Mold Control On Leather

[Willy Boy]

Hello,

I have a pair of antique cowboy chaps,well used but in very good condition.Not brittle or damaged,very wearable.The problem is a grey-greenish surface mold that constantly appears when stored for a bit.Is there any product that I can apply to prevent this?

Kind Thanks,

Willy

[Tree Reaper]

I've used spray on clorox bleach and it worked for removing heavy mold.

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

I use some listrene added to my wetting solution ( spray that I use to keep leather moist while tooling a panel) it does a good job of keeping mold from growing while the leather is wet and in the plastic bag or under the glass in between tooling sessions. You might try adding a couple of caps full to a pint of distilled water in a spray bottle, spray them especially the area where the mold appears, and then put them away. I am guessing that will solve the problem for you.

Bob

[Itch]

Mold will usually grow on leather if it is damp,dark, and no air movement. Here is a good read http://www.leathertherapy.com/pages/Inhibiting-Mold-and-Mildew.html

[Northmount]

Need to control the moisture where the chaps are stored. If you are storing in a plastic bag, then you need a desiccant to absorb the moisture. The desiccant will need to be renewed each time you remove them from the bag.

If you can keep some air flow around the chaps, and the relative humidity is low, that will reduce the risk of mold. Storing in a damp cold closet on an outside wall during cold weather is a good way to generate lots of mold, so don't do that!

Listerine (as mentioned above) or Lysol in your water when cleaning up the mold will retard mold/mildew growth.

Keep the mold away from all other leather, it spreads the spores and you will therefore spread the mold.

Keeping the leather dry is key, but also need to ensure the leather doesn't lose its natural oils. You will need to oil it occasionally to restore the oils.

Note also that air conditioned spaces have a higher relative humidity level.

Tom

[TexasJack]

Clorox is mentioned in a previous post, and it will kill nearly anything, but it is a bleach and can oxidize out color as well.

Lysol is mostly alcohol and will do a decent job of killing mold, but be careful to get the unscented version or the perfume they use can be pretty strong.

I've used Listerine (or generic versions of it) mixed in with water when casing leather. This is a high humidity area, so it doesn't take much to bring on mold. It seems to work pretty well.

[terrymac]

Get yourself a bottle of "Bee's Saddle Oil w/fungicide". I use their natural saddle oil all the time as it doesn't darken the leather as neatsfoot oil will. Good stuff and they advertise it for just the kind of problem you are having.

Terry

[Willy Boy]

Hello!

Kind thanks to all for the excellent information! I will give these a try. I thought there was no cure.Nice to hear from all these experienced craftsmen !

Regards,

Will