Mold! Yuuuucccckkkkkk!!!!!

[ediblegod]

I have a cabinet I want to restore BUT the bottom of it is riddled with mold. I was thinking I'd just put a dust mask on and hit it with a sander, but I'm a little worried about the airborne crap.
Anyone ever conquered such a situation? How did you go about it?   

Thanks!

[Games001]

If that mold goes all the way to the bottom of that panel, I'd just dump the board and put in a fresh cut.  Better safe than sorry.

[Havok]

Spray it with a mixture of 1 cup of bleach per gallon of water to kill the mold, let it dry and then just paint over it.

[SavannahLion]

Spray it with a mixture of 1 cup of bleach per gallon of water to kill the mold, let it dry and then just paint over it.

Bleach/water solution is only viable on surface mold. If the mold penetrates deep enough, bleach isn't going to kill it effectively enough. If you treat the surface and moisture reaches the wood again, the mold may reactivate and start destroying the wood again.

Most paints are extremely poor formulations for handling mold infections. If the mold reactivates, the paint practically becomes free food for the mold.

The best way to treat a mold infection and prevent it from returning is to treat it like cancer. Cut it out.

[fjl]

Would mold also treat oil based paints as food or only the wated based paints?

[Fozzy The Bear]

Would mold also treat oil based paints as food or only the wated based paints?

Generally, All Paints except for one.......

The best way to treat it if you don't want to replace that panel is to use the bleach and make sure it's well soaked into the wood.  Once that dries completely, paint it with "Zinser Permawhite"  That not only kills mold but totally prevents any possible regrowth.

As that paint is made in the USA and sold on both sides of the Atlantic, you should have no trouble getting hold of it.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[RandyT]

I just want to mention that a cleaner like "Tilex" will also kill the mold pretty quickly, and should do a good job if it soaks into the wood.  I used it on some vinyl boat seats (which it recommends not doing but I didn't leave it on for long.) and it was the ONLY thing that could handle the job.

But this stuff is strong, so either treat it outdoors, or make sure you have really good ventilation!

After you clean up the residue and let it dry out well, then seal it with the stuff Fozzy recommended.

RandyT

[HaRuMaN]

I just want to mention that a cleaner like "Tilex" will also kill the mold pretty quickly, and should do a good job if it soaks into the wood.  I used it on some vinyl boat seats (which it recommends not doing but I didn't leave it on for long.) and it was the ONLY thing that could handle the job.

But this stuff is strong, so either treat it outdoors, or make sure you have really good ventilation!

After you clean up the residue and let it dry out well, then seal it with the stuff Fozzy recommended.

RandyT

Isn't 'Tilex' mostly bleach anyway?  Cheaper to just buy a gallon of bleach and dilute it down a bit.

[RandyT]

Isn't 'Tilex' mostly bleach anyway?  Cheaper to just buy a gallon of bleach and dilute it down a bit.

"Bleach" is already diluted.  Quite a bit in fact.  The heavier duty stuff like Tilex is probably more concentrated (essentially higher in chlorine content), so more of the stuff doing the actual work of killing the mold.

RandyT

[shardian]

The absolute LAST thing you ever want to do is hit it with a sander. When you treat it, you have to keep it pretty much soaked. If it dries, the mold can get airborne.

Your best bet is to cut off the whole bottom of the cabinet and put a new one on.

[CheffoJeffo]

A while back (2 years ago?), I picked up a couple of cabs that had significant mold issues in the marquee area.

At the time, I did not have any bleach at hand, so I chose to use Tilex (which I did have at hand) ... worked like a freaking charm (although the odor was a little overpowering for a few days). Seal it with some Zinser and Bob's your uncle.

I wasn't entirely clear on your initial report -- does the mold extend through the bottom of the panel in question ?

[fjl]

If its hot where you currently live, you can also air it out and have the moldy area be hit by the sun. Mold doesn't thrive in dry and hot areas.

[Hoopz]

Fire would fix it too.

 

[Fozzy The Bear]

If its hot where you currently live, you can also air it out and have the moldy area be hit by the sun. Mold doesn't thrive in dry and hot areas.

Very dangerous!!!..... It doesn't thrive in hot dry areas, but it's also not killed by hot and dry! all that will do is dry it out and spread the mold spores everywhere in your cabinet, your game room, your house, your lungs!! Lethal!!  and they spread like wildfire if they get a chance. Keep it damp and treat it with the bleach.

The strength of the bleach is actually not as important as some people have suggested. In tests, it's been proven that a cup full of domestic strength bleach in a gallon of water, is just as effective at killing the mold as any higher concentration. Giving it more of a dose, is a waste of time and bleach. Unless you're trying to bleach the stain out of the wood I suppose.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)  

[DeLuSioNal29]

I would say to use a combination of the two methods described here.

1 - Use Tilex and then let it air out, so that all of the mold is pretty much gone.
2 - Now that it is a bit safer to handle, use a breathing mask and cut the bottom part off OUTDOORS so that you won't breathe any mold spores in.
3 - Then replace the board.

~ DeLuSioNaL

[SavannahLion]

The neat thing about Tilex is that it seems to stain the mold. So you may have a visible patch 3" across, but spray it with Tilex and the mold patch is really 12" across. 

Spraying the sponge gets some really scary results.

[ediblegod]

Appreciate the advice.

I'm gonna go the Tilex/Bleach -> Paint method.
I scraped a little bit back and it seems to just be on the surface so it looks as though I'm in luck!

[JKJudgeX]

Thermonuclear weapons and hazmat suits should be the gear you use to get rid of this problem.  Thermonuclear weapons.

[CheffoJeffo]

Thermonuclear weapons.

Would you like to play a game ?




















 

[Fozzy The Bear]

Thermonuclear weapons.

Would you like to play a game

1) Chequers?
2) Tic Tac Toe?
3) Global Thermonuclear War? 

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Avrus]

Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.