Getting mildew stains off of vinyl upholstery

[RJnFlorida]

Originally from the very dry climate of Lake Havasu, Arizona, we've just learned a hard lesson about Florida's climate. We just went to get our boat out of storage yesterday, which was a rack style indoor storage facility at our local marina. It seems the boat cover must have gotten wet sometime during the winter season. Needless to say our white upholstery now looks like leopard skin seat covers and the boat smells like mildew. Short of buying a new interior, does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning this mess?

[igkya]

Starbrite makes a mildew cleaner. Works pretty well. And always follow up with 303.

[Rick]

Several Don'ts

Use a good mildew remover such as 303 or Starbright. Don't use magic erasers or Fantastic. Both will strip the top layer off the vinyl. I would start with a pressure washer set at low and carpet shampoo. do the carpets first. Don't forget the bottom and sides of the cushions. I know it's hard in Florida but of you can find a warm low humidity place to dry the boat after washing dry it there. If you are close enough i might even contact CC in Orlando to see how they deal with it after storing boats there. Good luck.

[RJnFlorida]

Tried the Star Brite Yesterday

I tried the Star Brite Mildew & Stain Remover. It did get some of the stains off, but there is still a ghost of the stains that is about 15% as dark as the original. Some have said it will take several treatments. In any case, this is going to be a project. Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

You can see from the new photo the problem is much better, but the stains still can be seen.

[janswake]

I can't tell from the pics if your boat was as bad as ours.We bought a used boat from Florida without seeing it in person first and it coame through with a lot of mold stains.I tried everything several times and nothing took out the stains.WE considered new skins but sold the boat instead and got a new one.I will do everything in my power to make sure this one stays mold free.

[SuperDave]

I have always used Spray Nine. it works real well and makes the seats look new.

[MichaelD]

ZCare + Scrub Brush

If it hasn't been on there too long, try ZCare + a scrub brush.

It is approved by G&T Industries (CC's vinyl supplier).

You can get it from WhiteLake here (they recently sold me a bottle & it works)
http://nautiqueparts.com/zcarevinylcleaner.aspx

[hourglass]

starbrite is the best you're going to find w/o using a product that destroys your interior. put it in a shady place and let it soak for about 10minutes or before it dries and scrub the **** out of it, then rinse. mildew makes a home and won't be removed after a while, trust me.

[05team210]

+1 for Zcare. It is tough to find it in a store but this is where i bought it from-fisheriessupply.com. they are the cheapest i have found. It is safe and 100% recommended by CC, as it will not strip the top layer of the vinyl(very important) and no magic eraser like some have also said.

After cleaning again with Z care mildew cleaner, do not put any 303 or like product on the seats. Let the boat sit uncovered out in the sun for a day and the remaining stain should fade away. If after a day try anthoer. over time the sun will get rid of any remaining stain you might see. After they are gone, then apply 303 or like product. I recommend 303 as it is the best and safest formula.

Hope this helps,

Mike

[kaikane]

Getting mildew stains off of vinyl upholstery

In addition to what others have posted, one trick I've used is to put real lemon/lime juice on the mildew stain and let it sit in the sun for 15-30 minutes. It has worked great for those pesky stains that just wont seem to go away. Be sure to wash it good with water before appliying any protectant. You might get some debate on it's effect on the Vinyl but we've used this for years without any adverse effects.

BTW, we use the lemon/lime trick on life jackets, inflatable tubes, inflatable bounce houses, vinyl water slides, etc. without any negative effects or worries about the toxicity in some cleaning products.