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Rich W · 02-20-2014, 01:50 PM

The interior fabric walls of our AS are in pretty good shape but you can tell there has been some light mold. PO said he removed the curtains because of mold, it being easier to care for it without the curtains. He installed blinds.

The lower walls show some staining from the mold. This is the fabric portion, not the vinyl near the ceilings. Is there any way to clean this?

Rich
2006 Safari 75th Anniversary Edition

Protagonist · 02-20-2014, 02:12 PM

Living in the mold capital of the US doesn't make me an expert on mold, but it gives me plenty of opportunities to experiment. One thing that seems to work relatively well for me is white wine vinegar.

BigAl · 02-20-2014, 02:34 PM

are you sure it is mold. Often moisture causes the aluminum behind the fur to oxidize. This causes black stains to show on the wall.
Al

Rich W · 02-20-2014, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Protagonist

One thing that seems to work relatively well for me is white wine vinegar.

Is this a preventative or a cleaner (or both?) ?

Thanks

Protagonist · 02-20-2014, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richw46

Is this a preventative or a cleaner (or both?) ?

Thanks

Cleaner, mostly. The only real preventatives that work are lots of ventilation and dehumidifying.

Rich W · 02-20-2014, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl

are you sure it is mold. Often moisture causes the aluminum behind the fur to oxidize. This causes black stains to show on the wall.
Al

The wall covering appears to be some kind of fabric. In the areas below a window or above the bed (at the trailer bend) it appears dirty. I'm working around the L-Lounge and areas usually hidden have additional 'dirty areas' so I suspect it was caused by mold.

Here's a photo, I didn't get a close-up but you can see it's fabric and not vinyl.

I'm a newbie, not sure what you mean by fur

The wall covering??

Protagonist · 02-20-2014, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richw46

I'm a newbie, not sure what you mean by fur

The wall covering?

Yep. Full tongue-in-cheek name, "imitation mouse fur."

Del Gurney · 02-20-2014, 06:37 PM

What you have (as I do) is a high quality carpet type material.
It's great as it vastly improves the insulating qualities of the interior walls. (sound attenuation is improved as well.
The ceiling material is a Marine grade vinyl.
In most models AS went away from interior fabric to save money after the down turn...BUT also as people did'ent know (or care) how to take care of it....the ceiling can delaminate from the skin and the carpet can develop stains and odors.

The carpet material can be cleaned in several ways.
For isolated stains a little oxyclean and water works.
If you want to do it all you can ...
a)go and rent a carpet cleaner and simply follow the instructions.
b)hire a firm to come in and clean it and it'll come out like new.

It is critical that you keep the interior dry....couple tips.
Boiling, cooking, showering etc....run the fans and open the windows. Dry the shower and dry the towels out side. When sleeping keep a couple windows/vents cracked open as exhaling alone adds moisture to the interior. A little ceramic fan is great to keep things dry (or a little de-humidifier if it's hot out).

Cheers

Rich W · 02-20-2014, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Del Gurney

The carpet material can be cleaned in several ways.
For isolated stains a little oxyclean and water works.
If you want to do it all you can ...
a)go and rent a carpet cleaner and simply follow the instructions.
b)hire a firm to come in and clean it and it'll come out like new.

Cheers

Lots of good information, thanks Del.

The material on the walls can be cleaned like carpet? I guess you use the attachments like you'd clean a chair or couch?

I keep the AS at a storage facility; deed restriction here at the house. I'll have to think of a way to get some circulation going when we aren't using it.

Thanks

BigAl · 02-20-2014, 07:54 PM

I always leave the small bathroom fan vent open. As we all know there are numerous holes in the floor from plumbing etc. This allows enough air to vent out of the trailer that I never have condensation issues while in storage.
Al

Rich W · 02-20-2014, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl

I always leave the small bathroom fan vent open. As we all know there are numerous holes in the floor from plumbing etc. This allows enough air to vent out of the trailer that I never have condensation issues while in storage.
Al

Thanks, Al. I'm not sure how to leave it open. I'm still very green, we just got it on Saturday. I know there is a vent that comes out the roof, I assumed it worked like the vent at home, by the fan opening the vent. Is there a way to manually open the vent?

Thanks

T1NCAN · 02-20-2014, 08:06 PM

I too have the same interior. I put a "Dri Z Air" in there when not in use. It helps dehumidify. No issues for me.

BigAl · 02-20-2014, 08:10 PM

Mine is a small round vent. The make is ventline. It has a plastic handle that you push up to open the vent and a switch to turn on the fan. It is about 5 inches in diameter.
Al

mtbguy · 02-20-2014, 08:27 PM

On my 2008 with the same carpeted walls, I have a few 1 inch diameter black spots where I believe previous owner used a metal dowel rod as a space divider/privacy curtain holder.

I used resolve carpet cleaner on these spots and they seemed to get a little fainter but larger. Now I have 2.5 inch (not quite as dark as before) spots and I think it looks worse.

I may try some oxyclean. If that doesn't work I am toying with the notion of a very small paintbrush and some very delicate touch up with grey water based paint. There is carpet that goes down into the hatches underneath that I can practice on first.

Rich W · 02-21-2014, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T1NCAN

I too have the same interior. I put a "Dri Z Air" in there when not in use. It helps dehumidify. No issues for me.

That looks like an interesting product. How many of them do you use in your AS and how long do the packets last?

Thanks

crispyboy · 02-21-2014, 07:56 AM

I have had good luck with stains using Oxyclean, scrub brush and shop vac.

PhiDor · 06-18-2014, 03:05 PM

I hired a professional carpet cleaner to come and clean the Ozite wall covering. He worked all day and didnt' make a dent in it.

Al and Missy · 06-18-2014, 03:51 PM

I had vertical streaks on the mouse fur at the corners of the windows and anywhere screws were used to mount things. Pretty sure it was aluminum oxide from the moldings and rust/corrosion from the screws and the aluminum they were screwed into. At first I was afraid it was from leaks but several sessions in the trailer in heavy rains showed no leaks. Then on a cold night while running the carpet cleaner to clean the mouse fur I saw condensation dripping off the moldings. I'm pretty sure that was the source of my stains, probably from the POs camping in cold weather. I ultimately had the best results with a Bissell upright carpet cleaner using the upholstery attachment. It took multiple ( 5 or more) passes on each stained spot but reduced them substantially.

Al

PhiDor · 06-19-2014, 02:52 PM

I went looking for OxyClean at the market today and all i found was OxyClean dishwasher detergent. Is that what you used? I've seen other posts referring to it.

Silver Goose · 06-19-2014, 05:31 PM

I believe the OxyClean mentioned above is sold in a small tub as a laundry detergent booster and is normally found on the aisle with the detergents. I think I've also seen an OxyClean spot and stain remover in a spray bottle. I would try the powder dissolved in water and sponged on. As they always say, try this on an inconspicuous area first (under the dinette maybe?). I've got some freckles on my mouse fur that came from the PO and I need to try this solution also.