How to remove mold/mildew from camper canvas...

[snowgooseltd]

My title asks it all. We purchased a pop-up camper this week and the canvas has varying degrees of mold/mildew on it. Does anyone have a sure-fire way of lessening it or removing it completely? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.....

 

[mamalle]

Id like to know also. we have a outside bouncehouse that Im trying to get some mildew off of. My next door neighbor has a larger waterslide also that is trying to do the same and we havent found anything yet..

 

[Mickeysfriend]

We had this exact problem. One spring after opening up our camper, the majority of the canvas was covered in mold. I mixed up a fairly strong mixture of bleach and warm water and washed it down. I can't remember if I sprayed it on or not, but I think I just used a bucket and a cloth. Surprisingly, it all came off and looked like new again. Fortunately, it wasn't anywhere that took any colour out.
Hope it helps. Good luck!

 

[JohnsonsRUs]

We also had this exact problem. My husband used Tilex Mold & Mildew that you use for the bathroom and watered it down a little. Be sure to remove the cusions or cover them before you start because it will bleach them out if it gets on them. He also put a drop cloth on the boards where the cusions normally sit in case it dripped onto the wood. He did not leave it on for long and then wiped it down with a damp cloth. It worked great and our camper that is 10 years old looks like new again. Good luck!

 

[Mickey527]

If you have a boat store near you they have a mold and mildew spray that is made for canvas on boats and RV's.
I have never seen it in a camping store but then again I have never specificly looked for it.
I wouldn't use a spray that is filled with bleach. It will eat away at the cloth and probably the water repelling stuff on it too.

 

[disney-super-mom]

If you have a boat store near you they have a mold and mildew spray that is made for canvas on boats and RV's.
I have never seen it in a camping store but then again I have never specificly looked for it.
I wouldn't use a spray that is filled with bleach. It will eat away at the cloth and probably the water repelling stuff on it too.

I agree. Use a prodect specifically made to remove mildew/mold on canvas.

One bit of advice, when you put your camper in storage mode (or when you're just not going to use it for a while), make sure to put a few Dri-Z-Air trays filled with the crystals in it. They work really well. We haven't had a problem with mildew in our boat or pop-up trailer since using Dri-Z-Air (click link below). We bought it in the RV section at Walmart, so it's not too hard to find.

http://www.nationalmarineproducts.com/Dri_Z_Air_Dehumidifier_s/1.htm

 

[2goofycampers]

at the Dollar Tree stores they have a cleaner called Awesome, it's yellow in a clear bottle. this and a magic eraser will clean almost anything. I use it on our awning, it also removes black streaks from camper and gutters on your house, clean your car tires. great stuff and ony a dollar.

 

[Cinders]

Camping World has a product for mold problems that is safe for fabrics

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?skunum=35599&src=SRQB

 

[Mickey527]

I just saws the stuff Cinders recommended at Home Depot yesterday in the paint area. I was getting KILZ, the pain to cover old mold stains and saw the spray there. I didn't buy it because my mold is outside and the KILZ will be ok alone there.
It might be cheaper at Home Depot, it was $9.65 a bottle there.

 

[moonbeams4]

I don't know where you're going to store your trailer in the winter, but we have to keep ours outside. To protect it from leaks, we always keep a tarp over it in the winter, and it works great.

In the Spring, we use a bleach mixture, but a very light one. We use about 1 cup to 5 gallons of water. It works well. I will look into the other solution this year though. I wouldn't want to do any damage to it. We love our little tent trailer. I will also look into the dry air thingys at Walmart. We haven't had that problem, but prevention is the best medicine. Thanks for all the great tips!

 

[gillenkl]

I would ask on the Camping at Disney board. You have to be careful with canvas on popups - you can't just use any 'ole cleaner on it.

 

[Ranger321]

I just spoke to the store that sold me my Rockwood pop up regarding mold / mildew on the canvas of my camper. Here is what he said he was told by the company that makes the canvas various brands of campers:

1. combine 1/2 cup bleach, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup warm to hot water... and mix it thoroughly.
2. put it in a spray bottle
3. remove cushions, cloth, etc. that are nearby, to keep them from getting sprayed
4. spray directly on the mold spots, being careful about overspraying on to other things
5. let air dry

There you have it from the horse's mouth.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

I went through many concoctions trying to clean ours. What worked best was straight hydrogen peroxide. I'd spray it on full strength, let it soak maybe 5 minutes and then use a scrub brush and rinse off. (I put old towels down over the wood/floor etc to catch the run off.)

WEAR GLOVES- it kills your hands after a while if you don't.

 

[RitaE]

I can tell you from experience to be careful with overdoing bleach on canvas because it will eventually weaken it.

 

[mrudman]

at the Dollar Tree stores they have a cleaner called Awesome, it's yellow in a clear bottle. this and a magic eraser will clean almost anything. I use it on our awning, it also removes black streaks from camper and gutters on your house, clean your car tires. great stuff and ony a dollar.

I love this stuff too! We use it mainly to de-yellow all the plastic parts on the outside of our camper (vent covers, etc).. it's amazing!

But to answer the OP's question, we had a small mildew problem on the canvas cover of the bed of our camper (we have a hybrid, so the beds fold out), where water must've leaked in somehow.. used a mold/mildew cleaner we had gotten from the camper store, and it cleaned it right up.