How to Avoid Mildew?

[volfo]

For first time, am keeping my boat on a covered lift. Mildew under the cover is a problem.

Any suggestions to keep it away? I do have electrical, so I thought of buying a small oscillating fan and running it under the cover. Any thoughts?

[mmandley]

I cant recall the stuffs name but it comes in a white plastic container and its absorbs water by just sitting there.

[Razzman]

Go get yourself a large box of kitty litter. Fill a flat plastic container or storage bin with it and fill with the litter, place on center of floor. Fill some old socks with it also and tie them off and place in easch compartment. When the wet seasons over throw the litter away.

[maxpower220]

I cant recall the stuffs name but it comes in a white plastic container and its absorbs water by just sitting there.

It's called Damp Rid and it works very well.

Try to keep the boat uncovered as much as possible when wet. If it can fully dry out, you will get less mold. You could get a de-humidifier and run since you have electrical. That would solve your problem.

[moombadaze]

Might also help to keep the cover off the seats--maybe tenis balls or something like that

[WaterBullDawg1980]

Kitty Litter is in mine. I have it in small square dishes in all of the compartments, along with a few small damp rid pots. Then I filled 2 socks with it and put them in the compartments by the engine.

Hopefully it will work.

Isnt it funny how water is our biggest enemy during off season?

I think that is actually written in my owners manual. :)

[Razzman]

Let me tell you how well kitty litter works. My Blackberry went into my pool a few years (along with me) back. Thought it was toast, wouldn't even turn on. I opened the case and drained the water out, placed it on a paper towel in a small box with kitty litter overnight. Next day i placed the battery back in and turned it on, no damage at all. It worked flawlessly until i got the iphone, still have it in fact.

[kaneboats]

If you have to cover the boat, leave a little opening at each end and put a fan somewhere in between. It will dry right out.

[zabooda]

Bringing in air from the outside or dehumidifying the air is the only way to keep mildew from forming. Have a fan bring in air or have a device to remove water from the air. A recirculation fan won't help much like a car in recirc as the air still condenses.

[kaneboats]

I guess I should have been clearer. If you put it blowing in or out it will cause circulation from the outside and pull the damp air out. The key is to have an opening at each end to pull it all the way through.

[BRANDNIRON8971]

I feel ya Razz...as a "POOL MAN", my phone, and yes me from time to time end up in the pool. What I have found that works best, is to keep a Zip Lock bag of Minute Riice in the truck, take out the bat. and drop it in the bag of rice, put it on the dash for a couple/few hours, and its as good as new.....SO to keep this from being a hyjack maybe try Minute Rice instead of kitty litter.
I think it may be more obsorbent...?

[BRANDNIRON8971]

I was thinking about that idea today...scratcha that idea, the rice may attrack mice/rats. NOT GOOD

[deepcove]

dri z air works great

www.drizair.com

I keep a couple of these in my boat over the winter....it sucks any moisture out of the carpet etc.....never any mold around with this stuff present.

[volfo]

great ideas, guys, I'm going to try the drizair stuff. Thanks

[jester]

Last year I had a little issue with mildew over the winter. This year i put some drizair in and nothing. Right now since it is still raining a lot I put drizair back in after wakeboarding and it will pull the water out of the bottom of the boat.

[rc5695]

Never tried the Kitty Litter before. I think I'll try that this year. That Dri-Z-Air looks good, and isnt' too expensive either. Just have to find it locally...

[nibots]

Having a fan or dryer is the best cure but I have also found that if you spray everything down with 3M Mildew Blocker it will keep it mildew free. I live in Seattle where it rains all winter. I have to keep the boat in a storage lot with no power available under a large tarp. After I winterize the boat and dry it all out I spray it all down with mildew blocker and cover it up. I have never had any mildew when i uncover it in the spring.

[ian ashton]

It's called Damp Rid and it works very well.

Try to keep the boat uncovered as much as possible when wet. If it can fully dry out, you will get less mold. You could get a de-humidifier and run since you have electrical. That would solve your problem.

I use this stuff in my boat, its cheap and works well.

[BensonWdby]

I use 'Funnoodles', the hollow kind, and place them under the cover, over both sides of the boat. This actually helps keep additional tension on the cover and I believe it provides some through flow.

[Aquaholic]

I found THE BEST product at the Atlanta boatshow this year!! Its call BTS its Bow to Stern. I had a ton of milddew this year because my sh!tty canvas cover ( I hate that cover ) anyway I clean all the mildew off not with this product, but after cleaning I used BTS and they say it will not grow back peroid. I always get a little returning mildew on the back sun pad where the cover lies but I sprayed the BTS as direct to my problem area and no mildew. I sprayed the whole boat down with the stuff and this weekend after 3 weeks of not using the boat with the cover on still no mildew.

I was afraid when I got the BTS that we were just hyping the product but it really works for me. Try a google search the guy said the stuffs in boating magazine as a resent trial test. Its working for me.

Aqua

[volfo]

I ordered dri z air over the internet and have it in a box in my garage. The boat is on a lift at the lake 110 miles away. Oh well, hope it isn't too bad next Friday. Scouring amazon for bow to stern next

[walb0244]

I know this post is alittle old but I hate when people just start new posts. I have been trying to figure out some things about the Dri Z Air product. I have a 2006 Mobius LSV. How many of the dehumidifiers do I need? Also, do you just use the refil packs once? Trying to find something that will help me dry the carpet out. We boat alot and get caught in the rain and it might rain for a few days. It is hard to get the carpet to dry out under the cover sitting in my drive way when it is raining. Also, hard to get it to dry out when the humidity is way up.

[WaterBullDawg1980]

I feel ya Razz...as a "POOL MAN", my phone, and yes me from time to time end up in the pool. What I have found that works best, is to keep a Zip Lock bag of Minute Riice in the truck, take out the bat. and drop it in the bag of rice, put it on the dash for a couple/few hours, and its as good as new.....SO to keep this from being a hyjack maybe try Minute Rice instead of kitty litter.
I think it may be more obsorbent...?


You guys should get that T-Mobile phone called Sonim Quest. It comes with a 3 yr unconditional warranty. You flush that thing down the toilet and it will still work.

But either way, I may try rice and see what happens. Kitty litter just has a nice fresh smell. :)

[wbarksda]

I have 3 box fans that I run in our boat. I put one in the front, facing back laying on the windshield and we put the other 2 on the back seats facing back to dry out the rear lockers. Works great if you have electricity.

[jmondl]

Mine sits on the lift all week also. I leave a small opening on both sides of the cover, and it dries out during the week with no smell of mildew. I assume the sun and black cover heat the air inside, and the wind circulates enough of the air to carry the damp air out (at least, that's my theory).