Best material for mildew?

[pcatterall]

Avoiding mildew that is!
SWIMBO wants to make curtains but in the past they have got mildewed and would never wash out. Are some synthetics more mould resistant ( or at least will wash out more easilly)
??
I suggested she get some with with a pattern comrising little random black dots so the mould wont show. Any good suggestions?

 

[dansar]

Best material for mildew, and avoiding mildew is.......fresh air by leaving vents open

All this winter we have left the boat (on the east coast) and have not had any heating etc switched on and although the boat is cold when we first arrive there is no damp, or mildew.

dansar

 

[Solent sailer]

we have found tesco mold and mildew spray in the green bottle very good when it all goes wrong! it dosn't seem to bleach things.

 

[FullCircle]

Our curtains no mildew after 6 seasons now, and our boat has leaked a lot, so water is around a lot of the time.
The answer is good through ventilation, as has been said.

 

[sarabande]

it occurred to me transiently that as silver has a bactericidal effect, that strands of silver might prevent mildew.

Or spray from time to time with ionised silver water.

 

[Heckler]

Avoiding mildew that is!
SWIMBO wants to make curtains but in the past they have got mildewed and would never wash out. Are some synthetics more mould resistant ( or at least will wash out more easilly)
??
I suggested she get some with with a pattern comrising little random black dots so the mould wont show. Any good suggestions?

Our "new" boat was covered in mildew, we actually planned to replace the upholstery covers. We discovered "Astonish" mould and mildew remover. It works, no ifs or buts. It rejuvinated our soft furnishings with no damage. Only a pound a squirty bottle.
Stu

 

[VicS]

Take a little care with anti mould and mildew preparations. They are mostly, if not all, intended for use on hard surfaces.
I have found some will stain .

Some contain sodium hypochloite ( chlorine bleach) which may not be
suitable for some fabrics. (Astonish is one )

Read the labels, avoid hypochlorites for fabrics that would be damaged ( or bleached ) by chlorine. Although it may be the only effective way to clean off existing mould it may not be as effective in preventing mould in the long term as a fungicide.

Test any others, esp on light coloured fabrics, before general use.

I don't know of a preparation specifically for mould proofing fabrics but there is bound to be something out there. Shower curtains are often treated to make them mould resistant ... although they never seem to be!

The products we have around the house and boat either contain hypochlorite or benzalkonium chloride.

 

[BrendanS]

Avoid natural materials like cotton, they threads become permanently damaged, which no amount of removal can overcome. Some man made materials are impervious to damage, though not all.
Simply washing or swabbing with dettol, will stop most moulds growing for quite some time, though you may not want to live with the smell.

 

[Heckler]

Take a little care with anti mould and mildew preparations. They are mostly, if not all, intended for use on hard surfaces.
I have found some will stain .

Some contain sodium hypochloite ( chlorine bleach) which may not be
suitable for some fabrics. (Astonish is one )

Read the labels, avoid hypochlorites for fabrics that would be damaged ( or bleached ) by chlorine. Although it may be the only effective way to clean off existing mould it may not be as effective in preventing mould in the long term as a fungicide.

Test any others, esp on light coloured fabrics, before general use.

I don't know of a preparation specifically for mould proofing fabrics but there is bound to be something out there. Shower curtains are often treated to make them mould resistant ... although they never seem to be!

The products we have around the house and boat either contain hypochlorite or benzalkonium chloride.

Vic
the fabric covers were shagged, we bought with the idea of re-covering them. Lau decided to do a test on a small portion with the Astonish, it worked! We had nothing to lose, we took them all home, put them in a bath a few at a time, squirted a bottle of Astonish on them and let them soak overnight. Then machine washed them. They came up like new, 2 years later they are fine. I believe Astonish has bleach and some caustic in it. It works on Bene upholstery material. What more can I say?
Stu