Killing Mold on Cushions? What to do over winter?

[skylark]

My boat has the original 1974 cushions.  I had some port leak issues and after rebuilding the ports the boat is dry again.  But I had a lot of mold inside.  Most of it is cleaned up.

Earlier this week I stopped by at the boat and was taking a nap.  I woke up with an allergic reaction similar to hay fever.  I realized that the cushions were the cause because I was laying on them.  I know mold is very dangerous and do not want to fool around with it.

I am probably going to dump the cushions.  They are old and I don't think it is easy to get mold out of foam.  For now I think I am going to use some lawn chair cushions.  Anybody have any other ideas for cheap cushions?  I was thinking about using a camping air mattress in the v-berth, if I can roll up the corners to get it to fit. I heard if you cut a slot in a piece of  pvc pipe, you can slip it over the rolled air mattress and it will hold the shape.

Its finally cooling off and the weather is much better for staying on board.

[mrbill]

I had a similar problem, which I didn't discover until after I bought the boat. There had been a very bad mold problem (poor ventilation) when the boat was stored for two years prior to sale.  There is no way to salvage the foam. I had to remove the foam and throw it out, but not before I measured it and bought new foam. Very expensive if you buy good quality foam. With foam, batting, adhesive, plus new zippers on the covers, I spent over $700 to do two quarter berths and the V berth forward. I had the covers dry cleaned as they will shrink if washed in a washing machine.

I tried the camp pad as an interim measure...but it didn't work well. I don't care what they say, even a 1 inch camp mattress won't substitute for 4 inches of foam.

Definitely a good winter project

[Lynx]

Hello and mold is a very common problem in Florida. What I use is liquid Lysol. Mix will water 4:1 and spray/wipe everywhere.  Poor liquid in dry part of builge to kill the bugs, it will dry to gummy and the bugs will walk over it and try to clean themselves and it is over then.

I would throw away the cusions and replace, just buy some big pieces of foam and cut to the same size. A camp pad or close cell foam helps a lot under the materess. I think that the air matterss will get a leak to soon. You can clean the covers, if you dry clean make sure that you air them out exteremly well as the fumes left over from the dry cleaning in bad in inclosed spaces.

[AdriftAtSea]

I would recommend getting foam from an industrial supplier, rather than at retailer.  It is much less expensive, and many will sell direct to the public.  Some will even cut the foam to size for you.  Keeping the old foam isn't worth it... although bleach would kill the mold, it isn't worth the hassles IMHO. 

The cushions from lawn furniture will work as a stop gap measure, but you probably will want to make replacement foam cushions specifically designed for your boat.  As for the air mattress for the v-berth... I'd recommend going with a foam camping pad or two instead.  The air mattress, if you have to roll up the corners, will probably not inflate to a sufficient pressure to be comfortable without damaging the rolled up sections.

[psyche]

I just replaced all of my foam with 4 inch dry fast which is an open cell foam that does not absorb moisture. In the manufacturing process the air is pulled out of the foam and hydrogen is pumped in and then the hydrogen is exploded. This process creates small holes throughout the foam which allows water and air to easily pass through so outdoor cushions do not retain water and indoor bedding feels much cooler. It also has an anti bacterial agent in the foam so mold and mildew will not grow. It is sold by sailrite but my upholster had it. I covered the cushions with a Sunbrella upholstry fabric with a breathable mesh bottom. I jus received them so I cannot say more than the look good and are comfortable. I can report back after I have used them for awhile. I also have 2 nico solar/battery vents in the boat and have never had a mildew or mold problem. Dan

[Tedsomango]

  Anybody have any other ideas for cheap cushions? 

My dad and i are setting up my boat with new cushions by taking card board to make a template,  tracing the berths then tracing those onto usb boards, then cutting out the template, Then we went to joe anne fabrics bought some tougher fabric and 1 piece foam pads, we wrapped the foam with the fabric on the boards  then stapled the fabric to the bottom of the board on the other side, instant super comfortable cushions, treat it all with scotch guard or expensive marine comparable products. i know I'm not very good at describing stuff so i will work on getting some pictures posted.

good luck, by the way with coupons the whole thing cost 150$ and i got rid of that awful lawn chair furniture.

Ted

[captxtina]

In the process of winterizing the boat, I have taken all of the cushions off the boat. They are surprisingly mold-free except a small 1-foot length of foam on two cushions that are up against the rear section of the aft cabin. It looks like water is getting in via the wheel post, or some cockpit drains. In addition to fixing the leak on the boat, I'm trying to figure out how I can mitigate the mold that has shown itself on the foam to this point. Is spraying bleach on those areas a good option?

What are other ways I can kill the mold on the cushions?
What are ways I can cut down on the (now light) smell of mold on the cushions?

Thanks!

[Karletto]

if it's foam, undress the cushion and cut the area/ change foam. if it's not foam, put the cushion in washing machine. use the detergent you usually use.

[dnice]

Bleach will kill the mold, whether or not it will damage the foam I don't know. Depending on what type of mold it is just washing it may not kill it. If you want to spend a few extra bux, get some anti-microbial bleach at home depot. But plain bleach should kill it just fine. If the mold is dead it won't smell. So if you are still smelling it, there is still more mold.

[AdriftAtSea]

Vinegar will also kill the mold IIRC.  It won't be as damaging to the cloth as bleach generally is.

[Godot]

I saturated my cushions with Lysol.  I think it worked.