Indy "Nub" Guy
Indy "Nub" Guy PowerDork
8/22/20 12:31 p.m.

What's the best way to remove "mold" from car exterior?  Cars been sitting for about 3 years.  

11GTCS
11GTCS Reader
8/22/20 1:06 p.m.

I’ve had good luck with Jomax house wash.   Made for prepping for house painting, you mix it in a pump sprayer with water and bleach following the instructions.   Should be available in most hardware stores.   I first used it on our family’s  island house, it has T1-11 plywood siding that’s stained so there’s a bit of a grain.  It doesn’t get a lot of sun in the winter months and every spring there would be streaks on the siding.    Hit it with the hose to wet it, spray on the Jomax solution and the black turns first brown and then disappears as you spray it.  Rinse off afterwards.  House looks like it’s just been stained / painted when done  

My 17’ Whaler is always filthy after the winter cover comes off, used to spend hours scrubbing the no skid parts to clean it.  I tried the Jomax one year, boat looked like new 20 minutes later with almost zero effort.    Give it a shot, just rinse well when done. I’ve been using it for years and can’t say I’ve ever seen any adverse effects.  

Just elbow grease, a soft bristled brush and dishwashing liquid works. Maybe an old washcloth or towel.

 

boxedfox (Forum Supporter)
boxedfox (Forum Supporter) Reader
8/22/20 1:16 p.m.

I had a lot of that on the roof of my FJ. Ended up using dishwashing soap, foaming car cleaner, and a soft bristled drill brush. It's not great for the clear coat, but it's better than leaving the mold on there.

Mr_Asa
Mr_Asa Dork
8/22/20 1:19 p.m.

In reply to 11GTCS :

Never use bleach on iron unless you want rust.

Patrick (Forum Supporter)
Patrick (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
8/22/20 2:03 p.m.

Pressure washer blows it right off 

Indy "Nub" Guy
Indy "Nub" Guy PowerDork
8/22/20 2:05 p.m.
Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:

Pressure washer blows it right off 

Tried that with my electric powered one.  Didn't work. 

 

Indy "Nub" Guy
Indy "Nub" Guy PowerDork
8/22/20 2:08 p.m.

In reply to wheelsmithy (Joe-with-an-L) (Forum Supporter) & boxedfox :

I'm looking for the easy button.  Just want to clean it up a bit and move this thing down the road.

11GTCS
11GTCS Reader
8/22/20 2:20 p.m.

In reply to Mr_Asa :

No question if just plain bleach and water.  There’s some kind of chemical reaction between the Jomax solution and the bleach.   It works quickly and I rinse well so it’s not in contact for more than 5 minutes or so, the results are pretty amazing.  

stuart in mn
stuart in mn MegaDork
8/22/20 2:23 p.m.

Hand washing with dish soap won't be that hard or take that long, that's what I'd do.  No need to make it complicated.

MrFancypants
MrFancypants Reader
8/22/20 2:26 p.m.

White vinegar and water mixture in a spray bottle. Smells terrible but it should remove the mold without too much effort.

Indy "Nub" Guy
Indy "Nub" Guy PowerDork
8/22/20 2:29 p.m.
11GTCS said:

I’ve had good luck with Jomax house wash.   Made for prepping for house painting, you mix it in a pump sprayer with water and bleach following the instructions.   Should be available in most hardware stores.   I first used it on our family’s  island house, it has T1-11 plywood siding that’s stained so there’s a bit of a grain.  It doesn’t get a lot of sun in the winter months and every spring there would be streaks on the siding.    Hit it with the hose to wet it, spray on the Jomax solution and the black turns first brown and then disappears as you spray it.  Rinse off afterwards.  House looks like it’s just been stained / painted when done  

My 17’ Whaler is always filthy after the winter cover comes off, used to spend hours scrubbing the no skid parts to clean it.  I tried the Jomax one year, boat looked like new 20 minutes later with almost zero effort.    Give it a shot, just rinse well when done. I’ve been using it for years and can’t say I’ve ever seen any adverse effects.  

Looks like the depot of Homes has it for $8.98.  If it works as well and easy as you say, that's the easy button.

stanger_mussle (Forum Supporter)
stanger_mussle (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
8/22/20 2:30 p.m.

I bought a truck canopy from a family friend that was on his truck for about 5 years. His truck was parked under a tree in the back yard everyday. He took it off and stored it on some sawhorses for about another 2 years, still under the tree. It had about a 1/4" thick film of mold/moss/funk on the top and front window. My electric power washer did nothing. I resorted to taking it the local carwash and blasting all that crap off. Then I had washed it to get the rest.

I'm at work and can't see pics. Is the car driveable? Can you limp to the nearest carwash?

 

Indy "Nub" Guy
Indy "Nub" Guy PowerDork
8/22/20 2:47 p.m.

In reply to stanger_mussle (Forum Supporter) :

Car's currently non-operational.  Might be an option once I get it going again.

Pete. (l33t FS)
Pete. (l33t FS) MegaDork
8/22/20 2:55 p.m.

Penetrating oil and a rag.  PB Blaster seems to be the best mix of solvent strength and paint friendliness and availability.

 

It does take a little elbow grease but not all that much.

to

dean1484
dean1484 MegaDork
8/22/20 3:12 p.m.

Dawn and one of those plastic covered roam scrubby sponges for non stick pans.  Comes right off and does nothing to the paint. 

Mr_Asa
Mr_Asa Dork
8/22/20 9:18 p.m.
11GTCS said:

In reply to Mr_Asa :

No question if just plain bleach and water.  There’s some kind of chemical reaction between the Jomax solution and the bleach.   It works quickly and I rinse well so it’s not in contact for more than 5 minutes or so, the results are pretty amazing.  

Based on the SDS, there isn't anything in there that will neutralize the chlorides in bleach.  The SDS actually says that you aren't supposed to mix it with strong acids or strong bases, and bleach is a pretty strong base.

The Jomax alone should knock the mildew out on its own

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