Mildew

[Chris_Robb]

Last year SWMBO made some lovely new cream cotton curtains. By the end of the summer some of them had discloured so badly from mildew that we have to replace them.

What material should they be made from?

I think a lack of ventilation may be the cause when the boat is shut up, so part of the cure would be to set up a couple of new Dorade vents.

 

[Skyva_2]

Cotton appears to be bad news on a boat; we have canvas leecloths and they have mildewed too.

SWMBO advises most synthetic materials are OK; our curtains are original and look reasonable after 15 years, they may even be made of fibreglass cloth. They are washed every year.

 

[tcm]

Ooh, i am a total expert on mildew having wrecked the insides of several boats and caravans too.

Curtains are amongst the first to go mildewy cos they are nice and near the windows, so they cool down lots and then an excellent place for condensation. When away from the boat, block the light with cardboard or anything, but not the curtains. If they are unhookable, takem off and puttem in a high cupboard. Otherwise draw them back, and rollem up tight and put sellotape roundemso they are above and away from the windows. Same goes for any soft furnishings like pillows, puttm away in a high cupboard and mattresses shd be stood up. Ity doesn't make a whole load of difference bout the material - you can spoil a plastic shower curtain if you get it nice and wet and then leave it a while. The damper air is around uninsulated areas like windows, and also generally in the lower parts of the saloon like carpets and rugs, so the lower hinges go a touch rusty before upper ones, whereas even cheap nasty lights almost never go rusty. If you spray wd 40 around the entire boat inside now and again, it will be ok for metal , tho this ireelvenat for curatins..

A dehuimidifier (a proper 100 quid lectric one, not the rubbish granules things) is good, makes the place dry, the b+q ones have a adapter so you can use a pipe into the bilge, but just needs a few hours several times a week on a timer if poss, site these low down in the boat, not in the sink.

 

[Rich_F]

Why site a dehumidifier low down? I would have thought that the warmer, more humid air would be high up, and anyway, the window frames certainly generate condensation without difficulty!

Just curious, 'cos my dehumidifier is currently high up, and I'll move it if it will help.

Rich

 

[tcm]

in the stillness of a boat, with fairly similar temperture throughout -or at least, once the air has reasonable gained similar temperature throughout, the water droplets in the air will soon move downwards. The dehum simply recycles air that is sucked in thru the vent - heavier moist air will be lower in the boat. Shut all the vents, turn on the dehum.

 

[jimboaw]

I guess the idea of "air conditioning" will eventually cross the Atlantic when you get tired of damp. Cheaper than you think.

 

[stephenh]

Re: Mildew heaven

I would disagree - it does make a difference which materials are used.
All moulds, and there are many subtypes that we generically call mildew, need moisture and some organic stuff to feed on. The mildew on plastic shower curtains is living off human skin particles and soap, it would not grow if the curtains were clean.
From this, clean damp plastic will not provide a nutritious medium, clean damp cotton will, as the cotton itself is organic and edible. Dirty damp cotton is mildew heaven.
Wash the curtains every week and buy 2 dehumidifyers.........? and spray all plastic with dettox ?

Stephen

PS I have never seen a boat without mildew, even those with airconditioning - has anyone ?

 

[tcm]

Re: Mildew heaven

yes - mine has zero mildew. Well, apaprt froma single plastic shower curtain...

 

[Twister_Ken]

Ventilate

Chris, is your lugger hermetically sealed?

We leave the forehatch locked in the ventilation position, have a small dorade over the heads, a couple of deckhead ventilators, louvers in the washboards and in the lazarette hatch, and have never had anything but the most minor mildew molestation.

I usually leave locker fronts open as well to get air circulating into as many spaces as possible. And wet gear is left hanging to dry, rather than stuffed away still damp.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Re: Ventilate

Not hermetically sealed - but I think we could do better.

Fore and aft companionways have lourved doors with a covered cockpit. - we tended to always leave the boat with the side screens closed. We have three of those flat ventilators which house extractor fans. not much use as ventilators. I have just installed a new hatch in the forward heads which can be left locked slightly open.

The othe main hatches are odl canpas and do not have a ventlate lock setting, but as they all have hatch covers, they could probably be left with something wedging them open. I have no dorade vents, so may need to fit on - however this means yet more clutter on our sunbathing areas!

The old curtains (many years old) had no trace of mould and look like a synthetic material.

So a combination of increase ventilation and syntehtic materials should work.