Car, Van, Truck, & Recreational
Vehicle [RV]
Mould Problems
[May 28, 2003]
Q. I have a mould removal
question. My husband was doing some major repairs on a friend's
van. The van sat without being driven for a total of 9 months
which included the winter wet and raining season of the Seattle
area. When the van was able to be driven my husband then noticed
the horrific mould problem. This van is a conversion van so the
entire inside is carpet and cloth fuzzy seats. There is even
cloth curtains that are not easily removed. We have cleaned the
van with carpet upholstery cleaned and then dried it out good.
This took care of a lot of the mould, but not all of it. There is
still a great deal of black spots and the inside smells very musty
and moldy. The owners of this van are highly allergic to mould.
Is there any way to salvage the inside of this vehicle?
A. No. Serious mould growth in
and on soft fabrics requires their removal and discarding. After
the moldy car materials have been removed, all indoor surfaces
need to be cleaned thoroughly with 2 cups of borax laundry
detergent mixed into one gallon of distilled water. After a
thorough mould cleaning, the next steps are to spray 2 wet
coatings of effective mould killer fungicide and then 2 wet
coatings of antimicrobial coating. The hardest
problem will be to disinfect the inside of the car's heating and
air conditioning ducts. Spraying the two chemicals [separately,
of course] as a fine mist for several hours into the hvac
registers can help solve this problem, but the best solution is
to remove and replace the car's hvac equipment and ducts [very
costly]. For more info on mould remediation, visit
Mould Removal.
kdka.com, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Are You Driving Around
in a Sick Car?
Feb 25, 2003 5:44 pm US/Eastern
Toxic mould has forced
families from their homes and students from their schools; but if you
think you're safe from spores behind the wheel -- think again. What you
don't know about your car could actually be hazardous to your health.
Regardless of its make or model, your vehicle could have a problem with
mould. Since you can't always see it, though, you might not know you have
a problem until you start to feel the effects.
"It's awful, it really is... sneezing,
coughing, my nose starts burning severely."
-- Elaine Simpson, moldy Car Owner
Rob Simpson bought his
new truck last year for $35,000. Though he says he likes the way it
looks and drives, he doesn't like the way it smells -- "a real musty
smell."
Simpson says his problem started with a water leak -- and then another.
"The first time it leaked... from the bed into the carpeting," Simpson
adds, "the carpeting was totally soaked. The second time it leaked, it
poured out of this headliner button right... it was literally like a
sprinkler system."
The truck has been back to the dealer eight times in six months, leaving
Simpson with a pile of repair bills and a car his wife and daughter
won't ride in.
Consumer attorney Craig Kimmel says the Simpsons aren't alone. "We see
it as a trend," explains Kimmel. "Now with the design of new cars, the
air tightness for efficiency and gas mileage and the aerodynamics of
vehicles -- it's made them much more tight -- and just like homes, mould
problems have arisen as a result."
Kimmel says it's a problem that manufacturers must "absolutely" address.
"The operating conditions of a vehicle under
warranty requires the manufacturer to make repairs. A car should not
have a moldy condition either through the air conditioning or heating
systems for any reason."
-- Craig Kimmel, Consumer Attorney
Kimmel says bacteria,
fungus, mould and spores can trigger allergy and asthma attacks that can
severely affect the use of your car -- and should be treated like any
other defect that can't be fixed. "Under warranty it's the
manufacturer's responsibility to make sure that the dealer's work
actually results in a repair."
"I don't care if you spend $5,000 or
$30,000... I think people should be responsible for what they sell." -- Elaine Simpson
The Simpsons have had
their carpet replaced three times and the car deodorized, but the moldy
smell remains.
Attorney Kimmel says if the problem isn't fixed after three tries,
consumers can seek relief under the Lemon Law or under the federal
warranty act.
The bottom line is there is protection to help you get a car you can
actually use.
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