Mildew on leather … How to kill it?

[fiberoptik]

I have been fighting with mildew on my knife sheaths and slings here in Florida. Ideas??


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[Ford SD]

https://www.theguncounter.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6642
you can try the cure for a wood stock

I did it on one leather sheath that was grey instead of Brown

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This is a pertty easy job and here are the things that you will need.
Rubber gloves.
Clorox Bleach.
Paper towels and some water.


Mix one cap of Bleach with 2/3 cup of water.
If you use too much bleach you could damage the wood.

Since these two stocks are going to be refinished, I stripped them with Strip-X striper before I started with the mold removal. (Striper will not kill the mold)
First you will need to wet the stock and let it sit for a min. or two. This will allow the mold to actavate (wake up).

Next dip your paper towel onto your bleach mix and wipe the stock down. Allow the stock to dry for about 4 hours and wipe it down again. You will need to wipe the stock down 4 to 5 times. This will kill the mold.

[stubshaft]

I use 50/50 vinegar and water on leather it penetrates the pores better and smells better than bleach.

[jeepyj]

Maybe someone that knows more will chime in but I think it has to do with the oils used to treat it. I was just asking about what to use on a cutting board and a gentleman said only mineral oil so it doesn't for mold like vegetable or linseed oil does. Just a thought.

[Castaway]

Have you tried saddle soap? Follow up with a conditioner of some sort. Neatsfoot oil, mink oil or something on the order of Sno-seal will work. There are other things out there that work too, but the three mentioned are inexpensive and relatively easy to find.

[pworley1]

This has worked for me.
1. Brush off all the mildew you can with a nylon brush.
2. Use ethanol paint thinner on a soft cloth to scrub off the remaining mildew.
3. Let the item dry completely.
4. Repeat if necessary.
5. Once clean and dry, treat with a very light coat of the leather preservative of your choice. I use Kiwi leather conditioner. Do not use too much, the leather has to be able to breathe.

[darne]

Saddle makers use Oxalic acid. It's sold as wood bleach at Home Depot, Lowes and ACE. It will also remove black stains from contact with iron and steel.

Dan

[Shawlerbrook]

Ballistol !

[Noah Zark]

Yinz are talking about adding chlorides and acids to leather in which yinz keep your handguns. Think about that - acid or chloride induced corrosion.

Direct sunlight will kill mildew, specifically UV radiation. In the absence of direct sunlight, get some other UV source like the UV fluorescent tubes they sell for parties and bedrooms and whatnot. Alternatively, rent time in a tanning booth.

But don't add chlorides or acetic or oxalic acids if yinz guns are involved.

Noah

[loveruger]

Bleach then Johnsons paste wax.

[GregLaROCHE]

I always wondered how salt would work.

[farmbif]

ive got same problem. ive tried a few things like liquid gold and leather oil but I guess once mold spores get into leather they want to stay there. my next try will be boric acid solution then clean water rinse, dry and then treat with Tandy, dr Jacksons oil for leather which is supposed to keep leather from molding

[1hole]

Direct sunlight will kill mildew,...

That's the first step, kill the mildew/mold.

As a born and raised Florida boy I know placing any moldy "green" thing in direct sunlight for a day and flipping it over for another day is effective for killing mold spores. (BUT no solution is permanent, the conditions that caused the first mold will cause it to pop up again unless you change the storage conditions too.)

Mold grows best in dark and damp places. The least costly and best thing I know of to stop mold is to put a low wattage incandescent bulb lamp (+/- 40 W) in the bottom of the closet or whatever you're encountering the problem. Seems the combined effects of light and a little dry heat in the air works wonders for keeping mold down.


... specifically UV radiation. In the absence of direct sunlight, get some other UV source like the UV fluorescent tubes they sell for parties and bedrooms and whatnot.

Noah

Never heard of that one but it sounds reasonable.

I would steer clear of any uncommon "chemical" efforts to kill mold in my leather, too many possible side effects for comfort.


Let's go Brandon! :)

[charlie3tuna]

Ballistol !

^^^^^^....charlie

[Chaparral66]

With the wet spring and summer here we developed mold everywhere in the house. No spot was spared. Our solution was concrobium. Yes, that is spelled correctly. Available online or at our local ACE. Basically it is what the Pros use.

294168 294170

[bdicki]

I spray it with Lysol and wipe it off, never a problem.

[AndyC]

Ballistol !
This ^^^


In 1874, in Cologne, Friedrich Wilhelm Klever, a lawyer with entrepreneurial talents, founded Chemische Fabrik F.W. Klever. He started with the production of coal-based oils and fats, and soon acquired a mine in order to be independent from raw-material suppliers.

The company made a breakthrough at the turn of the century, when the German Imperial Army needed an all-round oil with very special properties: a multi-purpose oil that would be suitable for all the materials of a weapon – for cleaning, care, and conservation of the metal parts, wooden stocks, and leather straps. At the same time, it was to be used by soldiers as a wound oil for smaller injuries, chaps, and abrasions.

Such a multi-purpose oil was successfully developed in1904. The son of the company founder, Dr. Helmut Klever, who was at that time a chemistry lecturer at the Technical University of Karlsruhe, developed the special oil with all of the desired properties.