Need Help On Getting Rid Of Mold Or Mildew In Leather!

[jlrowe]

Need help, probably someone that restores old saddles etc. would have some good info.

I bought a pool table that had been stored in a warehouse for sometime. The leather pockets has such a strong pungent mildew scent it would be impossible to put it inside the house. I cleaned one of the pockets with saddle soap on wet cloth but it didnt help. There is no way i can get to all the areas with out dipping it in some sort of solution. I know 1-8 solution of clorox/water will kill mold and mildew but im sure it probably wont work on leather especially dyed. Just hate to get rid of them because its going to cost me $150.00 to replace. I could probably attempt to make a pocket but having to do 6 would prove difficult and time consuming.

[dirtclod]

I used lime juice on a piece that some mold a couple or months ago and so far it's working. I put on with a peace of sheep skin with the wool on it to put it on with.

[Thor]

Since what you see isn't what you get with mildew you will have to clean the whole thing thoroughly. Not just the leather, but all parts. The mildew will be sitting in all edges and corners, but be more visible on certain areas than others.

You can use white vinegar for cleaning and use an odor block after. If worse comes to worse you should only have to freshen up the color of the leather, but that should be it.

However, the most important part is to get rid of the fungi bacteria, but that won't happen with saddle soap alone. Therefore something more aggressive like the vinegar and very, very thorough cleaning is necessary.

[Ole South]

Either or both of the above and set it out in direct sunlight rotating (all 3 planes) as needed.

Chlorine, ultraviolet light (sunlight) and temps above 115° all kill mold and mildew. Chlorine additionally will bleach dark spots but is NOT selective. YOU have to choose which method is appropriate. Murphy's oil soap is good for wood with mold but not sure it really kills it. It's used on leather too, search the forums. Direct sunlight over time seems to be the least damaging option BUT... that entails completely disassembling the table, wiping each and every surface (might as well use a dilute solution of lemon/lime or vinegar or chlorine bleach as appropriate) then exposing every surface to UV for several hours. If you live in the SW (and I see you don't) not so hard... Ohio this time of year... not so easy. Too bad sub-freezing temps don't kill the stuff.

Btw:dawnlight seems to be most effective killing and fading mold/mildew probably something to do w/light spectrum and more long wave light bouncing around.

Using white vinegar has the added benefit of neutralizing stale smoke smell.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Ole South

[jlrowe]

Thanks guys for the info!

[LawrenceR]

For a few years I fought an on-going battle with a box full of belts, holsters and the like as well as a few saddles, all with various stages of mildew and mold from storage in humid areas. Through lots of trial and error as well as taking some advice from some old timers, I found that a mixture of Borax and vinigar has yielded great results.

First off, I carefully brushed off as much visible mold from the surfaces as possible. Then using a horse spray bottle with the Borax/vinigar solution, I sprayed it liberally onto the pieces, virtually soaking them on the finished side, flesh side, and edges, then allowed them to dry while exposed to indirect sunlight. The sunlight will kill most forms of the mold, and apparently the Borax crystalizes and adheres to the fungus, thereby neutralizing it. (learned this with a google search).

Once dried, I reconditioned the pieces and the saddles with pure olive oil. This was also advised by the old timers. As the olive oil is not protien based as are many other leather oils, it will not promote molding, nor will it attract hungry leather-chewing critters such as squirrels and the like to your tack room.

So far, I've had about 95% success with some mold returning to a few pieces, which I will give the full treatment again in the spring.

To put that 95% into perspective, I saved a collection of over forty holsters that otherwise would have...I don't even want to think about 'otherwise'.

Good luck and let me know how this works for you.

[Ole South]

Borax is a life saver! The only thing I've found that actually neutralizes dog and cat urine odor. Just yesterday I took powdered borax to an old stinky sheepskin fleece I acquired... smelled old like an abandoned tack shop. Sprinkled it with 20 mule team and let it sit for a few minutes then tumbled in the dryer on medium with a milled designer belly... both came out smelling 200% better. The belly is going to need a bit more airing out but the fleece is not bad. Of course there was a 30 minute clean up session involving a wet/dry vac and the dryer but those two hides don't chase me out of the room anymore.

[jlrowe]

Thanks guys...looks like borax may be the answer!