Faith writes:
"My family was going to get rid of this chair because of the mold problem on the back. First, how would I remove the mold and restore the condition on the back. Also does anyone know what vintage the chair is? 1960's? Is is even worth repairing and restoring?"
Hi Faith, the main thing to remember about removing mold from wooden furniture is to start slow and work up, and also to not saturate the wood. First, we definitely suggest you do this outside, and preferably on a bright sunny day with little humidity. Sunlight aids in oxidation and helps eliminate mold. You could try wiping down the wood with a soft cloth and a solution of water and mild dish detergent. Keep the cloth barely damp and rinse the cloth frequently, or use several cloths. You can also use a commercial wood cleaner, and/or mineral spirits. After the wood is cleaned, it is highly suggested you use a wood furniture wax to protect it. Here is a site with more tips.
As for the style, we agree with you assumption that it's probably from the 60's. Based off the photos, it doesn't seem like it would be too hard for an upholsterer to switch it out. Whether or not it's worth saving is really up to you. If there is a strong sentimental attatchment or if you really love the style then definitely hang on to it!
Does anyone have any furniture mold removing tips/experiences and/or suggestions for Faith?
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
If there's mold on the wood and has been there for a while, chances are there's mold in the fabric.
While I continue to praise and support organics, I've found nothing works on severe mold as well as diluted bleach. Kills everything. You don't need much. But then you might want to have it recovered so you can get in deep and seek out the ugly little baby moldies running around in there. Mold is bad. Chair is nice.
I would suggest more than recovering the chair, you should actually have it reupholstered. Have the upholsters take the chair all the way down to the wire and wood frame and use all new foam, fabric, and thread. Good luck!
The wood is fairly easy to clean. Store the chair in a dry (relative humidity below 60%) place and HEPA vacuum + wipe with a mild bleach solution (5%). Do not store this chair in your living space; mold spores are airborne easily and transfer to other surfaces. The upholstery is not so easy. On the surface, you can HEPA vacuum and wipe with a fungicide (I recommend Shockwave) but that doesn't reach spores that may be 'in' the upholstery. You may be able to clean it sufficiently providing this chair stays in a very dry environment (mold spores that may be 'in' the chair may go dormant but moisture will bring them back to life).
Mold can be really toxic. I don't know if the chair is worth the trouble or the risk of cleaning it.
If you do clean it, I agree with the suggestion that you have the chair stripped bare, bleached and then totally reupholstered. You have no idea what's lurking within that fabric or the padding beneath.
The mold may have also damaged the finish on the wood, in which case you might need to get that refinished, too. You could probably build or buy a new chair for less than it would cost to fix this one.
You could re-upholster it yourself if you don't have the money to spend on a professional job. Get a book from the library (preferably one with lots of pictures). Singer has a good upholstery book. Your chair does not look that difficult, because modern chairs don't have intricate spring systems that require rewebbing and tying (such as you find in antique furniture). The cushion is most likely made of foam that you can have custom cut, and the padding and fabric is just stapled on. There is a minimum of sewing, and what you do have to sew is pretty basic. You don't even really need any specialized tools, just something that will pull out staples and something that will put in staples. The wood looks like it will probably need to be refinished, which will be much easier without all the fabric and padding on it anyway. I love the chair. I think you should definitely fix it up. Or send it to me.
My brother-in-law's a scientist and mold expert with Farmer's Insurance. He confirms that you must remove and dispose of all fabric, strip the chair down to the wood and metal. The wood must be sanded and refinished. All metal parts must be cleaned as described elsewhere. AFTER these steps, reupholster. There are NO miracle products that remove mold without these steps.
People will tell you the "mold scare" is hysteria, but they're wrong. The mold that grows under the conditions you describe is very toxic. The chair's not worth it if you can't follow these steps.
Hi, Faith here.
Thanks for all the tips! I've cleaned the back of one chair (there are two) with a diluted bleach and water solution, rinsing the rag often and then rinsing with plain water and drying quickly. I tried to not saturate the wood. I waited a few days and then applied some orange oil with fine 0000 steel wool, working with the grain. The wood looks pretty good!
I hadn't thought of all the issues involved with the mold IN the foam and upholstery so I went and got a book from the library on re-upholstering and it looked really complicated. Are there any reupholstering resources in LA that are affordable? Where would be good place to purchase upholstery fabric ... somewhere in downtown? Thank you again for all your help.