Mold Mildew Invasion

[Dylan Ness]

I need to save myself from myself.

I failed to remember to start running my dehumidifier this spring/summer. In addition, I had some water leaking in through the drip cap on a sliding barn door - which seemed to have created some ripe conditions for a mildew/mold explosion. I took a leave of absence form my shop (which is a 24x32 insulated pole barn in Minnesota) only to return in July to find a powdery mildew/mold covering all of my shop cabinets (made from particle board & oak, finished with danish oil) as well as alot of my lumber, jigs, etc. As you can imagine, every cast iron surface also had a wonderfully delicious coating of rust.

Now the rust I can deal with, but what I need is some advice on the mildew. I removed the powdery stuff with a shopvac, but there is some yellow and white mold underneath that is alot more persistant. Bleach and water? - since I'm not overly concerned about ruining the finish of my shop cabinets. Or is there a better weapon? I can only imagine that there is also alot of mold now in places I can't see. Any ideas on what (if anything) to do about that?

I will be installing a window mount a/c unit (not just for moisture - I also dislike sweating) and the leak is being repaired now, so I believe I won't have to deal with this issue again.

[Howard Acheson]

Mix chlorine bleach (a fresh bottle of Clorox will work) and water. About one part bleach to 10-12 parts water will work for removal of mold and mildew.

Let me note that oil/varnish products like Watco or Minwax Tung Oil Finish are candy and ice cream to mildew in a moist and no air circulation environment. It's the linseed oil and tung oil in these products that you want to avoid.

For cast iron tools, the best protecturant is Boeshield T9. Wood Magazine did a test a few year ago and it was the only protecturant that prevented rust for more than 24 hours.

[Carl Babel]

Chlorine will certainly kill the mold/mildew, but if the concentration is too high, it can be harmful to wood (breaks down the lignin).

Another option is Microban. It is very effective and has been proven safe for application.

[Mike Wilkins]

Bleach/water solutions and air circulation. Moisture and stagnant air are prime breeding grounds for mold/mildew to flourish. Air conditioning can actually lower the humidity levels in an enclosed space, so getting the place airy and cool will aid in removing the uglies.

[Howard Acheson]

The concentration I posted was what we used on boats as I recall. We applied it with insecticide sprayer or hand squeeze bottles.

[Roger Bell]

Boeshield is a good product, much better than the more commonly known remedies. I used it for years. A better product I think, is Eezox, used for guns. Wipe on, no buffing. A little goes a very long way.