Help!!! Mildew INSIDE a pop-up camper, how to clean!???
by admin on Thursday, May 20th, 2010 | 7 Comments
Could someone lend their expertise!!! I am trying to find a solution to cleaning mildew off the (inside only) of a rockwood camper. You can’t scrub the walls for fear of wearing down the fabric, possibly putting holes through the fabric. I have of course checked the manual and their recommendations are worthless, doesn’t even touch the problem!! Please don’t leave answers of concoctions unless you have personally tried with success!! Someone responded with tea tree oil and it was a complete waste of money; didn’t put a dent into the problem and the stuff has a horrible smell!
Thank You in advance I appreciate the help!
From a Mom in N.Y. who likes things very clean!!
Try a mixture of 1/2 cup bleach, 1/3 cup laundry detergent (the powder kind) and 1 gallon of hot water. Rub it gently on the walls with a sponge, then wipe with clean water.
That should do the trick!
Good luck…… I feel your pain!
If it’s the kind you can remove the canvas from, first take it off and let it dry out in the sun – the sunlight will dry it and kill any remaining mildew & spores. Then, take a broom or whisk brush and brush as much of it off as you can, then vacuum it to get the remaining “dust”.
After that’s done, you can clean it. Bleach and ammonia will both kill it, but are probably too strong and will weaken the fabric or the waterproofing on it. One thing that does work, and is safe, is about a 50% mixture of water and alcohol [90% alcohol is best, but 70% will work], just mix it up and spray or sponge it on. They also make cleaners just for removing mildew from canvas, but I’ve never tried any of them.
[I've also heard that 1/2 Lysol to 1/2 water, or 1 cup lemon juice & 1 cup salt in a gallon of hot water will remove it, but I don't know if they work or are just more of the "concoctions" that you mentioned].
Soak with lemon juice and leave to dry . Then sponge with clear water. If this fails first time round then add lemon juice and salt again leave to dry and wipe with cold water sponge. Mildew is very hard to rid, Normally exposing stained fabrics to the sun will kill of the mildew , add by adding the lemon juice to washable fabric and leaving to dry removes it. For dry-clean fabrics, you add lemon juice and salt , You can try , it might work. A peroxide solution may also be used on washable fabrics. Hope this helps
Use a mixture of water and vinegar.I lived in Naples for five years,and the houses there are constructed of Tuffa stone which holds moisture.Our walls were always getting black with mildew and mold,and the only thing worked was vinegar mixed with water.
Make your own cleaner, get a spray bottle and put 1 cups of white vinegar 2cups of water and a squirt of dish detergent, Not only will the vinegar help with any odors, but the vinegar will take care of the Mildew also.You can also use peroxide full strength on the stubborn stains/.
i have tried Oxy Clean, Mean Green and 409 and it worked for me. however, if you have it on your clothes, i have soaked them in buttermilk over night and then wash them the next day as soon as possible.i got this from a helpful hent book.
There are so many mildew sprays on the market.
My favorite is “Mean Green-Mildew Stain Remover”.
It is a bit strong but you could dilute it with some warm water in a separate spray bottle.
The mildew immediately disappears. You could gently wipe it down with a soft wet cloth after spraying.
You can find it at Dollar General. Good Luck !