[Shirley Sue]

Hi all,

just looking for some suggestions on how to clean mould off a wooden rocking horse. It has been sitting in our shed for the last 6 months and due to the humidity has grown some organisms lol!

It has been painted with oil based paint if that matters?

HELP! Dd is desperate to ride Shergar the horse!

[BadCat]

Apparently clove oil is good for mould. It might be hard to get hold of though.



This post has been edited by O TheHugeManatee: 06/02/2013, 12:33 PM

[busymumof1&1/2]

Oil of Clove can be purchased from pharmacies. It is primarily used for toothaches. You will need to dilute it about 5 mls in 1 lt (I think) according to Shannon Lush. It will kill the mould, and it will not recur, but it will not remove the mould that is on fabric? or wood. I have heard salt is really good at removing the stain.

[librablonde]

You can buy Oil Of Cloves from most pharmacies and some supermarkets. It will kill the mould and it won't grow back. If the mould has stained the wood and can't be scrubbed off you may have to sand the wood back and repaint. But the mould will be dead.

[*Mrs_Cullen*]

Ive been told chlorine. It bleaches the mould and kills it also.

Not 100% sure for wood though

[bluegirl8]

I've been dealing with mould for the past year ever since I moved into my new flat - all I can say is vinegar, vinegar, vinegar! (I use white.) It's cheap and works like a charm. I'd give your horse a wipe down, and then put it outside on a sunny day for a few hours, if at all possible (the sunlight kills the remaining spores and stops them regrowing, especially with fabrics).

[anasam]

You could try contacting one of the many websites that deal with rocking horse restorations. A lady I know does this and is in contact with other restorers all around the world. Try googling rocking horse restoration.

[Shirley Sue]

Thanks for all the replies!

I'm not too worried about the fabric- my Dad a carpenter made it - so it can be easily replaced. Should I dilute the vinegar or use it straight? Also, at my local woolies they sell cleaning vinegar- is it any different to regular white vinegar? Might get some oil of cloves too.

[Leggy]

I just use undiluted, home-brand white vinegar. I suspect "cleaning vinegar" is just a way of trying to get to buy something more expensive than necessary!

[Joey11]

I've used 20% vinegar solution but I've also heard it should be 80%. The cheapest white vinegar you can find (I haven't heard of "cleaning vinegar" but like PP suspect it's just a marketing ploy).

Oil of cloves is awesome too - it's what they swear by in Darwin.

Just don't use bleach or chlorine! It takes the colour out so it looks like the mould is gone but it doesn't kill the mould, it actually helps the spores sink further into whatever you're trying to clean off.