Mold Problem Need help immediately

[Mrephunk]

So I have been keeping my WIP arcade cab in my basement workshop and I hadn't done anything in about a week but today when I went down to look at it I found a big problem. Mold and lots of it. The cab is made of MDF and the mold is on quite a bot of it climbing up its sides. So my plan is to bring it out into the daylight tomorrow, clean it off with a bleach water solution, let it dry then paint it. I have to store it in the basement for a little while longer so I am hoping the paint will help keep the mold from coming back. I was gonna paint it with Kilnz primer cause its supposed to help prevent mold. But does anyone have any better ideas? And should I sand it before I paint it?

[Sjaak]

I think sanding is a bad idea if there is any mold left. You don't want to inhale a mdf dust/mold mixture. Maybe if you do it outside and wear a filter.

[menace]

a dehumidifier down there first!  Mold needs moisture and a medium (the medium being your cab)-- control the moisture (50% RH or so) and you control the mold.  I would take a damp cloth with soap and as hot a water as you can stand and scrub the mold first, then dry then paint.

[syph007]

But wouldn't putting any water on it to clean cause the mdf to swell?

[Rando]

Can't help you with cleaning up the Cab, but sounds like you have a bigger problem.  Is there visible mold in the basement as well?  Is it a finished basement where the cab is sitting on carpet or flooring, or cement?  Are the cement walls visible or is the place sheetrocked?  You need to clean things up, find and try to remove rest of mold, and work to air the place out.  Dehumidifiers good, maybe feeding directly to a sump pump so you don't have to remember to empty it?  Give some info on what the Basement area is and will try to give you some input to remedy.

[menace]

But wouldn't putting any water on it to clean cause the mdf to swell?

Nah, a DAMP cloth (not a wet one) won't contribute much moisture--it can be dried with a paper towel or dry towel after I suppose. 

And  I agree with above --its a safe bet that if the cab is moldy, other hidden parts of the basement are even more so...

[Mrephunk]

its not a finished basement, cement floors and walls and about a month ago I took everything out of it and power washed the floor and walls then painted drylock over everything. There is absolutely no visible mold anywhere. I threw away more than half the stuff that was in there when I cleaned it out and what I put back was mostly tools and such.

[lilshawn]

mold is one of those things that grow from a singe tiny spore.

mold spores are most certainly inpregnated into MDF/Plywood etc because it's processed.

the issue you have is moisture. not mold.... the mold is just showing you there is moisture.

control your humidity/moisture and the mold will say hibernated in it's spore form.