[Knaagi_II]

Hi guys,

My 91 9C1 has been in storage for 2 years in my hall that gets a bit moist once in a while. I guess i messed up by borrowing one of its door seals to put it on my 96. This morning i opened it´s doors and found white mold, mostly on the sides of the seats!
Do i have to throw them away now or can they still be saved?

Thanks!
Joerg

EDIT:

found this on ehow.com:

Instructions

1 Brush any loose mold spores and mildew from the vinyl with an old rag.

2 Mix one part white vinegar with two parts water in a bucket. Wipe the vinegar wash onto the mold and mildew with a large sponge. Saturate the vinyl with the vinegar solution. Allow the vinegar to remain on the mold and mildew for 30 minutes, giving the vinegar time to break down the fungus.

3 Scrub the vinyl with a soft-bristled broom or brush. Rinse the vinyl with a garden hose.

4 Mix a solution of 1 cup bleach into a gallon of water. Sponge it onto the vinyl and allow to sit on the surface for 30 minutes. The bleach kills any mold and mildew invisible to the eye.

5 Scrub the vinyl with a broom or brush, then rinse with a garden hose.

 

[j cat]

Hi guys,

My 91 9C1 has been in storage for 2 years in my hall that gets a bit moist once in a while. I guess i messed up by borrowing one of its door seals to put it on my 96. This morning i opened it´s doors and found white mold, mostly on the sides of the seats!
Do i have to throw them away now or can they still be saved?

Thanks!
Joerg

EDIT:

found this on ehow.com:

Instructions

1 Brush any loose mold spores and mildew from the vinyl with an old rag.

2 Mix one part white vinegar with two parts water in a bucket. Wipe the vinegar wash onto the mold and mildew with a large sponge. Saturate the vinyl with the vinegar solution. Allow the vinegar to remain on the mold and mildew for 30 minutes, giving the vinegar time to break down the fungus.

3 Scrub the vinyl with a soft-bristled broom or brush. Rinse the vinyl with a garden hose.

4 Mix a solution of 1 cup bleach [TOO MUCH] into a gallon of water. Sponge it onto the vinyl and allow to sit on the surface for 30 minutes. The bleach kills any mold and mildew invisible to the eye.

5 Scrub the vinyl with a broom or brush, then rinse with a garden hose.

I would use a small amount of bleach with a small amount of liquid laundry soap and a gallon of water. using 2 buckets one for wash the other to rinse using a very soft bristle brush work lightly to clean off the mess. then rinse and wipe down. after it dry use some vinyl protection.

do not use 1 cup of bleach ...only a couple of OZ /gallon...

you need to buy a dehumidifier to keep the moisture down below 60% relative humidity.

vinegar is an acid it will eat off the finish. If your vehicle has water leaking into it then the interior must be removed washed and completely dried before installing back in..

 

[JackFish]

You might consider hydrogen peroxide.

 

[Fred Kiehl]

A good tub and tile cleaner should have a mold killing agent in it. You do not have to mix anything. Spray and wipe. Scrubbing with a brush would get into cracks and crevices.

 

[mikekend]

After you get it cleaned up, stick a bucket of Damp Rid in there for storage.
I put one in the interior & one in the trunk.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DampRid-64-oz-Hi-Capacity-Moisture-Absorber-FG50T/100391308

 

[Knaagi_II]

Thanks to everyone!

 

[Gene Beaird]

A vehicle in long-term storage will have to have those DampRid containers changed out several times, and probably still not help. I also suffer from moisture issues in our shop during the winter, and enjoyed some mold growth on the surfaces your skin touches in several of our cars we keep there. I finally resorted to these:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/anti-condensation+heating+rod.do?from=Search

And it significantly cut down on the mold growth and 'funky smell' one gets in cars that are stored for long periods of time in moist environments. I've pretty much quit using DampRid. The rods come in three links, although I've only found the 18" ones to be easy to find online. They still work well in 4-door cars (including a 68 Cadillac) and extended cab trucks.

If you don't have access to electricity, then DampRid and cleaning the seating surfaces _before_ the car goes into storage are about your only choice. If you have a power source in your storage area, then these rods work well.