Hot Tub Forum

Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: searchinginfl on March 16, 2009, 07:14:52 pm

Title: Black mold/mildew spots on headrests
Post by: searchinginfl on March 16, 2009, 07:14:52 pm

Hi all.  I don't use my hot tub much, but when I opened it to drain/refill today, I found some black spots on my pillows. Some as big as a dime, and lots of small specks. Also a few in the creases between colors. I have a 2007 Caldera Niagra. The pillows in the back were especially bad, because I open the cover halfway a lot.

I have tried dish soap, scrubbing bubbles, windex, & magic eraser....no luck. They lightened up a little and shrunk a little, but not much.

Any suggestions?

Title: Re: Black mold/mildew spots on headrests
Post by: Bonibelle on March 16, 2009, 10:47:20 pm

Can you get them off the tub? I took my pillows off to clean them and I used Chlorox clean-up. I let it soak on them for a little while and scrubbed the marks real hard. Some staining remained, but they looked much better.
and I was sure I killed the mold and slimy bacteria.

Title: Re: Black mold/mildew spots on headrests
Post by: Zep on March 17, 2009, 08:20:44 am

Boni....you are a killer!  ;)

Title: Re: Black mold/mildew spots on headrests
Post by: Hillbilly Hot Tub on March 19, 2009, 09:41:35 am

After you get them clean, I would make sure you splash some of your sanitized water up on them at each use of the spa to eliminate this issue in the future and prevent any water illnesses.

Title: Re: Black mold/mildew spots on headrests
Post by: Gary on March 19, 2009, 11:37:22 am

I would take them off and throw them in spa when shock every now and then.

Title: Re: Black mold/mildew spots on headrests
Post by: coolbreeze on March 19, 2009, 12:52:09 pm

i will wear mine out taking them on and off before they fall apart
i didn't like how they started fading from new after a few months

Title: Re: Black mold/mildew spots on headrests
Post by: Hillbilly Hot Tub on March 21, 2009, 10:10:10 am

The material pillows are made from do not stand up to chemicals and ozone very well. If you ask the manufactures they say to remove them when they are not in use or plan on replacing them every few years. Usually for most it is a pain to remove them.

Title: Re: Black mold/mildew spots on headrests
Post by: clover on March 21, 2009, 04:28:29 pm

If you had a working ozonator, mold would not be present.  Ozone is an oxidizer and a sanitizer and if there is nothing in the water for it sanitize, oxidize or neutralize like bacteria, viruses, mineral or nutrients, ozone will continue to be present until it finds a "like atom" and reverts back to oxygen going airborne.  In that process, ozone will bleach out the cover, the pillows and anything else that stays below the seal of the cover.  

Ozone would represent a hostile environment for mold to live or exist, while chemicals are at work in the water only.