Send Help! Mold!

HollowPoints · 02-01-2014, 06:50 PM

I purchased a full black Dakota interior for my E90 back in April of last year and had it stored @ my sister's place in North Carolina. When the seats were shipped to me end of December, this is what I got (cue crappy iPhone pic):

Everything I got was covered in mold-seats, door panels, steering wheel, headrests. The front seat in the picture and the rear seat bottom were the worst of it.

I went to Home Depot and picked up a bottle of Concrobium Mold Cleaner which is safe for use on leather according to the label. (Seat on the left is the after)

Right now everything LOOKS clean, but I'm not putting these seats in my car until I'm 100% sure they're clean and safe. My question is, how bad could it possibly be, and if possible, what else can be done to salvage them? From what I understand, the leather has a urethane(?) coating- would the mold just be on the surface coating, or is it pretty definite that it penetrated down into the leather? Is it possible that the mold has made its way into to the seat cushioning? Would steaming the seats be effective? As it is, the sport seats are non heated, so I was planning to install the seating elements so the front covers would have to come off, but I'm not going to spend hundreds more on that if I have to end up scrapping the seats...

Any info would be helpful, as well as any referrals to any detailers in/around Connecticut that deals in this type of work. thanks in advance

ddas · 02-01-2014, 08:59 PM

You most certainly have mold spores all over the foam padding. The mold is not limited to what you see. It grows in moist, warm and dark locations. The padding was definitely as good a breeding ground.

Otruba_843 · 02-01-2014, 09:00 PM

Get a good leather cleaner and scrub them down with a leather brush as well. Let them sit outside during the day when your home. You don't want to mess with mold.

ping65810 · 02-04-2014, 09:12 AM

Besides what others have suggested, you might try spraying a bleach/water solution on the undersides to kill all the mold spores that have gotten into the foam. It won't help anything underneath, but will at least help kill some of the mold. Drying them out may well be the best way to go, but I would hesitate putting them in my car until they have no odor at all.

autosparkle · 02-10-2014, 12:29 AM

If you can get your hands on an ozone machine...besides that just make sure all moisture is Eliminated. Damp rid

D_o_S · 02-17-2014, 04:17 AM

Get rid of the seats and forget it man... are you sure you want to risk the potential dangers of being exposed to mold long time? It's not like you're going to clean it all 100%, and the part that stays will grow... and grow... infesting your whole interior...

Forget about it man...

BashShah · 02-18-2014, 01:26 PM

Don't throw them away:
Do this to be sure:
Either go to an upholtry shop, or do it yourself.

1. Take leather off of your seats.
Clean both sides.

2. Clean all foam cushioning.... Now that the damage is visible.

It's not hard..... At least on the e46 seats it was easy.

When ever storing upholstery..... Cover it up.

DN
PS.... Could have been worse.....rats.

02-01-2014, 06:50 PM	#1
HollowPoints Private 10 Rep 76 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: CT iTrader: (0)	Send Help! Mold! I purchased a full black Dakota interior for my E90 back in April of last year and had it stored @ my sister's place in North Carolina. When the seats were shipped to me end of December, this is what I got (cue crappy iPhone pic): Everything I got was covered in mold-seats, door panels, steering wheel, headrests. The front seat in the picture and the rear seat bottom were the worst of it. I went to Home Depot and picked up a bottle of Concrobium Mold Cleaner which is safe for use on leather according to the label. (Seat on the left is the after) Right now everything LOOKS clean, but I'm not putting these seats in my car until I'm 100% sure they're clean and safe. My question is, how bad could it possibly be, and if possible, what else can be done to salvage them? From what I understand, the leather has a urethane(?) coating- would the mold just be on the surface coating, or is it pretty definite that it penetrated down into the leather? Is it possible that the mold has made its way into to the seat cushioning? Would steaming the seats be effective? As it is, the sport seats are non heated, so I was planning to install the seating elements so the front covers would have to come off, but I'm not going to spend hundreds more on that if I have to end up scrapping the seats... Any info would be helpful, as well as any referrals to any detailers in/around Connecticut that deals in this type of work. thanks in advance Attached Images
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02-01-2014, 08:59 PM	#2
ddas Second Lieutenant 216 Rep 289 Posts Drives: 2018 Daytona Violet M3 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Atlanta iTrader: (0)	You most certainly have mold spores all over the foam padding. The mold is not limited to what you see. It grows in moist, warm and dark locations. The padding was definitely as good a breeding ground.
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02-01-2014, 09:00 PM	#3
Otruba_843 Lieutenant Colonel 98 Rep 1,509 Posts Drives: 2009 E90 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Egg Harbor - Athens iTrader: (0)	Get a good leather cleaner and scrub them down with a leather brush as well. Let them sit outside during the day when your home. You don't want to mess with mold. __________________ 2009 E90 328i Monaco Blue premium/idrive/convience/logic-7/cold weather/ xenons/ saddle brown interior
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02-04-2014, 09:12 AM	#4
ping65810 Private First Class 1 Rep 150 Posts Drives: 2007 328xi Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Dracut, MA iTrader: (0)	Besides what others have suggested, you might try spraying a bleach/water solution on the undersides to kill all the mold spores that have gotten into the foam. It won't help anything underneath, but will at least help kill some of the mold. Drying them out may well be the best way to go, but I would hesitate putting them in my car until they have no odor at all.
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02-10-2014, 12:29 AM	#5
autosparkle New Member 0 Rep 12 Posts Drives: honda Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: atlanta iTrader: (0)	mold If you can get your hands on an ozone machine...besides that just make sure all moisture is Eliminated. Damp rid
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02-17-2014, 04:17 AM	#6
D_o_S LCI'd 283 Rep 822 Posts Drives: 335i LCI Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Home iTrader: (1)	Get rid of the seats and forget it man... are you sure you want to risk the potential dangers of being exposed to mold long time? It's not like you're going to clean it all 100%, and the part that stays will grow... and grow... infesting your whole interior... Forget about it man...
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02-18-2014, 01:26 PM	#7
BashShah Colonel 322 Rep 2,031 Posts Drives: 2012 335i Sedan Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver, Canada iTrader: (0)	Don't throw them away: Do this to be sure: Either go to an upholtry shop, or do it yourself. 1. Take leather off of your seats. Clean both sides. 2. Clean all foam cushioning.... Now that the damage is visible. It's not hard..... At least on the e46 seats it was easy. When ever storing upholstery..... Cover it up. DN PS.... Could have been worse.....rats.
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