Cabin Cushion Mildew

[Adventure208MA]

Noticed that the cabin cushions on my 208 Adventure are showing some signs of mildew. I suspect storing the seat cushions and life vests on top before they were fully dry has led to this. Can anyone suggest a safe cleaner or process for the fabric that won't damage the cloth.

 

[Legend]

If it is not too bad sometime a good dose of sunshine will take care of it - I use a solution water and bleach - about 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. I just spray it on the mildew and walk away - an hour or so later it should be gone - I have not had any color issues with the bleach at this diluted strength. I tried a bunch of products that are sold in marine stores and none of them work. good luck

 

[JeffN]

I agree with legend. This year I have one of those small spray bottles that I had purchased to use with dish soap and water to putnew stripes on my boat. After I was finished with that I filled the bottle with a mixture similar to legend's mix and I keep it on the boat. Anytime I see a little mold I shoot it, works great and no color issues.

 

[Capt Bill]

I bought something (possibly West Marine) a few years ago, green color, and was safe and effective on fabric, but I forgot what it was called. There are a few commercial products out that claim to work; BioZap and MoldStat are two of them. You can try this homemade remedy (not mine... I found it on the web), and see if it works for you:

"Some people are allergic to bleach or the fumes make them sick. This formula does the job without the reaction to bleach:

Non-bleach mildew remover:

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup Borax powder (available at any grocery store etc.)
2 cups warm water

Mix ingredients in a bucket or in a spray bottle. Apply to the mildew spot and leave it on for 10 minutes. Rinse afterwards."

 

[seasick]

If it is not too bad sometime a good dose of sunshine will take care of it - I use a solution water and bleach - about 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. I just spray it on the mildew and walk away - an hour or so later it should be gone - I have not had any color issues with the bleach at this diluted strength. I tried a bunch of products that are sold in marine stores and none of them work. good luck

I would test a small spot with the bleach mixture first to make sure it doesn't damage the color.
I also have a 208 and searched high and low for the recommended cleaning process and unfortunately, that depends on the type of material. I searched for labels but couldn't find any. Looking at various fabric cleansers, each had warnings about using on specific fabrics so in the end, I uses a soft brush and mild soap followed by a light rinse with a wet towel. I repeated that several times and let the cushions dry.
If the mildew is in the foam, it will come back. You can spray the foam with a mildewcide but you need to test a sample first and you need to remove the covers, That is a royal pain.
After the whole thing is dry and clean, an application of Scotch Guard will help going forward. You also need to test an inconspicuous spot first. I suspect that the fabric could be dry cleaned too.

 

[Adventure208MA]

If it is not too bad sometime a good dose of sunshine will take care of it - I use a solution water and bleach - about 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. I just spray it on the mildew and walk away - an hour or so later it should be gone - I have not had any color issues with the bleach at this diluted strength. I tried a bunch of products that are sold in marine stores and none of them work. good luck

Thanks for the idea

 

[Adventure208MA]

Thanks for all the great ideas