Car Interior Mold and Mildew Mitigation

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Car Interior Mold and Mildew Mitigation



I detailed this car yesterday while testing out a product for a review I'll post today. The car was fairly dirt including the windshield. I did a rinseless wash and then at some point in the detail I machine polished the windshield.

After getting the outside of the windshield REALLY clean, (washed and machine polished), it became very easy to see something on the inside of the glass. It was all over the inside of the glass too, not just in one area, for example, as though the passenger opened a can of Coke and some Coke sprayed out on "mostly" the passenger side. So it doesn't look like a spill of any sort as it's too uniform across the windshield. I did NOT look and inspect the side glass. In hindsight I should have but I was pressed for time already.

One of the Alumni Students of my Boat Detailing Class, Parker Richards, after taking my boat class when on to become a very accomplished boat detailer specializing in Mold & Mildew Mitigation. I'm going to send him the link to this thread to get is opinion.


Here's some pictures,

To me, it looks like a spore of some type and then growth circling around the spore.


Anyone else ever seen anything like this?

Please comment if you have something to say...


:xyxthumbs:

 

[WillSports3]

Hey Mike,

I've seen this from when people sneeze onto the windshield and this develops. I don't know if it's mold or old bacteria.

 

[Dr Oldz]

I just saw something similar this week. I have never seen this before.

Had a rough time removing. I actually had to compound the inside glass to get rid of it. Was only on windshield tho. Tried different glass cleaners also.


Side note maybe possibly related: I have noticed staining/bleaching effect on interiors due to hand sanitizer dripping or getting sprayed on interior pieces. This is becoming more common for obvious reasons.

 

[VIPTransport]

I have never seen anything like this on glass atleast. I would also consider to have a mold spore there needs to be a food source. It’s one task to remove from the glass , another to remove what is actually contaminated. Tracking the source can often times be the hardest part. I would approach with caution , full sanitization using the correct surfactants and or oxidizers to mitigate the mold, but also deal with odor if there is one. What I’m getting at is you may have to take numerous parts off the car to ensure a proper cleaning and sanitization of all substrates in the car as well as some kind of air cleaning with a Heppa air modifier etc.

A few products that have worked well for me : Sporacidin , Benefect decon 30, microban & Cerum CU
When used correctly I have been able to save the worst of boats, but would apply the same technique On cars , with the same caution on all substrates, Like Mike says “ least aggressive method first”-

Hope this helps ,

Parker Richards
ColoradoBoatDetailing.com
IICRC Certified **WRT & FSRT** Technician
EPA Certified Water Extraction Permit
IDA Marine Certification Committee Member
Marine Industry Consultant

 

[57Rambler]

Car Interior Mold and Mildew Mitigation

Please comment if you have something to say...

:xyxthumbs:

Note that mold is parasitic and will not grow directly on an inorganic surface such as glass. For example, mold growing on a glass shower door is most likely growing on scum that is on the glass.

In your example, I would hazard to guess that a layer of moisture has penetrated and formed between the laminate layers and that is what is "feeding" the mold growth.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I have never seen anything like this on glass at least. I would also consider to have a mold spore there needs to be a food source. It’s one task to remove from the glass , another to remove what is actually contaminated.

Tracking the source can often times be the hardest part. I would approach with caution , full sanitization using the correct surfactants and or oxidizers to mitigate the mold, but also deal with odor if there is one.

What I’m getting at is you may have to take numerous parts off the car to ensure a proper cleaning and sanitization of all substrates in the car as well as some kind of air cleaning with a Heppa air modifier etc.

A few products that have worked well for me : Sporacidin , Benefect decon 30, microban & Cerum CU

When used correctly I have been able to save the worst of boats, but would apply the same technique On cars , with the same caution on all substrates, Like Mike says “ least aggressive method first”-

Hope this helps ,

Parker Richards

Thanks for taking the time to chime-in Parker.

I know you're a busy guy.

I'll share with the owner of this car.


:dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

And I'll let the owner know I have 3 of the products you listed and he's welcome to use them.

Without getting over complicated, my recommendation to him was to get 3-4 rolls of paper towels and after making ONE WIPE with ONE TOWEL - get the towel out of the car and into a plastic garbage bag.

Repeat the one towel - one wipe until all surfaces are wiped.

To use a towels and wipe multiple times will just spread whatever it is around. The key is to get it out of the car.

Then I suggested placing a fan inside the car on a HOT dry day and roll the windows down about an inch or two and then run that fan all day to dry out the car.

 

[ScottH]

Hi Mike and Parker,

A friend of mine sent me this pic today. This is the interior seat of his car. I detailed the car in July and he immediately drove it home, put it in the garage and put a cover over it. The week prior he drove it to/from Florida (that may be relevant?). It is also likely he ran the A/C for the 20-25 minute drive from my house to his just prior to garaging/covering it. I have no real way of knowing, but suspect he trapped a fair amount of cold, moist air in the car before covering it for 45 days. Garages get hot and humid even in NJ, and 45 days later this is what he found when uncovering.

Can the products suggested above be used safely on leather? (Sporacidin , Benefect decon 30, microban & Cerum CU).

Ironically the vast majority is on the upper backrest of the driver's seat.

View attachment 70904

As always thanks!!!!
ScottH

 

[TonesGTO]

I had something similar in my '05 GTO. It was all over the seat and any soft touch plastic. Used a combination of lysol wipes and spray, careful not to let it sit long. Pulled the seats and overall scrubbed everything. I then got a food serving half pan and filled it with baking soda and I let that sit in the car when I'm not using it. Seems to have worked.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Can the products suggested above be used safely on leather?

(Sporacidin , Benefect decon 30, microban & Cerum CU).

I believe so. Here's your picture so everyone can see it in full size without having to click on it.

I'll read the labels on the bottles and get back to you. But I believe all of these products are safe for all surfaces. Just use common sense when applying and of course - follow directions.