help dealing with mold in stored cars

CrashTestDummy · Oct 5, 2010

I've had the problem for a while, and haven't managed to find a real good solution. I have several cars that I don't drive for long periods of time. I've had them in storage units and now in our 3200 sq. ft. shop, again in storage. Because of the hot and humid, and then cold and humid climate in southeast Texas, the cars get some gray mold on the plastic parts, namely the steering wheels and door panels (where people tend to touch the interior of the car, or so it seems).

It usually takes a simple wipe down with a cloth rag dampened with Clorox and water, but I'd like to prevent the problem from occurring in the first place. I've used Damp Rid in one of our cars that was stored in a particularly wet storage unit, but that has only lessened the problem, not stopped it. I've tried letting them sit all closed up, with the windows cracked, and all closed up and covered, but no solution yet.

The shop is about as sealed up as a steel shop can get. It has 20' ceilings and is insulated. We still get moisture in it, and when the weather turns cold, moisture will condense on the concrete floor.

Any ideas? I'd like to climate-control the place, but that's not yet in the cards, or my bank account. I'm thinking I may be able to cut down on the problem if I can get the air in the building circulated, and am considering installing ceiling fans. Does the collective here think that will help the problem? Thanks for any recommendations.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

DPDISXR4Ti · Oct 5, 2010

Good timing on this thread, as I have precisely the same problem. I've owned this car for 17 years now - it's always put away on a lift for ~6 months a year, but I've never had this problem until just last year. I wiped everything down with a mildew remover last year, but when I pulled the cover this year, the problem was just as bad as last year (maybe worse).

Interested to hear any "treatment" suggestions before I put it away this year.

5thRail · Oct 5, 2010

As far as I know the only real answer is to dry them out and keep them dry. Either a dehumidifier or A/C in summer and enough heat in winter to dry the air is required - or drive the cars more often.

If the cars have A/C be sure to turn it off before storing them, and run the fan long enough to dry the coils or that will become a mold motel.

rsanter · Oct 5, 2010

I have seen very large dissicant bags that are made to be put in cars that you store over the winter
another option is those really big bags you put the whole car in and then fill with an inert gas

have you tried a good cleaning and detailing before putting it away to get all the human oil,dirt, and shin cells off before storing

bob

DPDISXR4Ti · Oct 5, 2010

rsanter said:
have you tried a good cleaning and detailing before putting it away to get all the human oil,dirt, and shin cells off before storing

Well, that's where I was sorta going with this. I DID do that last year and it didn't really seem to matter. Maybe I should use something else this year?

DARK AGE 53 · Oct 6, 2010

Hears my story. I have two cars that have not moved in 25 years, I run a floor fan ( not the cheap box fans ) in front of the cars 24/7, years round. I have found in the early spring when it's warm and humid outside it's not wise to even open the side door of the building, the inside of the building is still too cool and this causes a problem no matter how many fans you run. I've always wonder if something like movie theater carpet might help with a cold bare cement floor, you could use any type of carpet but I think theater carpet would be cool.

rwhite692 · Oct 6, 2010

Places that sell RV and Marine supplies usually have the small quart size and half-gallon size dessicant pellet pails that work really well and are not expensive.

Lippyp · Oct 6, 2010

I use the chemical type dehumidifiers, the ones where you have a bag of crystals over a container and they turn into liquid, works well in a closed vehicle.

Daniel Dudley · Oct 6, 2010

Run a light bulb in the car.

MG David · Oct 6, 2010

If you think it is deposits left from hand contact that has provided the food for the mould you could try cleaning the normal areas when you put the car away.

Otherwise and old fashioned inefficient light bulb like Daniel says should help. A new low energy one would not be nearly as effective.

c_mccann · Oct 6, 2010

x2 on the light bulb

DPDISXR4Ti · Oct 6, 2010

Is it the light and not the heat of the light that helps with this? I do cover my car when it's put away for the off season, so that could indeed be contributing to the problem.

Warrenator · Oct 6, 2010

The light bulb should help, what you are trying to do is keep the inside temperature of the car above the dew point of the atmosphere in the car, therefore no condensation. When it is super humid, the temperature/dewpoint might be 80/75 during the day, that air is in the car, now it cools off, the same air is in the car, but the temperature falls to 65, so the excess moisture in the air condenses.

This is why the fan helps, you are changing the air, replacing it so there is no air with excess humidity to condense.

Instead, I would seal the car as best I could (Close the doors, windows up, and tape a piece of foil over the air intake on the cowl) , and put in a baking sheet full of Drierite ( http://www.drierite.com/ ) . Drierite is a reusable dessicant, it is blue when it is fresh, turns pink when it's wet, put it in the oven to regenerate and it's like new again.

Inspect the Drierite weekly or so, I imagine it will last all winter, but you can always regenerate it.

Also, spraying Lysol spray on the surfaces before storage is probaly more effective and less harmful than wiping down with bleach. Lysol leaves a mold killing residue, bleach leaves a corrosion inducing residue.

kbs2244 · Oct 6, 2010

You need air circulation.
In the building and in the cars.
Overhead fans on the celing or box fans on the floor.
It dosn't matter just so long as the air is moving around the cars.

If you cover the cars to keep the dust off, fine.
But keep the windows open about an inch and have some kind of mesh in the covers by the windows to let the air in and out.
Then a small fan (I like the 3 or 4 inch square computer fans) to move the air inside the car.

Mold only grows in stagnent air.

m.james · Oct 6, 2010

A heater can prevent dampness from occurring, and regular cleaning of your car can help also.

CrashTestDummy · Oct 6, 2010

Odd, the cars with the inOp A/C are the ones with the worse mold problems. I'm concerned about putting a light bulb in the car and running it all the time. I do have those oil spill protection mats under these cars, and that doesn't help much. One of the cars has a cover, I haven't gotten a cover for the other yet, so keeping them covered with a regular car cover doesn't help any. The Damp Rid did help, but did not completely resolve the problem, and I checked it monthly.

Now, when I'm in the shop, doors closed or open, I run a floor fan. When it's cool enough that I don't need to have it blowing on me, I point it more floorward and out into the shop interior. I'm thinking this may be a good argument for a couple of ceiling fans. I bet that even in the dead of winter here, the air near the ceiling gets warm enough to actually make a difference inside, and, as others have indicated, the moving air will help, too. I need to get lights hung, so I'll just have them work some ceiling fans into the quote.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

c_mccann · Oct 6, 2010

The mold is created when moisture cannot escape, moisture is created when the temperature fluctuates and created condensation, or the humidity is high. The light bulb helps stabalize the temp drops. A fan would just help move air. A good experiment is to take a dry, clean bottle and cap it tight and come back in a month, there will be moisture inside lilkely.

pgreen · Oct 6, 2010

I added a simple dehumidifier in my shop a couple years ago. Makes HUGE difference in the condensation in my shop. I had several times found my Bridgeport table dripping wet, then of course rusty.....

I typically use a car cover on my old Porsche 911 and leave a window down to let some air circulate. I also add a box of mothballs with holes punched in it in the trunk to keep the little critters out. That seems to work.

The dehumidifier isn't rated for my 2500 square foot shop, but it keeps up on the crappiest humid days if the shop isnt left wide open.

jayoldschool · Oct 6, 2010

Leave the windows open. Problem solved.

Dodge · Oct 6, 2010

There is a product called "Damp Rid". It actually absorbs the moisture. It comes in different forms. Like a hanging bag, a bucket, don't know what else. It works. We put it in a closet in the basement that doesn't get any fresh air. Musty. It is now dry and smells fresh. A friend that told me about it uses it in his boat during storage, under the cover. No mold on the seats and floor anymore. You can buy it at Menards, Walmart and Farm and Fleet. Another good thing is, it's fairly cheap. I think you will be happy with the results.

NZMacca · Oct 7, 2010

I have a really cheap dehimdifier from a big box store that sits in my stored vehicles. Power supply cable through a crack in the window, its also on a 7 day timer and runs twice a week. The discharge pipe exits through a floor drain in the vehicle. Although once you have had it running a while, you hardly see any water coming from the drain pipe. Costs a few bucks a week to run and works superbly.

CrashTestDummy · Oct 7, 2010

NZMacca said:
I have a really cheap dehimdifier from a big box store that sits in my stored vehicles. Power supply cable through a crack in the window, its also on a 7 day timer and runs twice a week. The discharge pipe exits through a floor drain in the vehicle. Although once you have had it running a while, you hardly see any water coming from the drain pipe. Costs a few bucks a week to run and works superbly.

Pics? I'd like to see that setup. I have 6 vehicles in storage at any point in time. What kind of cost per vehicle are we talking about here?

I have moth balls distributed at each side of every garage door in the shop. That cuts down on the critters. The rat bait takes care of the rest. I've tried storing windows up & down, it doesn't seem to make a difference. I keep the windows up to reduce critter infestation. As mentioned, I have used Damp Rid with limited success. Houston is a _very_ damp environment!

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

Lhorn · Oct 8, 2010

I agree with those that recommend air circulation. Mt car that sits a ton during the rainy winters had a little mild problem. I started to open up the windows now and then on days that I knew would be dry/sunny. My problem seems to have gone away.

CrashTestDummy · Oct 8, 2010

I am working on getting a quote for lights & ceiling fans, so that should help. I guess another solution is to hook up the battery tender & open the doors on good days. Noe that the driveway is in, I should be able to get out in the shop more often than last winter. Thanks.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

Silverbullet404 · Apr 1, 2013

I gotta tell ya, I cant figure it out. I have five collector cars and WITH the covers on, they all get mold. The best cure is an ozonator. We use one of those on our big sailboat to kill mold, mildew, virus and bacteria. Works like a charm. Why it doesnt seem to have the exact results on a car, I cant figure it out.
Ok, out on a limb here. Im 70 years old and have had collector/muscle cars all my life. This is a new problem. So what could have happened to make the difference? Nuclear fortified molds...hahahaha. Or, some scientific project run amuck. Its almost like a bad haircut, once youve got it you are stuck with it. Seems to be no way to eliminate it.
If you guys figure it out please let me know.
And, by the way....watch out for the mold on steroids.

Old Moparz · Apr 1, 2013

I live in the northeast, approximately 60 miles north of New York City & also have mold issues in my cars. Some of the suggestions that have been made I have tried, but they don't seem work too well. I still get a whitish-gray, dusty looking mold on the vinyl seats, the dash pad, the steering wheel, the door panels & the headliner. :willy_nil

What I've tried so far that hasn't really helped is......

Leave car windows open about 1 to 2 inches while covered.
Run 2 ceiling fans 24/7.
Cleaning interiors with disinfectants.
Unfinished building stays well ventilated through soffit & ridge.

There is someone on another forum that uses a "Car Capsule" & likes how it works.

Here is a link to the topic with photos & info.......
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,53994.0.html

SILVERPLATE · Apr 1, 2013

I buy the biggest box baking soda I can find and cut the top open leaving putting one in the inside of the car and another in the trunk. Awesome job for me.

where2 · Apr 2, 2013

I've had much better luck after moving the vehicle inside and running the A/C for an hour a day to keep the humidity down in the garage.

To kill the fuzz, my wife and I wiped everything down with a highly concentrated baking soda solution, and followed that with two or more successive wipe downs with water.

West Marine has a dehumidifier with a built in fan. Internally, it reminds me of the concept of a closet or a piano dehumidifier rod packaged in a smaller container with a fan added to increase circulation rates. I'm sure some other place sells this gizmo for 30% what West Marine gets for it...

Find a piano dehumidifier rod, and suspend it inside the car. You can get add-on systems with humidistats to control them.

Air_Cooled_Nut · Apr 2, 2013

Old Moparz said:
...
What I've tried so far that hasn't really helped is......

Leave car windows open about 1 to 2 inches while covered...

Well, yeah, barely open windows covered by a car cover really wouldn't get much air circulation :lol:

I'll second the baking soda solution instead of bleach. Just water and baking soda but if you don't want to mix it yourself the big box stores carry it in spray bottles to control mold under the kitchen/bathroom sinks. Just do a search for mold control

at homedepot.com or lowes.com

HMCFab9 · Apr 2, 2013

I have heard of something called Goldenrod.
I think it's something you plug in, but i'm not sure what it does.

Old Moparz · Apr 4, 2013

Air_Cooled_Nut said:
Well, yeah, barely open windows covered by a car cover really wouldn't get much air circulation

I'll second the baking soda solution instead of bleach. Just water and baking soda but if you don't want to mix it yourself the big box stores carry it in spray bottles to control mold under the kitchen/bathroom sinks. Just do a search for mold control at homedepot.com or lowes.com

I'll admit that sounded dumb. :lol:

But it's not an airtight or waterproof cover, just a cotton fabric that breathes & is there for dust & dirt, not weather. It hangs loose on the car & only has elastic at the front & rear edges.

James E · Apr 4, 2013

Two ideas:

I have a buddy that works for a company that manufactures computer stacks. He brought me a box full of dessicant bags (they throw them away once the components are assembled). They're big--like eight inches square. I put several of them on the floorboard of my Mustang. Never had a problem. When they get sodden, I bake them in the oven on low heat for an hour or so. Ask around and see if there is any kind of manufacturing near you that might have these dessicant bags.

Or, go to a store that sells safes. They sell electric dehumidifiers that would be safe to put in a stored car.

sselander · Apr 4, 2013

James E said:
Two ideas:

I have a buddy that works for a company that manufactures computer stacks. He brought me a box full of dessicant bags (they throw them away once the components are assembled). They're big--like eight inches square. I put several of them on the floorboard of my Mustang. Never had a problem. When they get sodden, I bake them in the oven on low heat for an hour or so. Ask around and see if there is any kind of manufacturing near you that might have these dessicant bags.

Or, go to a store that sells safes. They sell electric dehumidifiers that would be safe to put in a stored car.

This company sells something that sounds like a dessicant:
https://storeitdry.com/Prevent-Mold-Mildew-Automobiles.php

For an interesting report on the various types of mold on a car that was stored outside look in New York look here:
http://inspectapedia.com/mold/Car_Mold_Catastrophe.php

I know here in New England, it is a bit of a challenge preventing the mold/mildew from appearing in stored car. Reducing the moisture appears to work the best.

4xdog · Apr 4, 2013

Are you sure the problem is mold, and not blooming of plasticizers to the surface of cellulose acetate or cellulose acetate butyrate plastics? Does it look like the powdery stuff that builds up on old eyeglasses frames, some screwdriver handles, and cheap old fountain pens? Is it on hard plastics like knobs, steering wheels, switches?

Fungus is pretty easily controlled with light or especially by maintaining humidity (water activity, to be strictly technical) below the level where the fungus grows. Blooming on cellulosic plastics is a lot harder. I don't know what to tell you there.

Don

BigUgly9 · Apr 4, 2013

HMCFab9 said:
I have heard of something called Goldenrod.
I think it's something you plug in, but i'm not sure what it does.

Fab5
I have had a Golden Rod in my gun safe for 25 + years. It kept the guns, cameras, and etc. from rusting. They are available where most gun safes are sold. They work the same as a lite bulb or low voltage heater. They must be kept plugged in 24/7. The idea is the dew point problem elimination. That method might work in a larger closed area that was sealed if the heating device was proportionally large enought.

LWW · Feb 1, 2015

Because this thread has risen from the dead once already, Amazon currently has Damp-Rid in 4lb tubs on sale for $9.97 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029EGUNG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I keep one of these in each of my six stored classic cars and replace them once a year. Helps keep the humidity and mold down during storage that can last from 6 months to 2 years at a time.

Add a 1lb bag of indicating and re-useable DrieRite for $11: https://secure.drierite.com/catalog3/page4b.cfm

to let you know when it's time to replace and you should be good for quite awhile.

Obviously, any air circulation, de-humidification and temperature stability (at least over the dew point) will help as well. It has to all be part of a system to control condensation, humidity and ultimately mold & rust.

This is what's worked pretty well for me so far.

Pool man · Sep 9, 2016

DARK AGE 53 said:
Hears my story. I have two cars that have not moved in 25 years, I run a floor fan ( not the cheap box fans ) in front of the cars 24/7, years round. I have found in the early spring when it's warm and humid outside it's not wise to even open the side door of the building, the inside of the building is still too cool and this causes a problem no matter how many fans you run. I've always wonder if something like movie theater carpet might help with a cold bare cement floor, you could use any type of carpet but I think theater carpet would be cool.

I have the same problem with my mustang that has been garaged since 91' . Mold in roof fabric , seats everywhere . Many attempts to clean to no avail coming back every few months . I have read to start a rubber Matt on top of garage floor is important to reduce moisture. Being in the concrete business I know the concrete always absorbs moisture which will radiate upwards under the car . Now covering the car holds that moisture inside .
What I have a shot that seems to be working is rubber Matt, clean mold with white vinegar 8 parts to 2 parts water, ventilate well after and leave doors open outside all day on a sunny day , I also use Evo dry plug in dehumidifier that had the beads in it . They turn pink when wet after like 30 days . Plug it in for few hours to dry out and use it again up to like 1000 times . This is kind of a pain because you forget so I came up with the idea of a gun safe heater rod. It runs on a lot less than a 100 watt bulb and heats up hotter to keep inside dry . This seems to be working so far . I still crack the Windows slightly , cover car , rubber floor Matt and still use the Evo dryers . In few months I will report back but confident it will stay dry since it's actually warm in the car few noticeable degrease .

pmiranda · Sep 9, 2016

I'm fuzzy on how covering part of the concrete will make any difference if the vast majority of the slab is still exposed?

rick541 · Jun 10, 2021

Silverbullet404 said:
I gotta tell ya, I cant figure it out. I have five collector cars and WITH the covers on, they all get mold. The best cure is an ozonator. We use one of those on our big sailboat to kill mold, mildew, virus and bacteria. Works like a charm. Why it doesnt seem to have the exact results on a car, I cant figure it out.
Ok, out on a limb here. Im 70 years old and have had collector/muscle cars all my life. This is a new problem. So what could have happened to make the difference? Nuclear fortified molds...hahahaha. Or, some scientific project run amuck. Its almost like a bad haircut, once youve got it you are stuck with it. Seems to be no way to eliminate it.
If you guys figure it out please let me know.
And, by the way....watch out for the mold on steroids.

Climate change I'm afraid. There is over a 30 degree change in temperature overnight where I live in Oregon...that's the new reality and now we learn to deal...I'm using dehumidifiers I think...good luck!

nadogail · Jun 10, 2021

This reminds me of when those military families, who lived on Guam, had "Hot Closets" with a protected light bulb constantly burning to keep the humidity down.

help dealing with mold in stored cars

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