# Mold on ouside cook area



## JimMcCombe (Apr 3, 2004)

Hi All,

We keep growing mold on our outside cooktop area--it grows mostly on the components atttached to the door--the stove itself, and the plastic cooktop area. I am very meticulous about cleaning, and drying this area after every trip. The compartment does have a breather hole in the top, so I would think that any moisture could escape. We did have some compartment leaks early on, but they were fixed and now the area is bone dry even after heavy rains.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what may be causing this, or perhaps a home remedy? I've washed the area down with a bleach solution, and that helps, but the mold still comes back. I was wondering if there is anything I could put in there to absorb the moisture--something like a silica pack (you know, those little bags that sometime ship with electronics gear). I appreciate any ideas...

v/r

Jim


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## DaveRL (Feb 26, 2004)

Could it be growing on un-seen greesy residue. I know you clean it well but maybe a heavy duty greese cutter would help. We have had problems like that with greese on things in the outdoors.

Just a thought


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## JimMcCombe (Apr 3, 2004)

Dave,

Great suggestion. Yesterday afternoon I took the entire stove assembly apart and cleaned it with a heavy degreaser, then anti-bacterial spray, and finished it off with a bleach/water rinse. I then dried it by hand, and with a blow dryer. That should minimize, or eliminate any further "breeding grounds".

I'm curious if anyone else is seeing the same thing--could lead to a cause of the problem that I'm missing.

Thanks,

Jim


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

I noticed it when I was cleaning up for winterizing. Then I realized that I had forgotten to clean it after a weekender in August. I usually go through the whole camper after returning from a trip, and just must have forgotten the outside stove.

I did pretty much the same as you, degreased everything, than a 10:1 bleach solution. You do need to let the bleach sit on the surface for up to 10 minutes to make sure it kills all the mold spores. I just put the removable cutting board in the dishwasher and ran that on a sanitize cycle.

Tim


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

They say most household bleaches (Clorox, etc.) aren't really strong enough to kill off mold spores. The will change color and maybe go away for three weeks and they come back stronger than before. At least that is my experience from 15 years in Louisiana.

To really kill the mold/mildew you need a real fungicide. Like Sodium Hypochloride. I always used ZEP, especially outside. About $6.50/Gallon at Home Depot. Stronger the better. Inside, tilex isn't bad on solid surfaces.

Always test on a small hidden place to see if it is going to damage your stuff.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

I will have to keep an eye out for a new outbreak, and hit it with the strong stuff then...Thanks for the update.

Tim


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## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

Mold is an organism that feeds on (among other things) cellulose fibers and other food sources. It won't grow on metal, paint, rubber, etc., but it will grow on dirt or dust that's stuck to metal, paint, etc. Since mold spores are *everywhere*, the only way to end mold is to clean off the food supply- my guess is that there's some grease or cooking splatter that you missed. Clean everything with soap and water really well, and you shouldn't have a problem. Bleach/water will kill mold, but won't necessarily clean up the food supply, so it will return.

Rule of thumb: if there's mold on paint, something's dirty!

Kevin P.


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## RVFIXER (Dec 3, 2004)

ARE YOU SERIOUS! MOLD WILL GROW WHERE IT WANTS TO!


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## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

RVFIXER said:


> ARE YOU SERIOUS! MOLD WILL GROW WHERE IT WANTS TO!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nope, not kidding.







From the US EPA website: 
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldresources...on%20to%20Molds

"Introduction to Molds
Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.

Basic Mold Cleanup
The key to mold control is moisture control. It is important to dry water damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of the excess water or moisture. Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water. Wash mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely. Absorbent materials (such as ceiling tiles & carpet) that become moldy may have to be replaced.

Ten Things You Should Know About Mold
1. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints.

2. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.

3. If mold is a problem in your home or school, you must clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture.

4. Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth.

5. Reduce indoor humidity (to 30-60% ) to decrease mold growth by: venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside; using air conditioners and de-humidifiers; increasing ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning.

6. Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.

7. Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry completely. Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles, that are moldy, may need to be replaced.

8. Prevent condensation: Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.

9. In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting (i.e., by drinking fountains, by classroom sinks, or on concrete floors with leaks or frequent condensation).

10. Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance, providing moisture is present. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.

Kevin P.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I agree that the surface probably has a thin layer of unseen grease on it. I think I'd clean the surface with windex or 409 and that will cut through the grease. As for a dehumidifier, maybe if you get a cloth bag, fill it with rice, and stick it in with the stove. Do I need to say that the rice should be uncooked?


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

So if mold grows on my old sandwich, that mean's it was dirty?


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Interesting stuff, I can't say I've seen any mold growing on ours at all. One thing just to double check is the holes at the top of of the inset, the holes open up into the under sink area. Might just check to see if you have mold growing in there too.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

RVFIXER - First welcome to the Outbackers Forum but since you are new I would like to suggest a few things.

You may want to think about how and what you post. You may notice that 99% of the posts on this site are either attempts to be constructive or to be light hearted. Yes there are times when this does not happen but it is not very often. That said, can I suggest the following.

Please lose the CAP LOCKS as in a forum like this it means you are shouting. Based on the first paragraph above unless it is obviously written as a joke all the posts here are Serious.

My post here is intended to be both Serious and Constructive.

Again welcome to the site and I hope to see many more posts from you as being in the business you will give all of users an inside view of the industry.


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

What Andy said.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Well said.


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## RVFIXER (Dec 3, 2004)

shake1969 said:


> So if mold grows on my old sandwich, that mean's it was dirty?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


well said. we have over 150 campers in stock and i have seen mold grow in the strangest places.

as far as my comments, they are made to get people to







up.


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

So what part of the country do you work in?

I would think mold would be less prevalent out here in the dry west.


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

Wait, it's dry here in the west? No one told us up here in rain forest country.


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

The DRY west BBB. You're in the far west! Or the wet west, so to speak.

I guess were in the near west. Some maps put us in the southwest, but that ticks off Arizona. We're not in the mid-west, that's like Ohio and Illinois. We're not in the little old South, as were west of the big muddy.

So I call us the dry west, although we're over on rain here lately.


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

It's odd but we have just about every kind of wet and dry in Washington State and although it is called the Evergreen State, much of the State is dry. I love to get over to the dry side of the State (where I grew up) where the sage grows and the sky is BIG (yup, like Montana has).

In the Seattle area you can find areas with average rainfall of as little as 19 inches and as much as 93 inches (micro-climates is what they are called and the 93 inch location which is the I-90 corridor past North Bend is actually classed as a rain forest).

To bring this back to topic, we are always worried about humidity and molds. Storing the camper over the winter has me worried and I'm using the chemical dehumidifier in the camper to try and keep the stray moisture down. Not sure how effective but we tried to eliminate any sources of food for the stuff to get started on even though it can find paper or fabric and gain a hold.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

That's one of the reasons we built our storage shed where we did in central Idaho -- it's dry. During my AF years when we were moving around so much, we used to ship the things we wanted to store to my parents in Idaho. I had stored guns, furniture, computers, photographs, etc for years and they were never damaged by anything, to include mold, even though they didn't have any type of special packaging and the storage shed was just an unheated empty building on the farm.

I can't say that for other places we have lived. In Alabama, our snow skiis were in storage and they delaminated. In Redmond, WA, most everything grew a nice layer of moss, including my Prowler TT. I don't recall, however, having any problems with mold inside the TT and it has been in outside storage in Alaska, Virginia, and Seattle.

Doesn't Lysol now make a kitchen cleaner and disinfectant? I wonder if cleaning with something like that would help the situation?


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