mold/musty smell

G

Glenn D

New Member
Nov 23, 2008
10
Long Island,NY
Boat Info
30 foot sedan bridge
Engines
2 x 270 crusaders on v drives
Anyone encounter and removal of a musty smell in their salon/cabin. End of last season it started to smell so over the winter I changed out all of the holding tank lines and new tank also. Now smell is back Trying a big dehumiderfier now. Any ideas thanks Glenn
 
I use DAMP RID, I get it at Home Depot or Lowes, or any hardware store. I buy the self contained bags which holds the accumulated water. I place 1 in the vicinity of the V-Berth, 1 in the Clothes Closet, 1 in the Aft Cabin area, I also have 1 in the engine compartment. I change them about every 3 to 4 months. Bag of 3 at the Depot is about $8.50. Always smells nice and fresh.
 
Captain Don said:
I use DAMP RID, I get it at Home Depot or Lowes, or any hardware store. I buy the self contained bags which holds the accumulated water. I place 1 in the vicinity of the V-Berth, 1 in the Clothes Closet, 1 in the Aft Cabin area, I also have 1 in the engine compartment. I change them about every 3 to 4 months. Bag of 3 at the Depot is about $8.50. Always smells nice and fresh.
Click to expand...

After much fabreeze to no avail I started taking down the panels and found an old mouse nest,(go figure how).After a good vacuum and a little fabreeze it's all spring time fresh now.Now we know where they spend the winters.Cheers,Mike
 
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No. Never had that problem. Keeping the interior clean and dry is the key. When the boat is in the water, either the air conditioning is on or the unit is in dehumidify mode. This ensures good humidity control. I never, ever open the hatches or portlights, which allows humid air into the interior. The moisture is absorbed and held in the fabrics and cushions, allowing the problem to start.

When the boat is laid-up in the off season, I use several containers of damp-rid and also two mildew control bags. The mildew control bags emit toxic gas that kills mold and mildew thereby preventing the problem from forming.

Once you have a problem the only way to resolve it is to clean everything and everywhere. Closing up the boat for a week or two and hanging some of those mildew control bags might help kill off what you can't reach.

Once you get it under control. Keep the cabin air dry!

Best regards,
Frank
 
Believe it or not coffee grounds placed on paper plates will work wonders removing disagreeable odors. Place several around the cabin, open all the cabinets, doors, etc. Replace the coffee about once every two weeks at first then once a month. After about 6 months all the smell will be gone, guaranteed! This has removed the odor from bodies found in cars after a few weeks, (don't ask) I used it to remove the after affects of a 41' with a full sized refrigerator that lost power for 30 days, full of steaks in July. The mess after a month of sitting there ran out of the freezer down through the refrigerator and soaked in to the carpet! It took a few months but this happened before I bought the boat. They had been fighting the smell for two years, and losing the battle. I did it during winter lay up, owned her for 9 more years and never had the problem return. My experience with is Fabreeze is, that it will not let mold grow but does not remove what is already there like coffee will. I use Fabreeze all the time now to prevent odor but the coffee is still my fall back to remove the really offensive ones. By the way, the coffee can be new unused or grounds, both work. Do not know why but having used this technique over several years I can attest to the fact that it works. A bit of a pain changing the coffee all winter but the sweet smell of success is worth it! :smt038
Larry
PS: I did not have to replace any carpet, drapes, furniture etc. using this.
 
Uplate said:
Another great trick is to use the anti stat dryer sheets from home. Hide three or four of these in different places. People always comment how my cabin smells so nice. I change them out about every month and use them all year.
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Ha ha ha! You actually hide dryer sheets around the boat?! That's really funny. So your boat doesn't smell like dryer sheets? It's like that "Glad" bathroom spray... some people think that "smells good" but I think it smells like a truck stop bathroom (the "flowery fart smell") because that's where the stuff is used. I read somewhere that people that like that dryer sheet smell also smell their own farts... is that true?

The only good smell in a boat is "no smell." I like solutions that remove the problem and not cover it up. Even if you have dryer sheets hidden under the sink in the bathroom, you know there are still poop particles floating in the air but they've been coated with fragrance... but they are still there....

(My kids actually hide their old smelly socks around in strange places on my boat... much better than dryer sheets)
 
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Larry Lyons said:
Believe it or not coffee grounds placed on paper plates will work wonders removing disagreeable odors. Place several around the cabin, open all the cabinets, doors, etc. Replace the coffee about once every two weeks at first then once a month. After about 6 months all the smell will be gone, guaranteed! This has removed the odor from bodies found in cars after a few weeks, (don't ask) I used it to remove the after affects of a 41' with a full sized refrigerator that lost power for 30 days, full of steaks in July. The mess after a month of sitting there ran out of the freezer down through the refrigerator and soaked in to the carpet! It took a few months but this happened before I bought the boat. They had been fighting the smell for two years, and losing the battle. I did it during winter lay up, owned her for 9 more years and never had the problem return. My experience with is Fabreeze is, that it will not let mold grow but does not remove what is already there like coffee will. I use Fabreeze all the time now to prevent odor but the coffee is still my fall back to remove the really offensive ones. By the way, the coffee can be new unused or grounds, both work. Do not know why but having used this technique over several years I can attest to the fact that it works. A bit of a pain changing the coffee all winter but the sweet smell of success is worth it! :smt038
Larry
PS: I did not have to replace any carpet, drapes, furniture etc. using this.
Click to expand...




You had me until I read the fabreeze statement. I hate that stuff. Gary's right about the no smell. I prefer to smell the dinner we are about to enjoy.

Moisture is your enemy, as stated above. It's brutal here in Charleston...

I have seen coffee grounds used to help sell perfume. They give it to you so you can smell one after the other...

Gary, The poop particals comment made me laugh :) Nice!!
 
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I've been hiding the dryer sheets in my classic cars for years.I agree that they might not give the perfect smell your looking for but they keep out the rodents during the winter and a few days with the windows open and your as good as new.Mike
 
Before having this boat that is used year round, I lightly sprayed my last boats unfinished surfaces (behind cab., under beds, cushions etc) with concrobium at layup. It's completely harmless (and scent free) to us but kills and prevents mold/mildew from growing. A lot of the mold/mildew issues come from underfloor areas such as where your shower sump is, getting them dry and lightly coating those types of areas with concrobium will keep it from growing for a long time. Water will eventually wash it away, but if you're only dealing with condensation, it should last a whole season. I first used it about 2yrs ago on my porch ceilings that have always had problems previously, mold has never returned since then and it has condensation on it almost daily so it seems to work great.

http://www.concrobium.com/

I now see that they also make an outdoor version for decks and such so maybe its better for damp boats?
 
Classic blow boater solution from the days before cabin AC.

Leave the holds and hatches below decks slightly ajr so air can circulate, and leqave a 60WAtt ligh bulb burning in the main salon. The bulb causes aircirulation and having the interior exposed to light kills mildew and bacteria. This actually does work well.

If you have acabin AC, put it on De-Humidify setting set for the recommend dhours a day for you locale.

Finally keep the cabin clean and free of food crumbs, grease, body oils etc as these are what odor causing fauna eat.
 
First off, when I saw the photo of your boat I thought it was a picture of mine! Same color canvas even. Regarding the smell, if it is a mouldy/musty smell it's most likely in the cushions, carpets, etc., not the holding tank. The holding tank smell is something you only need to smell once in your life and you'll never mistake it again! I use 2 of those "Store Dry" electric dryers with fans to circulate and warm up the air. I keep the locker doors open when I'm not on the boat and I also use a couple of containers with those "air dry pellets. By keeping the cabin dry the mustiness is kept to a minimum. A bit of Febreeze now and then and I'm good to go.

87' 30' Sedan Bridge
 
Captain Don said:
I use DAMP RID, I get it at Home Depot or Lowes, or any hardware store. I buy the self contained bags which holds the accumulated water. I place 1 in the vicinity of the V-Berth, 1 in the Clothes Closet, 1 in the Aft Cabin area, I also have 1 in the engine compartment. I change them about every 3 to 4 months. Bag of 3 at the Depot is about $8.50. Always smells nice and fresh.
Click to expand...


I got good result with damp rid. Give it try..
 
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