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Old 05-02-2014, 07:48 PM   #1
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1975 Argosy 26
Normandy Park , Washington
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Mold spots on curtains

We have lots of spots on the curtains and hard surfaces. Not sure if we have a hidden leak or what but I'm curious as to best way to clean the drapes....?

Thx

Dan
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Old 05-02-2014, 09:05 PM   #2
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Dan
Just last week we took the curtains out of our '02 Classic and put them in the washing machine for a much needed cleaning. They came out very nice! It wasn't a bad job at all. It took a little trial and error to replace them in the proper windows. We didn't do all of them at the same time, which helped simplify the job. We did all the curtains, but the worst ones were on what was the west side of the trailer while parked in FL for 3 months. They had mold/mildew on them. The day/night shades on that side of the trailer are being replaced with new ones, due to mildew. I suppose the every night dew was slower to dry on that side.
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Old 05-02-2014, 09:26 PM   #3
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Mold takes three things to grow. Food, moisture, temperature. Same with rot in floors.

In western Washington, you have a lot of moisture, and I expect it is hard to eliminate. A dehumidifier might help, a covered parking spot is even better. A little heat all the time will help, but not with a leak. And, of course, you could have those damn hidden leaks.

Food source is anything you didn't clean up, anything which got splashed on the curtains but didn't stain them and you didn't even see. May have happened seasons ago. If I don't completely and absolutely clean every surface inside my refrigerator I grow stuff throughout the winter (I live next to a river, so high moisture). I have also found spots on my curtains where some splatter or dirty fingers (with food source) touched them. It is just very hard to eliminate all food sources, even with the best cleaning.

Temperatures above freezing is about all the heat you need, so little you can do about that one either.

How to clean the drapes? Depends on their condition, age, type of materials etc. A grand experiment but I would use something like oxi clean. Most bleach type cleaners are just too harsh. Now bleach will work well on all hard surfaces like countertops, refrigerators and bath surfaces.

Go after the moisture issues with vengeance. Again, if covered parking is available, that is great. In Western Washington, it is very hard to vent moisture out, as the dew point of the air entering often is higher than the interior surfaces temps, as the trailer warms up and cools down daily. They cool down at night, breathe in moisture, which then condenses.

A little heat in the trailer can help a lot but of course has a price tag.

Kind of a rambling answer, but it is a more complex problem than most realize. I have only hit a few of the highlights, and not sure how much more I even know....LOL.
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Old 01-31-2015, 04:35 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Farmer Dan View Post
Dan
Just last week we took the curtains out of our '02 Classic and put them in the washing machine for a much needed cleaning. They came out very nice! It wasn't a bad job at all. It took a little trial and error to replace them in the proper windows. We didn't do all of them at the same time, which helped simplify the job. We did all the curtains, but the worst ones were on what was the west side of the trailer while parked in FL for 3 months. They had mold/mildew on them. The day/night shades on that side of the trailer are being replaced with new ones, due to mildew. I suppose the every night dew was slower to dry on that side.
Dan
Dan..very interesting as I had been told "only dry-clean curtains". Seems you put then in the washing machine without problems. Did you use any special washing liquid or powder and did any of your curtains have water stains and if so, did they wash-out?
Chris
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Old 01-31-2015, 05:49 PM   #5
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I am the second owner of my trailer and the PO washed the curtains and put them in the dryer. He was quite proud to tell me this and while the were clean, he also managed to shrink them up. They still work but don't fit like they should.

All that said I would not be afraid to wash them. Use something like Oxyclean, wash them in med to cool water and line dry them. We have done this with ours and they haven't shrunk any worse than before.
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Old 02-02-2015, 07:19 PM   #6
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Chris,
We used Tide on regular cycle with cold water in the washing machine. DW decided the curtains were polyester. She is pretty well versed on fabrics. We had no stains or other marks on them. They were just dirty and dusty.

Dan
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Old 02-02-2015, 07:40 PM   #7
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Dan - when we bought our Argosy I washed the curtains in hot water with Arm & Hammer liquid soap, added some Borax (can get at Lowes; this kills mold), & some bleach. I used regular bleach as my gold curtains were heavy gold polyester & figured I was better off if the gold faded however it did not. All the mold spots gone! You can use a Borax & bleach mixture to clean the other surfaces in your trailer also.

Also wanted to mention not to dry the curtains as they will shrink. Hang them up to dry.

Thanks
Jane
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Old 02-02-2015, 07:54 PM   #8
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Old 02-03-2015, 05:47 AM   #9
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Jane,
Thanks for the drying tip. We couldn't remember how we had dried them, but not using a dryer will certainly be way easier on fabrics - especially older ones.

Dan
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