Help! My mohair soft top is growing mould ??

[Mazdagirl]

Hello fellow fivers, does anyone have an tips on removing mould from the inside of my soft top roof and how the damp might be getting in?

I had my sills replaced earlier this year and think my drain holes may be blocked, could this be the source of damp?

Gutted as car has been mint until now 😭

[MX-5 Lazza]

There are 2 drain holes in each sill and also drain tubes behind the hood. Do you know if these have been cleared? Mildew on the hood will be because of moisture in the car and that will be as a result of water getting in somewhere (some will say that it's just because it's a soft top so unavoidable but they are wrong).

[pewe]

Son's Fiesta had been stood for months without ventilation so had lots of mildew over most surfaces.
Used some household Mould & Mildew spray which not only cleaned it up but seems to have prevented its return (so far).
Just ensure it won't adversely affect paintwork before you spray it too liberally - not that I had a problem - just being cautious.
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe.

[NDA]

Is it garaged?

You could try bags of gel - something like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pingi-LV-A300-Reusable-Car...

The mould will remove easily enough....

[anonymous-user]

Mine normally grows mould when it's covered up over the winter, but it's under a 100% waterproof cover so must be caused by just condensation. It seems to scrape / wipe off OK though.

[Mazdagirl]

Thanks all. The car was garaged up until 8 months ago and never had an issue. Will try the cleaner and check the sills . I assume the drain tube things are easy to access?!

She's temporarily stored now in my parents garage so she can dry out which I hope helps.

Thanks once again 😊

[NDA]

When you move it back outside and If it's under a waterproof cover, would it be worth opening the windows just a crack to get some air circulating? I guess you might get insects in.... not sure.

Mould in a car is a bit depressing as it looks a bit unloved.

[lilwashu]

MX-5 Lazza said:

There are 2 drain holes in each sill and also drain tubes behind the hood. Do you know if these have been cleared? Mildew on the hood will be because of moisture in the car and that will be as a result of water getting in somewhere (some will say that it's just because it's a soft top so unavoidable but they are wrong).

I dunno, the fact that the hood drains are inside the car makes moisture ingress pretty unavoidable in my eyes.

To OP: All of my outdoor-stored MX5s with otherwise watertight hoods have done this if sat for a while. I got around it by putting some silica gel beads in the cabin and boot and changing them as required.

Edited by lilwashu on Monday 28th December 12:14

[one eyed mick]

Milton fluid , dampen a clean cloth with milton wipe over this will remove mildew and hold back any regrowth , repeat every 6 months proven on many tents in the past, hope this helps

[Mazdagirl]

I've ordered the dehumidifier pack, thank you 😊.

The car is currently garaged with the windows open to dry out. My intention now, following your advice, is to clean and treat the roof and then once dry I think I'll fit the hard top.

I'm also going to check the drains and holes just in case they're blocked.

Thank you all 👍

[pewe]

If you don't already know - be careful when checking the drain holes that you don't push the flaps at the bottom end upwards and leave them like that.
They are effectively a one way valve so pushed and left up will block the drainage.
To avoid this acquired wisdom says you should use a trombone cleaner (I kid you not!) pushed from the top down only. If you don't have one lying about (if not why not?) they're only a few pounds on flebay.
Benefit is that you ensure the whole tube is clean and clear and the flaps face downwards.
When I did mine I was surprised to pull out a trim clip and bolt!
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe.

[sbird]

If you don't have a trombone cleaner, and old car aerial works well. Use it like a cue-tip/cotton-bud (ie carefully and slowly). You'll hear when it hits the concrete/tarmac under the car.

[SmilerFTM]

sbird said:

If you don't have a trombone cleaner, and old car aerial works well. Use it like a cue-tip/cotton-bud (ie carefully and slowly). You'll hear when it hits the concrete/tarmac under the car.

I used an old net curtain wire that used to hold my parents net curtains up in their old house. Worked a treat clearing them out

[Mazdagirl]

SmilerFTM said:

I used an old net curtain wire that used to hold my parents net curtains up in their old house. Worked a treat clearing them out

Fab! I have one of those floating around 👍

[fatjon]

I removed it using Dettol wipes. It worked well and seems to leave something behind that inhibits regrowth quite well.

[Gandahar]

Dettol or Savlon does work well. After all that rain in Kent this last week I guess the inside of mine has more mould than Stilton.

Will it ever stop raining?