Showing posts with label Mold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mold. Show all posts

Monday, September 17, 2012

Eradicating mold from automobiles

English: Mildew growing on a plastic shower cu...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A friend of mine recently offered to take me to work in their car after mine was taken away to be repaired, it was an offer I was glad to accept, that is until I actually got into the car itself. There was a horrible musty smell, it was a strong smell, but I knew I had smelt smoothing similar in my car too. To my horror my friend told me that there must be mold or mildew growing somewhere in his car and but he did not consider it worth treating as he was about to get himself a new car soon.
I knew that as soon as I got my car back I was going to have to do something before the situation got a lot worse and the smell became too unbearable.

There is health problems associated with mold and mildew so it is something that needs to be eradicated as soon as possible.

The first task in eradicating mold is to locate it, this may seem like an obvious step but mold and mildew likes to grow in places where they will not be disturbed, such as underneath seats or the carpeting on the floor, or indeed in all kinds of out of the way places.

Once you have discovered where the problem is you need to go to your local auto supply store and buy the correct cleaning solution. For mold on carpets and upholstery then any kind of carpet shampoo should do the trick, but do not over wet the area, just spray, leave for a few seconds and scrub away. Then once completed double check that there is no more mold hiding in other places, ideally this cleaning should be done on a nice warm sunny day this is because you need to make sure that the affected area is completely dry. If not then you are just going to have the same problems again very soon, so park the car somewhere in the sunshine and leave all the doors, the sunroof and the trunk open to allow the air to circulate.

Follow this advice and you should be able to enjoy driving your car in a mold free condition for the foreseeable future.





Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A Town Called Mold


Remember a while back I blogged about a town called Asbestos? Well, it turns out I found another less than inviting destination to try.. Mold, which is a small town in Flintshire, North Wales. However, to give Mold its due – it isn't home to a potentially deadly mine passing itself off as a tourist destination! In fact, the only undesirable piece of Mold's history I could see at a glance was that it was the backdrop for the Mold Riot in the summer of 1869 following a bitter dispute in which coal miners were not only banned from speaking their native Welsh language, but also given a pay cut!

In fact, the little market town – which is just 10 miles west of the border with England looks like a nice little place for a visit. I mean I doubt I would travel to Wales just for Mold, but if I was touring that area of the UK it would be on my list! It provides traditional Welsh culture and a lively atmosphere, and has attractions ranging from prehistoric artefacts to historic churches. One of the main visitor attractions is St Mary's Church, a historical place of worship that sits proudly overseeing the town. The church was rebuilt in honour of Henry VII, the very first Tudor king of England and it features architecture from as far back as the 14th Century. Other local attractions include Iron Age hill forts and a number of stately homes and ancient monuments. The local museum proudly displays a replica of the world famous Bronze Age Mold Gold Cape – a priceless bronze age relic which was discovered in the local area and dates back to around 1900 BC.

Looking at this little town made me realise all of the hidden gems out there. I really think I want to start choosing a country first and then looking for tiny little towns with special moments in their own history. I think it would make for more rewarding trips than hitting the big cities!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

How To Check Your RV Seals

English: A Class A motorhome with the slide-ou...
English: A Class A motorhome with the slide-out extended (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So I spoke about the woes of damp inside an RV or trailer and advised that you perform regular maintenance to avoid the problem of mold, but how exactly do you maintain the seals? Let's find out!

It is very important that you maintain your seals and adhesives within your Recreational vehicle in order to avoid dampness from getting into and doing damage to RV elements. When cleaning your Recreational vehicle, examine the seals for signs of drying out and general wear and tear. Be aware that weather conditions, sunlight, and road vibrations will affect seals, making them dry out, split, or separate. If you're unclear about things to search for, have your dealership advise you, as well as demonstrate the right way of renewing the seals. Should you prefer, your dealer should be able to conduct seal maintenance for you instead.

Some experts, suggest that you caulk the seals twice every year, once at the start of the travel season and once more before packing away at the end of the season. The first step is to wash down the entire RV with mild soap and warm water. Inspect your entire camper for any damage to the seals. This includes those that are cracked or coming loose. It is useful to pay particular attention to areas where the fixtures meet roofs or walls. Any existing caulk should be removed by using a very strong citrus based cleaner. You will likely need to invest in a good quality scrapper tool to help with this. Once removed, wash the cleaner off with more soapy water as it will dissolve the new caulk if left. With the help of a caulk gun, seal the body and the roof of the RV. You will then need to wipe away excess caulk and the best way I have found is to use a spray ottle to dampen your fingers with soapy water.

It will then need to be left to dry for a minimum of two hours. It is essential the RV is not exposed to rain during this time. Some brands of caulk may need up to 24 hours to set properly so check the packaging. If you carry this out properly twice a year you should be able to eliminate the problem of mold in your RV.