Flooded Storage Unit - mold/mildew?

Clorox on items which won't be damaged by it, not furniture obviously. Dilute it down 1 cup/gallon of water.

5thWheel of Fortune wrote:
Our enclosed outdoor storage unit (non-climate controlled) recently took on 10" of floodwaters during the recent Houston floods. Our 5th wheel was fine, but rest of our furniture, boxes and "stuff" got soaked. Flooding occurred several days ago and water receded quickly, but mold/mildew has already begun on the perimeter "stuff". Planning to empty storage locker tomorrow, pressure wash concrete floor, metal walls, and RV (lightly), and let all air dry. I know 5th wheels are not hermetically sealed, anything else I should consider?

Sorry for your loss.

Bleach, spraying cleaners, letting it dry, etc doesn't work. The mildew mold smell and bacteria will always linger.

I would highly recommend hiring a 'professional' Water Damage Restoration company. Just google one in your area. They abound down here in Florida.

What they do is nothing short of a miracle. When they are done with your stuff you can not tell it was ever wet or moldy. And they will be safe to use again.

I watched them do the Navy's portable personal cargo storage units which has all the troops furniture and personal items in them that had been submerged in water and molding almost instantly.

When they were done you couldn't tell.

You might want to consider taking the 5th wheel outside and running the AC unit to help remove moisture also. Even though no water got directly into it, certainly there is a lot of humidity in the trailer.

If possible, take it home or somewhere you have shore power. Put a dehumidifier inside and run it for a few days, or longer.

rockhillmanor wrote:

5thWheel of Fortune wrote:
Our enclosed outdoor storage unit (non-climate controlled) recently took on 10" of floodwaters during the recent Houston floods. Our 5th wheel was fine, but rest of our furniture, boxes and "stuff" got soaked. Flooding occurred several days ago and water receded quickly, but mold/mildew has already begun on the perimeter "stuff". Planning to empty storage locker tomorrow, pressure wash concrete floor, metal walls, and RV (lightly), and let all air dry. I know 5th wheels are not hermetically sealed, anything else I should consider?

Sorry for your loss.

Bleach, spraying cleaners, letting it dry, etc doesn't work. The mildew mold smell and bacteria will always linger.

I would highly recommend hiring a 'professional' Water Damage Restoration company. Just google one in your area. They abound down here in Florida.

What they do is nothing short of a miracle. When they are done with your stuff you can not tell it was ever wet or moldy. And they will be safe to use again.

I watched them do the Navy's portable personal cargo storage units which has all the troops furniture and personal items in them that had been submerged in water and molding almost instantly.

When they were done you couldn't tell.

Considering his location, I'd guess the waiting list for those services will be very long. Maybe he could move the RV to another location to find a company that isn't very busy.

Vinegar works well on getting the musty smell out. If it's already got the black spots on it though, vinegar won't help. I've heard people soak in lemon juice and let it dry in the sun and the spots come out.

Does your FW smell musty?

Our house flooded last year but not our fifth wheel. However, the fifth wheel sat closed while we were focused on fixing the house. Open it 6 months later and there was a decent amount of mildew. I had used the product "Wet N Forget" before with good results. Diluted the product as instructed and wiped the entire inside of the trailer down and just let it air dry. Mildew came off and has not reappeared. It is a product designed to kill mildew and mold.

READ ABOUT PRODUCT HERE

Thanks everyone! Great suggestions. The RV has no lingering odors far as I can tell. I've put a dehumidifier inside for next couple days and will wipe down all surfaces with appropriate cleaners. We're the lucky ones.....pray and offer any assistance you can for those more deeply affected. Thanks.