Have you found yourself wondering “how to clean mildew off vinyl seats”?
You can see vinyl seats on both your boat and your car. With this, you may start to smell something awful and later on discover mildew on it.
On vinyl car seats, you might want to get a white distilled vinegar and spray it on top of the mildew. Now, for the vinyl boat seats, you may opt for a bleach-free mold and mildew remover.
You may see that the products used in both seats do not contain bleach. It is because bleach may affect the quality of the vinyl, and it may compromise its quality and shorten its lifespan.
If you want to have more knowledge on how to clean vinyl seats, let us continue.
What Is Vinyl?
Vinyl is a synthetic plastic consisting of polyvinyl chloride and can be used as a covering. Vinyl is widely used as a seat because it is cheaper and long-lasting than leather or fabric seats.
Another perk of vinyl seats is that since it is plastic, the chance of it having stains is slim, and it is also waterproof that is perfect for boat seats. Because of its price and perks, many people like to have vinyl seats for both their boats and cars.
Why Does Mildew Grow On Your Vinyl Car Seats?
It is simple, the moisture from the outside of the car found a way inside it by maybe a crack on your windows, or you have spilled a drink and forgot to clean it. Once there are mildew spores inside your car, they could grow probably anywhere, on your seats, seatbelts, or to your air conditioner.
Spotting them would be reasonably easy except for the mold inside your air conditioner. Both the seat and the seatbelt would have visible spots where mildew has grown.
With your air conditioner, you would be able to smell something awful, indicating that there is mildew growing inside of it.
Why Does Mildew Grow On Your Vinyl Boat Seats?
Since the boat usually is in the water, it would be at the most significant risk of getting mildew. The moisture and constant wetness from the environment would be excellent for growing mildew.
Due to the environment your boat sits in, you should always check for mildew growth and constantly clean it while you’re there to prevent mildew from growing.
Removing Mold Stains On Vinyl
In cleaning mold off vinyl materials, you should not use bleach simply because it will remove all the oils from the material and damage it further instead of taking care of it. Instead of bleach, you can use detergent mixed with water or white vinegar.
First, dust off any mold chunks or vacuum it, then damp the vinyl surface with your detergent-water mixture or vinegar. Let it dry and vacuum or dust off again.
For a step-by-step guide on how to remove mold stains on vinyl, check out this article we have.
Removing Mold On Vinyl Car Seat
To clean your vinyl car seat, you need vinegar, a spray bottle, and a scrub brush. Start by filling your spray bottle with vinegar.
Once the bottle is full, spray it all over your car seat. After you finish spraying all over your car seat, start scrubbing the car seats with a scrub brush.
Simply redo this process until all the molds are gone. To know a more detailed guide on removing mold in your car, check this car mold removal guide.
How To Get Rid Of Mold On Vinyl Boat Seat
You need to have a bleach-free cleaning solution, a microfiber cloth, and a small brush on cleaning your boat seat. Make sure to carefully choose your materials since they may damage the seats.
Start applying your bleach-free cleaning agent to the affected area. Once you have covered the mold area, start whipping it with the microfiber cloth or the small brush.
After wiping the mold with the cleaning agent, vacuum the seats to remove all the debris. Here are more tips on how to clean mold off boat seats.
How To Prevent Mildew Growth On Vinyl Seats
To prevent mildew growing on your vinyl seats, you have to clean the seat constantly and the surrounding area. It is for the mildew to stop from housing and breeding on your seats.
Also, check if your car can acquire the moisture outside of it. Since your boat is always exposed to seawater, your boat seat acquiring moisture is inevitable.
One thing you can do about it is to clean it frequently. Frequently checking and cleaning the vinyl seats is the best way to prevent mildew growth rather than waiting for it to breed and grow and be seen.
Conclusion
Now you have an idea of how to clean mildew off vinyl seats, whether it be a car seat or a boat seat. We hope you did not stress yourself out too much because there are a lot of options in doing this.