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Removing mold/mildew?

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Old 09-02-2010, 08:40 PM
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Default Removing mold/mildew?

Alright, I have an interesting situation here. When I was trying to remove my center reflector from my trunk I broke the seal on it, now it has a leak and holds water. Whenever I open the trunk now the water that'* in the reflector piece leaks out and runs into the trunk. I never though much of it because I barely open my trunk so the amount of water getting into the trunk was negligeble.

Since my wife was moving this weekend she decided that she needed to use my car. This meant a lot of opening of the trunk, which meant a lot of water getting into the trunk. Also, it was raining a lot so I'm sure a good amount of water got just from rain while the trunk was open or when doors were open.

Apparently now most of my interior has mold/mildew on it, especially the back seat. How do I get rid of this stuff? Leather seats, carpeted floor.

I read online that the best thing to use was a vinegar/water mix to kill the mold/mildew then use a baking powder/water mix to get rid of the vinegar smell. They said using a bleach/water mix wouldn't work because bleach only works on hard surfaces and not porous ones.

If anybody has any other tips that would be great.
Old 09-03-2010, 06:22 PM
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So, nobody knows anything on this subject?
Old 09-03-2010, 07:08 PM
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I was thinking about it... I would try shampooing the carpet, and scrubing the leather with lysol, Do it on a nice dry, sunny day and put fans on ur interior until 100% dry
Old 09-05-2010, 12:29 AM
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I used a pressure washer on the boat stuff and it keeps it at bay. Not practical on a car. Bleach work'* on porous fine. But the colorfastness of car upholstery won't hold up to bleach. I looked around and this seems the most useful advice I could find.

http://www.infobarrel.com/How_to_Rem...Car_Upholstery
Old 09-05-2010, 12:35 AM
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Originally Posted by GXP Venom
I used a pressure washer on the boat stuff and it keeps it at bay. Not practical on a car. Bleach work'* on porous fine. But the colorfastness of car upholstery won't hold up to bleach. I looked around and this seems the most useful advice I could find.

http://www.infobarrel.com/How_to_Rem...Car_Upholstery
Damn thats pretty much what i said.. im good, just kidding
Old 09-05-2010, 12:53 AM
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Pinesol will invade the leather. And crack it. So, one demerit. bahahahah. Best to use a leather conditioning preparation made for it. Our seats seem to crack early as it is.
Old 09-05-2010, 02:16 PM
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Well on websites that are dedicated to mold removal say that bleach DOES NOT work on porous surfaces. They even proved why. http://www.bleach-mold-myth.com/
Old 09-05-2010, 10:41 PM
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Dedicated? As in that is a scam pay for service ~product site??? And every link in it is the same. evry one of them is an offshore non certified or accredited. $239 buys you an online Degree from what? The Phillipine'*. And then send you a Certified Mold Inspector License. I can get Ordained as a Minister right here in the US for $49, and it is actually legal in most States. How about the Certified Environmental Hygienist for $999. Ya, take that and get a real job. Every single link in that whole garbage bin of a website links you to the Phillipines regardless of where it says it'* from.

That said, I can see their point with inside wall structures and enclosed area'* of a household, but uhmmmm, cloths, sheets, etc ....Hello.... porous. Bleach kills mold, virus, and bacteria on anything it contacts. And been keeping porous fabrics clean and germ free for 200+ years.
Old 09-06-2010, 01:55 AM
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I wonder how oxyclean works?
Old 09-06-2010, 08:53 AM
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I heard something about bleach and mold on the Discovery channel myself. Does'nt work well. The best way to get rid of it is to let the hole area DRY out. This includes removing mold from bathtubs as they said on the Discovery Channel.
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