How do you guys fight mold?

This garage I got my car in is essentially building up moisture during the warmer months here in NYC and mold spots are building all over the inside of the car. I'm thinking maybe an air purifier to keep plugged in 24/7 in the garage plus throwing in those moisture bucket absorber things from Home Depot inside the car to prevent future mold. But I definitely wanted to see if anyone else has some better or other tips and ideas. Anyone?

 

A good dehumidifer would help a lot.

 

It would indeed but I rent this garage so the owner would certainly be angry at me for running a dehumidifier day and night

 

They take very little power to run. I doubt the owner would ever notice an increase in his bill. Offer another 10.00 a month to cover the extra.All he can do is say no then u go to plan B.

 

Go to a boating equipment/supply store. Buy the disposable product (name ?) used for storage. I put a couple in my boat every fall prior to storage.
These are cheap & hang on a string. Moisture absorbed & mildew eliminated.

 

(name ?)

Desiccant

 

That's it.
Pardon the memory fade. Seem to be happening more often lately.

 

If you use the stuff from home depot that is in a plastic tub, DO NOT forget to seal the tub before you drive. Whatever the liquid is (or becomes) will not be easilly cleaned up and will not eveporate either..

 

Do not use the "Damp Rid" pellets!!!! Not inside your car. Inside the shop yes. The liquid it makes is almost like acid when it done. If you spill it on anything it will eat it up.

Todd

 

"Crack" the windows and run a small fan, that should do it.

 

I use calcium chloride. I have several plastic containers, purchased from the Canadian tire store, that are meant to be used to keep boat interiors dry during storage. I add cacl2 to each container and it works well. the water is absorbed by the ccl2 and it drips into the bottom bowl.

 

Ask the owner of the garage if you can install a roof vent at your expense. Explain that it would be a benefit for both of you in the long run. I ran into that problem many years ago when I was renting a garage from an old lady who could no longer drive and sold her car. The roof vent did wonders in keeping the moisture in the garage to a minimum. Then lay a sheet of plastic down on the floor before you put the car in there.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I actually took Larry's advice (thanks Larry) and bought a carjacket. It essentially seals the car inside the bag and then you have desiccant cans which suck up the humidity.

So what do you guys use to actually remove mold? Color safe bleach? Or some specific products to spray on and kill the mold? I got it on the steering wheel, headliner, basically everywhere.

 

I have this problem also. I have some mold on the interior and need to try and clean it. Is there any hope to remove it without damaging the interior.

My car unfortunately has been neglected for a few years.

 

Mold is a plant. I use roundup. I have used it on leather and vinyl with good results. If you don't kill the mold it will come back. Mold itself will stain light colors, as least that has been my experience. Any bleach or strong houehold chemicals will damage your interior. After I kill the mold (I spray it and leave it on overnight) I use any good kind of vinyl or leather cleaner and balm.

My experience with the "dri-it" stuff has been bad. My weather stripping was bad and it just sucked in more moisture. After I stopped using it the mold stopped growing! I do believe the bag is the best for storaging a car, however, I just run a fan in the garage to keep the air moving.

- Bill

 

Smart thinking! Would of never thought of that.

 

As always, check your application on a small inconspicuous area! :idea2:

- Bill