Can mildew or mold be removed from cases?

[Quoth]

Citric acid is an alternate to vinegar for descaling. Smells better! Not sure if effective on mould.

[hobnail]

Can you store them in something airtight and then put in some of those drying crystals? I don't know if ziploc bags would work; I store my wool socks in them and squeeze all of the air out of them and then a day or so later the air is back.

My dad told me about when he was in Guam and their shoes got moldy and they had a box with a low wattage lightbulb in it in the bedroom where they'd store their shoes.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by hobnail

Can you store them in something airtight and then put in some of those drying crystals? I don't know if ziploc bags would work; I store my wool socks in them and squeeze all of the air out of them and then a day or so later the air is back.

My dad told me about when he was in Guam and their shoes got moldy and they had a box with a low wattage lightbulb in it in the bedroom where they'd store their shoes.

I've thought of stuff like that, like how people store electronics in rice to dry out accidental drops into water, but I'm picturing a mess of crystals or rice just to open the kindle. The cases I don't use, such as when I bought two at a time for the Paperwhite 4, the one never used did not developed this problem. It's the only one. Strangely it's only when they have the kindles in them that they seem to get mildew. I figured it was from bath tub reading with the 4, but that doesn't explain the 3, which I never read in the bath or had around water. Very odd.

With your dad's shoes, was there something in the box, or something with the light bulb that was deterring the mold?

My kindles right now are almost always kept in the living room on my side table by the couch. They do have light on daily, but the top of the case isn't what develops mildew, just the inside.

[Paperbackstash]

I just scrubbed the cases with the vinegar/water solution and will let it dry for a bit to see if the spots reappear when dried. Hopefully not.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

I've thought of stuff like that, like how people store electronics in rice to dry out accidental drops into water, but I'm picturing a mess of crystals or rice just to open the kindle. The cases I don't use, such as when I bought two at a time for the Paperwhite 4, the one never used did not developed this problem. It's the only one. Strangely it's only when they have the kindles in them that they seem to get mildew. I figured it was from bath tub reading with the 4, but that doesn't explain the 3, which I never read in the bath or had around water. Very odd.

With your dad's shoes, was there something in the box, or something with the light bulb that was deterring the mold?

My kindles right now are almost always kept in the living room on my side table by the couch. They do have light on daily, but the top of the case isn't what develops mildew, just the inside.

You could put the drying crystals in some sort of cloth bag, not loose. And have several of them. I'm sure they sell it loose since we used it when I was a kid for drying flowers. When it stopped working you could recharge it by baking it for a while in the oven on its lowest temperature spread out on a baking dish.

With the light bulb box, it was just the heat of the bulb keeping the air dry I think. Like our clothes dryers.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by hobnail

You could put the drying crystals in some sort of cloth bag, not loose. And have several of them. I'm sure they sell it loose since we used it when I was a kid for drying flowers. When it stopped working you could recharge it by baking it for a while in the oven on its lowest temperature spread out on a baking dish.

With the light bulb box, it was just the heat of the bulb keeping the air dry I think. Like our clothes dryers.

Interesting. I could try those around the house/closets for some humidity help too.

The cases have dried after the vinegar wash, and unfortunately the spots came back.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

Interesting. I could try those around the house/closets for some humidity help too.

I think it needs to be a small space. What I remember from my childhood (long ago) is that you'd cut a flower and bury it in the crystals. Usually standing up so it didn't get flattened and distorted. I think we used jars and then you pushed the stem into the crystals until just the bloom was above them and then carefully sprinkled it all over, maintaining its shape. Then put the lid on the jar.

So for an ereader cover maybe some Rubbermaid/Tupperware container. And toss in several homemade soap bar sized packets of drying crystals.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Maybe get a room dehumidifier?

We have two, but they have to be run constantly - and emptied almost daily (when the humidity is really bad).

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

I've thought of stuff like that, like how people store electronics in rice to dry out accidental drops into water, but I'm picturing a mess of crystals or rice just to open the kindle. The cases I don't use, such as when I bought two at a time for the Paperwhite 4, the one never used did not developed this problem. It's the only one. Strangely it's only when they have the kindles in them that they seem to get mildew. I figured it was from bath tub reading with the 4, but that doesn't explain the 3, which I never read in the bath or had around water. Very odd.

With your dad's shoes, was there something in the box, or something with the light bulb that was deterring the mold?

My kindles right now are almost always kept in the living room on my side table by the couch. They do have light on daily, but the top of the case isn't what develops mildew, just the inside.

The mold grows in great abundance where my Kindles and kobos are held (when the covers are on), so perhaps it has something to do with sweat and bacteria.

[issybird]

Perhaps being proactive is the answer, i.e., giving your covers a wipe with alcohol every day or so, before the mold/mildew becomes visible?

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

I have used Lysol wipes, water, other cleaners....but the stains of the mildew/mold keep remaining. Is there a way to get this off?

Have you tried baking soda and water to remove the mold and stains, then alcohol to remove the water?

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Milton.
But it will come back if damp.
Why do you think Ireland has forty shades of green? Though most mold is black.

That would be the forty shades of black and brown from all the mud from the rain that never stops. Which also helps with the mildew and mould, no doubt.

(Not that I've ever actually been to Ireland, but I've spent enough time in the Lake District to know what west coast rain is like. And that's protected from the full fury of the Atlantic by... Ireland! So surely it's even worse there. )

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

Ireland is my #1 wishlist for a place to visit.

I'm sure the humidity with the rain there can be intense.

Not really. You need heat for humidity, and the Atlantic Archipelago (as someone trying *really hard* to avoid the ever-vexed Irish Question once dubbed it) just doesn't often get hot enough for that, not even in these global warming times. It's not really that humid when it's pouring with rain, let alone at other times.

I do have a (small) dehumidifier, but it's never on except at the height of summer, and then it's more to remove the smell from drying plaster from an unfortunate plumbing incident a few years ago than to actually reduce the humidity. Having sweat running down you because of the humidity is extremely rare (I can remember it happening two or three times in the last decade). This is one reason why aircon is uncommon in UK domestic properties: because the humidity is relatively low, sweating works properly and aircon is less necessary. My high summer "air conditioner" is a bottle of frozen water sitting in a flat-bottomed bowl, with a USB-powered fan blowing air past it into my face. That's good enough.

The humidity in the southern US, let alone points further south, sounds unbearable to me. The power requirements to make that hellzone livable sound even worse.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Have you tried baking soda and water to remove the mold and stains, then alcohol to remove the water?

No, haven't tried that one. I do have some new baking soda, so wouldn't hurt to try this weekend. Still have them out on the counter

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by NullNix

The humidity in the southern US, let alone points further south, sounds unbearable to me. The power requirements to make that hellzone livable sound even worse.

I agree with you. My family doesn't like Florida but moved here originally for work, now have family and friend ties, but we'd love to move elsewhere weather wise, such as back to North Carolina where we originally started before heading here. Air conditioners go on the fritz here eventually, of course, and can be a pricey fix - hence why I don't have central air currently, instead three air conditioners, but I don't have the power grid to also have a large dehumidifier. Have the small ones to try and help a bit. My family seems to get hot easy though, it bugs us more than it does some people. I have friends who are fine with warmer weather.