Pop-up Camper Cleaning

[Kris10]

Does anyone know how to remove mold from a pop-up camper canvas without using bleach? Our pop-up had a major roof leak over the winter and the canvases were soaked. Now the mold is really growing fast. We don't want to use bleach or the canvas will have ugly spots and dry out. It's an older camper too, from 1978.

We have a soaked bed, curtains, sofa and collapsed ceiling, but the mold removal seems like the trickiest repair! Oh, and we're camping this Friday!

[j10asen]

Originally Posted by Kris10

Does anyone know how to remove mold from a pop-up camper canvas without using bleach? Our pop-up had a major roof leak over the winter and the canvases were soaked. Now the mold is really growing fast. We don't want to use bleach or the canvas will have ugly spots and dry out. It's an older camper too, from 1978.

We have a soaked bed, curtains, sofa and collapsed ceiling, but the mold removal seems like the trickiest repair! Oh, and we're camping this Friday!

I hate to tell you this but the best way to kill mold is with chlorine. I did read back maybe a year or two ago about a concoction of bleach and vinegar ( yes I know, you are not supposed to do that) a very weak mixture try doing a google search on mold removal form canvas. The only other solution is to replace the canvas.

You can try direct sun light, I think that may stop growth and then use a dry scrub brush, followed by more sunlight exposure followed by more scrubbing. <-- this is just a a guess, bleach does kill mold.

First things first though, fix your leaking roof to prevent further damage.


I added this later after I looked up the an old form posting from
http://www.glpuc.org

Originally Posted by http://www.glpuc.org/forum

Taken from http://www.glpuc.org/forum


I came across this article at Popupportal.com.

It addresses the bleach/vinegar issue.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-vik021306.php

I think the important thing to note is that he recommends diluting the bleach with the water before adding the vinegar.

[pk]

The canvas of a popup camper is treated with a water repellant formulated especially popup camper canvas, and you don’t want to ruin the waterproof property of the canvas. Be very careful when choosing products to remove mold and mildew from the canvas of a popup camper. When in doubt, consult your owner’s manual for manufacturer recommendations. Consulting the manufacturer first is always the best course of action before resorting to alternative cleaning methods.

Bleach is great for removing mold and mildew from hard surfaces, but products that contain bleach can permanently damage the canvas of a popup camper. Don’t use products containing bleach or other strong chemicals to remove stains on the canvas of a popup camper caused by mold and mildew. There are other options that will help you safely and effectively remove mold and mildew stains from the canvas of your popup camper.


Full article here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ew_stains.html

[Kris10]

Thanks for the tips. I think we may have the owner's manual... it's from 1978 so that's iffy. I am going to call some of the local RV places this week to see what they suggest. I'd rather use something like vinegar than stinky bleach. We have the roof recaulked so I'm hoping we won't see more damage.

[pk]

I am going to call some of the local RV places this week to see what they suggest.

Good idea to give RV places a call. This I'm sure is a problem they handle and/or hear about often. Quite likely they have a product that you can buy right there that will take care of it all.

Good luck and if you figure it all out let us know.

pk

[MrsMik]

I haven't been around here for a while and was just browsing posts, so this may be too late for you. BUT, we have a great product in our store called RemedEx that has been used with great success on canvas pop-ups! I don't know about the "waterproofing" aspect of the canvas, but none of the customers who used it last year came back to tell us their pop-up leaked after using it!

We have another product that can be used in conjunction with the RemedEx to prevent mold and mildew from ever coming back! That products is called RV Shield. It creates a protective barrier to prevent mold and mildew from re-growing.

If there's anything we can help with, just give us a holler!

Julie Mik

[Kris10]

Thank you for the recommendations Julie, those sound more in line of what I need. This is sad, but we haven't even addressed the mold yet and we're camping next week! My husband had to rebuild the entire ceiling so that has been top priority.

[MrsMik]

Wow! Rebuilding the roof does NOT sound like fun! 8O

I'm not sure where in Wisconsin you are, but if you're anywhere in the area, we're open 7 days a week and have both the RemedEx and RV Shield in stock. We're in Abbotsford, on Business 29 (in the mall with Pamida and Dollar General).

Abbotsford is just 30 miles west of Wausau, on Business 29. Hours are:

M-W-F 9 -5:30
T-Th 9-6
Sat. 9-5
Sun noon-5


Just a FYI -- We have some special hours coming up next week -- 5-30-07, we'll be closing at 2 p.m. 5-31-07 we'll be open 11-3 and 6-1-07 we'll be open 11-3. We'll be closed on 6-2-07.


Julie

P.S., I'm really not trying to sound like an advertisement!