flu so bored sitting home reading reading reading....)
Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: Big Nath on August 05, 2013, 10:00:34 AM
Yeah, understand. We recommend vinegar and warm water. It may require a renter rub, but that then forces it deep into the fabric killing the mould.



Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: blackcat on September 01, 2013, 06:29:38 PM
dragging this topic back up again, our camper has been packed up since our trip in June/ July - Damn Melbourne weather never giving us the opportunity to get the camper up and aired, have opened it this arvo to find some black mould spots - no furry stuff thankfully, just these spots here and there. I'm figuring from whats being said here that the vinegar / warm water solution is the way to go, just want to check first if we just spray it on, and leave to dry, and then brush down when dry?
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: barnray on September 01, 2013, 08:01:37 PM
We have just spent a week trying to remove mould from our camper. We tried warm salt water and vinegar with limited results. The tent is a bit high and the mould a bit thick for both of the methods. After some deliberation I remove the canvas from the trailer and used 30sec to clean all the canvas. I made sure that I washed all of it off with a hose several times. I have done this twice without any damage to the canvas and this time used a waterproofing spray as well. Time will tell. Also the base of 30sec is a sodium Hypercholrite (bleach). Barnray
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: blackcat on September 01, 2013, 10:53:32 PM
thanks for your reply Banray, is this the product you used http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_30-seconds-1l-lemon-indoor-mould-cleaner_P4460441.aspx?rangeid=128&searchByTerms=false&search=&filter=brandname--30+Seconds (http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_30-seconds-1l-lemon-indoor-mould-cleaner_P4460441.aspx?rangeid=128&searchByTerms=false&search=&filter=brandname--30+Seconds)
We have some spots on the roof of the CT so not looking forward to trying to remove that   :'(
What waterproofing product did you use?
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: barnray on September 02, 2013, 07:15:56 AM
http://www.bunnings.com.au/30-seconds-5l-multipurpose-cleaner-concentrate_p4461755 (http://www.bunnings.com.au/30-seconds-5l-multipurpose-cleaner-concentrate_p4461755)
G'day Blackcat this is the stuff I used, its the same as Exit Mould but cheaper in the 5L. I did check with our local tent repairer and the manufactures web site to see if it was suitable. You can't leave it on for very long as it is a bleach and it will change the colour of the canvas. I used a garden sprayer to apply. The waterproofing I used is dynaproof and it can be sprayed on and then rolled for a more uniform coat
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: blackcat on September 02, 2013, 08:03:28 AM
Thanks heaps Barnray  :cheers:
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Carlisle Rogers on September 03, 2013, 01:31:46 AM
My swags always mould up in the garage over summer here in the Sunny Coast.

I just spray down with white vinegar (straight) and it not only kills the mould, but seems to make it disappear, colour and all. Lasts a while too. And the vinegar smell goes away pretty quickly. Saves washing and scrubbing everything. You still have to get into every nook and cranny of the canvas, though.

Clove oil should work as a preventative. Many people up here add it to house paint to prevent mould growth down the road...

Carlisle

Title: Now we have mould...
Post by: Big Nath on September 03, 2013, 07:45:13 AM
The problem with all of the commercial tripe products is its bleach based. Bleach doesn't kill mould spores. It simply, as the name suggests, bleaches it. Bleach will damage canvas and wax coatings on canvas. On new trailers etc be careful as using bleach may void any remaining warranty.



Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: blackcat on September 03, 2013, 07:59:30 AM
Thanks Carlisle and Big nath, when you spray with the vinegar, so you have to wash the canvas after, or do you just leave the vinegar on there to 'do its thing'?
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: jclures on September 03, 2013, 10:15:23 AM
I found this.
http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html (http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html)
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: Carlisle Rogers on September 04, 2013, 12:01:16 AM
I just leave it. And it doesn't affect waterproofing either, from my experience anyway.


Thanks Carlisle and Big nath, when you spray with the vinegar, so you have to wash the canvas after, or do you just leave the vinegar on there to 'do its thing'?
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: blackcat on September 04, 2013, 02:08:26 PM
Thanks Carlisle, we shall give it a go!
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: blue suzuki on September 04, 2013, 05:26:06 PM
Use the clove oil as fuji suggests, that kills the mold, then use bleach. Bleach alone doesn't kill it only hides it and it will come back.
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: barnray on September 10, 2013, 08:36:59 PM
Just spent the day refitting the canvas to the trailer, its a hard floor about 6m long. I had some repairs done to the canvas and spent days cleaning it. I used 30sec both sides of the roof and washed off as soon as there was a result and made sure all was well. Once dry I reproofed the outside roof. The inside I sprayed with White Vinegar at 50% with water. It looks good inside so a report will come in the future. Have a look at this site. http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html (http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html)
Barnray
Title: Re: Now we have mould...
Post by: lilstookie on November 11, 2013, 08:51:01 PM
As said earlier in the he thread we had used wet and forget and didn't rep roof the tent canvas. A few nights  ago we had a massive storm outside Clermont and got 142mm and the tent didn't leakage t all so I would say the wet and forget didn't affect the waterproofing it would seem and most of the mould stains have dissipated to hardly even noticeable so the wet and forget worked well for us.