Break the mold

[dr greg]

We've had REALLY wet weather here for weeks, floods and all, and it has become a daily battle against mold in all my gear...hats, leather jackets, boots and shoes, just unreal, I've given boots the vinegar/clove oil treatment all over, and 48hrs later they are again covered in blue fur!
It's a nightmare and I'm used to it as an annual penance for living in the sub-tropics, but this is quite the worst I've ever seen it, any suggestions from those in wetter climes?

 

[Fifty150]

What's up, Doc?

The best thing that I've found to clean off mold is with bleach and water. That being said, you are not advised to clean your leather with bleach and water.

Mold is an often complex problem. Yet, it isn't. Mold spores need moisture. You need to eliminate the moisture. Simple, right?

There are machines called "dehumidifiers".
[video=youtube_share;7g9_R0-8j4E]http://youtu.be/7g9_R0-8j4E[/video]

Ultimately, you need to be in control of your environment. What you have is a structural deficiency. Do you own this building? There should be a vapor barrier between the exterior wall and insulation, and the building must be sealed properly. Consult with a licensed contractor who is a specialist in this area. If it is a rental, consult with the property owner. They need to know that a liability exists because of the health hazard that mold and mildew poses.

Best of luck. Do follow up as I'm curious to see how this turns out.

 

[Cooperson]

There are quite few good articles on mold treatment on line and the consensus seems to be that once an item is badly infected with mold spores it is the devils own job to eradicate it completely.

There is a mold killer made specifically for leather called em Clean and an even stronger version just called mold killer http://www.lttsolutions.co.uk/index.php/furniture/em-clean.html but living in a warm humid climate, I suspect even that might struggle to prevent the spores from multiplying once they have taken hold.

 

[dr greg]

Thanks for the replies, but I built it, and trust me, I can't 'seal' my house, it's a classic timber design called a 'Queenslander' and the whole idea is that the wide verandahs and the 7 double door-openings keep it cool through natural air-flow, thus doing away with air-con, and saving on energy. The 11-foot ceilings and many windows add to the effect..so even a humidifier might be ineffectual. I just thought there might be a traditional leather treatment from the wetter northern climes that might assist...

 

[Fifty150]

Perhaps you could build a storage shed or walk in closet that is sealed and humidity controlled. That would allow you to control the environment that your gear is stored in. About the only thing that I can think of with leather is to keep it well oiled, so that moisture can't get in through the pores. But that is not an expert opinion.

 

[JakeHolman]

The humidity controlled closet (wardrobe) is a good idea actually, I have something like this set up at home.

Our place suffers from heavy condensation in the winter. We have have very large windows throughout which makes the place beautiful and light in the summer but in the colder months when we need the windows closed there is not enough airflow to stop the moisture building up. I now have four plugin dehumidifiers set up around the house and in our wardrobes two small non-electric units. These contain some absorbing material which seems to magically suck moisture from the air; needs replacing every couple of months.

It seems to have done the trick for now but longer term we probably need a better solution, maybe a few more airbricks, trickle vents, etc.