Does anyone know whats the best thing to use to clean off mold & mildew off vinal seats, without damamging the seats? Thanks! <HR style="COLOR: #dedfdf" SIZE=1>
I used the shopvac the other night when I pulled the old accessory seat covers off our Olds' seats and had to deal with mold sandwiched in between those and the vinyl. I was just trying to get the crap outta there before I used something stronger, but it pulled it all right out. The car smells better and I don't have allergy issues when driving it anymore. I'd love to hear better methods though, I've got some pretty mean stains...
Liquid bleach is the only thing I know that will kill mold and mildew.Shouldn't hurt the vinyl either.Apply either diluted or full strength with a sponge(use rubber gloves as some skin is sensitve and will leave burns),rinse with clean sponge and water,and dry with a towel.
Try a solution of 10% bleach water in a spray bottle. Spray it on and let it set for a little while to kill the mold/mildue and then scrub it off. We need to get Martha Stewart on the HAMB!
if you use 409, remember that it actually promotes mold growth if you don't use the car much. I've cleaned several interiors with the stuff and the mold always comes back worse than before if the car sits without use. If you use it, and it gets air flow and heat cycles, it doesn't seem to come back.
Use spray nine, it's sold at most marinas and some Lowe's. It's made to clean vinyl boat seats. I bought a used pontoon boat and got it cheap because the seats were covered in mildew. I cleaned it with spray nine and it looks like new. It works very fast and easy.
Old fashioned Chlorine bleach, (Not the new "ultra bleach" so common in stores) but it will bleach the color of the material and smell like the sauna/pool at the gym. White vinegar kills mold but dosen't get rid of the stain as good as the bleach does. It'll make the car smell like a Pizza Parlor Lots of direct, bright, dry sun light kills mold too. Dry is the key problem where you are though.
Gotta be careful with that bleach, though, if it gets in the stitching it can kill thread(cotton, not nylon) and worse, it will bleach out the color along the seam. Makes it look like shit!
I use a product called "White Wizard". I found it at a home improvement show. I've even used it on blood and coffee stains.
I bought a '64 Gran Prix with a moldy white interior and used a sponge, some oil soap, water, and some bathroom cleaner made to kill mold. Which I think has bleach in it. The car also is now out in the sun all day, but nothing came back. I left a window on the east side of it open a crack too. The mold cleaned off pretty well with no discoloration - but on white vinyl it may not have discolored anyways.
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