OT: Need help with mold

[J Miller]

I was going through my fountain pen boxes in the basement which has flooded several times in the past couple months and found much mold on many of my pens and pen boxes.
Some of these pens are quite valuable and cannot be cleaned with abrasives or strong chemicals.

I was thinking of using a diluted mixture of white vinegar and dish soap to kill and clean the mold off. But I've never had this type of problem before.
The pens are made from a variety of plastics, metals, and hard rubber. Yes mold is growing on the stainless steel pens too.

I've haven't even gotten to my gun stuff yet and I'm a bit afraid of what I'll find. Gun stuff and pen stuff is in the same area of the basement.

Any ideas?

Joe

[iceman]

Bleech and water solution will work. Stronger the better, but depends on dyes if any.

[AJMD429]

Dunno if this will help or obscure any forthcoming answers, but sometimes I get the same problem with LEATHER stuff...

Some oils seem to kill mold (i.e. wintergreen), but aren't I suppose good for leather (maybe pens, either).

Some oils seem nice for leather (i.e. mink oil), but seem to grow mold.

Surely some other oils (mineral oil, clove oil, whatever?) are good for killing mold, but not harmful, or perhaps even beneficial, to stuff like wood and leather...?

[J Miller]

iceman,

We've used bleach on the mold that grows on the walls in this basement. It works for a while but we can't seen to kill it all.
That mold is a dark green to black yucky mold.
The mold growing on my pens is white and coarse to the touch.
Plus I'm kind of worried about how a strong chemical like bleach will act with the plastics and polymers some of the pens are made from.

AJMD,

I've use straight white vinegar on several pieces of my leather that got seriously molded in this same basement about 7 years ago. It killed it right off. After that I used Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner on it and then stored them in sealed zip-lock bags. So far, so good.

The problem with the pens is that I do not know what oils or other chemicals are harmful to them. And the one person I did know who could answer my questions closed up his shop and vanished.

Joe

[Lefty Dude]

Joe;

I hear Arizona calling, "Come Home".

[Blaine]

Bleach is best. Lysol is good, as well.

[J Miller]

Bleach is best. Lysol is good, as well.

I'd forgotten about Lysol. I think we got some around here. If not I know where to get it.

Joe

[Doc Hudson]

I'm no cleaning expert, but I'd suggest you stay away from the vinegar, it is an acid.

Why not try a using Chlorox in place of the vinegar. Start very weak and strengthen the solution until you get the desired results.

[Old No7]

"I've haven't even gotten to my gun stuff yet and I'm a bit afraid of what I'll find.

Gun stuff and pen stuff is in the same area of the basement.

Any ideas?"

Sure, forget about the pens and take care of the guns FIRST!!!!!!

That's what I would do!

After the other ideas help you, I'd definitely get a dehumidifier installed ASAP. My cellar has one mounted high in a box hung off the joists. That way, instead of having to empty the drain bucket, it is connected to a hose which is routed outside and drains just fine.

Good luck!

Old No7

[J Miller]

Doc,

You have a point about the vinegar. I only mentioned it because I do know it kills mold. But I'm still leery about the bleach. I guess I have to do like you say and dilute some if the Lysol don't work.

Old No7,

The dehumidifier runs 24-7 during the summer ,,, except when the basement floods then everything electric that sits on the floor is unplugged and shut down. It has a drain hose that drains into the basement drain. A hanging one would be nice, but we got this one for $5.00 in a yard sale. And it does work. This basement was moldy when we rented this place, and we have no way of killing it all off while we are occupying the place. Just too much stuff.

As for doing the gun stuff first, I'm not too panicked about it because most of it is oiled down and sealed in zip-lock bags.
The other thing is I have far more money invested in the pens than in the gun stuff. I'm looking for a way to sell some of them for moving money. So they gotta look their best.

Joe

[2ndovc]

Joe,

I run into this a lot with the restoration work I do.

Check out www.jondon.com click on mold and it will bring up anti-microbials.

For about $30.00 a gallon ( and a gallon goes a long way) they have a
product that we spray after every water loss is dried out.

A gallon will last the average home owner years if sponged on instead of sprayed.
Good stuff and wont damage anything.

jb

[J Miller]

Jason,

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Joe