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  Discussion on How do I keep a tack trunk free from MOLD?
Author Message
Member:
Aewheele

Posted on Friday, Jul 7, 2006 - 12:06 pm:

My tack trunk is not ventilated and has developed a bad smell. I have pulled everything out looking for the offensive item (I actually thought something had DIED in the trunk), but have only found a pair of moldy leather riding gloves. I am going to clean the gloves with vinegar and water as per instructions I found on this site. I was thinking of drilling holes into the top or side of the trunk for ventilation, but I was hoping that someone would have another idea. Is there anything that I can place in the trunk that will keep the mold away? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
Member:
Canter

Posted on Friday, Jul 7, 2006 - 7:32 pm:

Dede, often when you buy shoes or a handbag, they come with little white packs inside of them - forgive me, for the life of me, I cannot remember what they are called. Anyway, the stuff inside the pack absorbs moisture from the air. I know you can buy these at any home good or hardware store, both as packs and also in a bucket for a bigger space. Before drilling holes in your trunk, I'd give these a try.
Member:
Leilani

Posted on Friday, Jul 7, 2006 - 7:59 pm:

I believe it's desiccant. Good luck with the mold. We have a lot of that here. Leilani
Member:
Corinne

Posted on Friday, Jul 7, 2006 - 10:51 pm:

Leilani...you are correct.....my puppy ate some a while back and we had to induce vomiting because of it's absorbant action.
If you get some DeDe just be sure to keep away from pets and small children.
Good Luck....Have you tried Febreeze? The Allergen Reducer one has really helped our new base house smell not so musty. It's so humid here mold is an issue as well.
Member:
Aewheele

Posted on Saturday, Jul 8, 2006 - 12:58 pm:

Thank you all!!! I was hoping that there was a product out there that I could use. I don't want to drill into the trunk because it will allow dirt (and who knows what else) to get in. I will purchase some disccant and place it in the trunk. I'll keep you posted. I love this site!!!!
Member:
Djws

Posted on Saturday, Jul 8, 2006 - 9:03 pm:

Dede-

Put some dryer sheets (fabric softener) in your trunk. They DO help with the odor, doubt they will do anything for the mold problem. I think Bounce or Downey sheets has Febreeze in them. Remove and replace them with new ones every day or so until the odor is gone.

You can purchase large bags (cloth type) of disccant at Wal-Mart. They have several products that keep the moisture/mold out of closed spaces/containers.
Member:
Christos

Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2006 - 7:44 am:

Dede and all, these little bags of desiccant are to absorb the condensation forming from big temperature variations during shipment. Once they do that, they are saturated and can be of no help anymore. The goods must be stored in a dry place from that point on.
It is very unlikely that 2 pounds of desiccant has the capacity to dry a damp pair of gloves or a used saddlecloth. If it does, it will be once only. So desiccants are good in sealed containers, but not much help when exposed to open air humidity and damp items.
Some desiccants will change colour when saturated. These you can usually re-energise by baking them for a few hours at 150 Celsius or so. Do not bake it unless there are specific manufacturer's instructions to do so.
If your find a desiccant you can bake but does not change colour to let you know when it had enough, you can stick a cheap hygrometer inside the trunk to monitor performance. It is not important whether the absolute indication is correct, all you need is to see when it rises.
Member:
Stevens

Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2006 - 3:43 pm:

Try vermiculite, the stuff that you add to potting soil to retain moisture. It's yet another desiccant, reasonable priced at Home Depot etc.

I'm assuming that you aren't putting things that are actually wet in the tack trunk but are looking to mitigate the moisture in the air.

Good luck,
Chris
Member:
Aewheele

Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 8:54 am:

I may have put something in the trunk that was damp, but I don't remember specifically. I am much more careful now. I sprayed Lysol all over the trunk the other day, and I'm now keeping a can there all the time. Hopefully that will suffice. Thanks again.
Member:
Heidih

Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 11:50 am:

Around here, we have a product called Damp Rid, that is a dessicant (Calcium Chloride). It comes in a double layered plastic container. The pellets go in the top layer and once they absorb the water, the combination turns to liquid and falls to the bottom of the container. I dump the liquid out several times a week. I keep 2 containers in my horse trailer tack room and boy has it made a difference. I haven't had any moldy tack in there in quite a while. I'm thinking that 1 container for a tack box would be sufficient, as long as you are careful and pour out the liquid fairly often.

Here's a link to a place that sells it online. I usually buy a tub or 2 and then buy the larger size refill of the pellets and reuse the smaller tubs (until they eventually crack due to age). It's fairly inexpensive and safe.

https://www.amazinghomeproducts.com/store/Store_Sub.cfm?Category_ID=12&CFID=51693 45&CFTOKEN=42996510
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