How do you deal with mold in a cellar?

[AndrewH]

@dsimmons

Hi John,

Since it is not your house this may be a little radical but it appears that the best course would be to moisture seal the exposed rock.

I doubt moisture is coming in through the rock . . . the rock is maintaining the ground temperature, which is below the dewpoint in the cellar because of moisture coming from elsewhere.

[Victor_Hong]

@AndrewH

@Victor Hong

Offsite storage.

You mean off-offsite storage?

Yes.

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

Control the existing mold with 1:10 bleach:water hand washing. You don’t need to get it all, just most of what’s bothering you. Install and run a dehumidifier that can self drain (because a shut off dehumidifier with a full reservoir does no good). That’s about the most practical approach. You probably won’t win the mold war…but an acceptable détente.

An ozone generator can work instead of the bleach. It can be tough on humans, pets and plants.

RT

[John_Morris]

@Richard T r i m p i

Control the existing mold with 1:10 bleach:water hand washing. You don’t need to get it all, just most of what’s bothering you. Install and run a dehumidifier that can self drain (because a shut off dehumidifier with a full reservoir does no good). That’s about the most practical approach. You probably won’t win the mold war…but an acceptable détente.

Thanks. I’d be happy for détente. There is a drain in the floor, luckily.

[David_Moore]

John,

I’ve also been investigating a mold solution. I’m getting ready to try some products by Flo-x. According to their website, they have “the only EPA registered and patented product for its long-term anti-mold and anti-regrowth properties”.

Also, according to their site, the EPA specifically advises against using bleach for mold remediation. You can read more in the FAQ section.

I have no affiliation and have not yet tried these products.

https://www.flo-x.com/

David

[John_Morris]

@GregT

John - you get TCA when you combine mold and bleach. I don’t think that should matter, as your wine already has corks in the bottles, but if you care, use trisodium phosphate. You can get it at Home Depot or Ace.

Wikipedia says that trisodium phosphate is good for mildew but less effective against mold.

[John_Morris]

@David Moore

John,

I’ve also been investigating a mold solution. I’m getting ready to try some products by Flo-x. According to their website, they have “the only EPA registered and patented product for its long-term anti-mold and anti-regrowth properties”.

Also, according to their site, the EPA specifically advises against using bleach for mold remediation. You can read more in the FAQ section.

I have no affiliation and have not yet tried these products.

https://www.flo-x.com/

David

Thanks. Sounds like I ought to read that. At the least, perhaps I could use this to seal any wood palates I keep.

[Victor_Hong]

@Richard T r i m p i

Control the existing mold with 1:10 bleach:water hand washing. You don’t need to get it all, just most of what’s bothering you. Install and run a dehumidifier that can self drain (because a shut off dehumidifier with a full reservoir does no good). That’s about the most practical approach. You probably won’t win the mold war…but an acceptable détente.

An ozone generator can work instead of the bleach. It can be tough on humans, pets and plants.

RT

And appliance components.

[Scott_Everson]

Once you get it cleaned up, repaint the white areas with Zinsser Mold Killing primer

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

Mold isn’t my specific area of professional expertise, but I’ve been involved with a couple of dozen remediation projects. As a warning, mold is still the wild west as far as environmental regulations, products, standards and contractor competence. EPA’s current guidelines for bigger cleanups. EPA currently recommends simple cleaning (soap and water) and drying with moisture control for smaller residential problems.

Most of those Flo-X options and similar products are typically not recommended for use around food products…which is something I consider wine to be. Most have somewhat unfriendly fungicides and insecticides as their active ingredients.

Bleach is once and done. Bleach kills, naturally dissipates and that’s that. Most specialty product producers try to scare consumers away from using bleach…for obvious reasons. Using bleach does require care…which is why EPA is careful about suggesting its use on a limited basis. That said, every mold contractor I’ve witnessed has used it.

You’re never going to totally get rid of mold…unless you fabricate a “clean room” with high tech moisture controls and hepa filters.

If bleach and a dehumidifier fail, you can always look at other chemical options…but the main problem will continue to be moisture.

Sealing rocks, walls, and blocks is often a fool’s errand…but it’s an option.

RT

[Marc_Breitenmoser]

@John Morris

@Marc Breitenmoser

a properly built and ventilated cellar has no issues with humidity. Additionally, there’s no ventilation in the clay pipes (those are drainage pipes and historically only used because of the cheap nature of the product) a proper cross ventilation and climate control would solve the issue but would entail a structural construction effort. A powerful aircon system that drains the excess humidity to the adjecent room would be a work around as well.

That’s an easy answer to a question I didn’t ask. Everyone hopes for temp and humidity control, but this isn’t my house. My question was simply how to get the mold under control. It wasn’t a problem for the first two years my wine was in there and I’m hoping to get it back to manageable levels.

(FYI, the clay pipes are simply storage slots that my friend uses. They’re closed at the back. They don’t seem to have any mold!)

That’s the only answer. Other options are what lipstick is to a pig. Plenty of lipstick peddlers around. Re cheap drainage pipes… that’s the point ie. lack of airflow… the bottles IN those pipes (read labels) will develop mold eventually, if it’s not already the case

[John_Morris]

Actually, those bottles don’t have any mold.

[Marc_Breitenmoser]

Yet

[John_Morris]

That’s what I’m trying to head off.

[David_K2]

@John Morris

Actually, those bottles don’t have any mold.

Pay your buddy to swap spaces then.

[Marc_Breitenmoser]

Understand, not yanking your chain. Speaking of experience. No easy way out. Lipstick works but only for a period of time. The only long term solution is what I put forth. No one likes to hear that. I understand your pain. Move your wine… salute

[Mark_Mason]

I saran wrap all my bottles.

[DurstinS]

Don’t dehumidifiers generate a lot of heat? Mine does. Always been afraid to use it in the cellar for that reason.

[AndrewH]

@DurstinS

Don’t dehumidifiers generate a lot of heat? Mine does. Always been afraid to use it in the cellar for that reason.

Some heat, yes. If you have cooling it won’t be an issue. If your temp is 46º in winter the heat won’t be a problem. I’m guessing the moisture problem is probably less in the summer. If not, perhaps OP can put it outside the cellar but in the basement to dry things out.

FWIW, one can also get an adjustable dehumidifier (perhaps they all are). I have one that’s dialed pretty far down so that the humidity remains at at an appropriately high level. It only runs a couple of hours a day, reducing the amount of heat it puts off.

[John_Morris]

OK, the humidifier and Weinboxes are on order, arriving in time for installation this weekend.

It’s a good thing, too, because my temperature/humidity sensor e-mailed me this morning to say that the humidity was so high it was in danger of being damaged.

The funny thing is that the bottle in my home cooler that was most heavily molded – the one that stank up the whole cooler – came from commercial storage! I don’t know it if was infected by another bottle from the damp cellar that I put in the cooler, or what.