How to Clean Mildew

JD OSCAR · September 21st, 2008

A couple of days ago the hose on my filter got loose and water got in the back of my wooded tank stand. The stand is made of pressboard and the water got sucked in. As soon as I saw it I took all of the stuff out of the cabinet and dried it off the best I could. I let it air out to dry the rest of the way but Mildew started growing. I looked up on the Internet how to kill Mildew. It said to use Washing Soda and Bleach. I am afraid the fumes will be bad for the Fish. Any suggestions?

john&jen · September 22nd, 2008

In the world of contractors... after water in basements, pipe leaks, etc. we recommend a bleach/water mixture or tilex. You may find a biodegradable mildewicide at a larger store. I swear by Simple Green for most cleaning tasks, they may produce a mildew mitigating product.

JD OSCAR · September 22nd, 2008

I have tilex. I just do not want the fumes to kill the fish. Do I have to scrub the wood or just spray it and wipe it clean?

john&jen · September 22nd, 2008

Spray and wipe should do. Let it sit as long as the bottle says. The mildew needs moisture and something organic to consume. That is why they now make drywall without the paper... the paper being the organic food. The wood will not come clean. The growing midew will die, but the ugly color will remain. Just keep an eye on it that it is not growing. Water is the worst enemy of particleboard. Your best bet is to replace the piece of wood. That may be an endevour, I would recommend removing the tank from the stand for that.

JD OSCAR · September 22nd, 2008

My bottle of Tilex says not to use on wood. Should I ignor that and use it anyway or is there a special Tilex for wood?

john&jen · September 22nd, 2008

You can use it. I would mist it on, then wipe it off. The bleach will kill the spores. MAKE SURE YOU PUT A TOWEL OVER THE TANK. That will prevent atomized chemical from getting in. I would do the exact same thing I'm recommending. I'm not telling you how to self destruct. Trust is heavy and I would trust me!

JD OSCAR · September 22nd, 2008

I sprayed the Tilex. It was kind of wet and got sucked in a little. I wiped up the excess moisture and put a fan on to dry it out some. Thanks!!!

john&jen · September 22nd, 2008

Smart. Color change?

JD OSCAR · September 22nd, 2008

The wood seems to be getting lighter as it drys. Is there a way to tell if I killed it all? How will I know if it is growing back?

john&jen · September 22nd, 2008

Watch where it dries to. If it grows from there, it is alive, if not, dead. I personally wouldn't worry about it from here. The tilex probably knocked it out. You could do one more application after the first dries to be sure.

JD OSCAR · September 22nd, 2008

Thanks for your help. I may give one more good spraying just to make sure.

JD OSCAR · September 23rd, 2008

I had the fan blowing on the spot all night. The mildew looks gone. Thanks again for all your help. I will keep an eye on it in case it comes back.

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