I have a really nice, neat, well organized tack room, which is also where I keep my open bags of feed (in metal containers with lids) and grooming supplies. Tight fitting door and window. No inside water source. Never store wet stuff in the tack room.
So why am I whining? MILDEW on my saddles. :mad: It’s always a problem, I have to wipe off every saddle, used lately or not, because mildew is starting to grow on the leather. Not so much on the bridles/reins, just on the saddles.
What can I use as an air freshener type thing, or perhaps a wipe on the leather, to stop this problem? Must be OK to use in proximity with horse pellets.
I put a portable fan in my tack room and keep it on low 24-7 - first yr. I have not had mildew on my tack.
A dehumidifier will help. What materials are your floors, walls and ceiling?
Agree with Palm Beach, get a dehumidifier. I have one in my tack room, along with a mini split. Mini split didn’t quite keep up with the humidity so I added the dehumidifier and it made a huge difference. You don’t need to run it 24/7 just run it for several hours each day and it will help a lot.
I’m with Dog&hrosemom --I keep a fan on low 24/7 --since moving the air dehumidifies it, I’m sure a dehumidifier would work equally well. Look on the bright side --only well maintained leather mildews! Dry/rotting leather doesn’t.
Foxglove
I also keep a fan on periodically and I think that the air movement helps. I looked at dehumidifiers but ended up just using a big container of DampRid that I change periodically. This is the one that I use.
What climate are you in? That can make a big difference. Here in the SE US we can get mildew in our homes if we don’t keep the AC running all summer, OR if we never open any windows to let in fresh air. I’m not talking just bathrooms, I’m talking closets and any other spaces that stay closed up more hours than they are open. I think the tight-fitting door and window you mentioned are part of your problem.
I think lights in closets are supposed to help. Can you leave the light on in your tack room 24/7 without worrying about fire? Can you install a ceiling fan?
I don’t know anyone who has a climate-controlled (AC/heat) tack room, but I guess the fan and dehumidifier suggestions you’ve gotten are good; again, as long as you don’t worry about leaving electrical equipment plugged in and running unsupervised.
Basically, light and air help with mildew.
Wow, thanks all for your suggestions! I think I will go with a small ceiling fan/light, then install another light on the same line. Need more light in there anyhow. Have a licensed electrician to do the work and a new fan and light won’t cost much.
PB, I have cement floor and 2 block walls, then the rest is wood with good insulation. Window in door and also in the one outer wall. Temps in my tack room range from 45 to 75 F. I will also get a container of DampRid.
The cement and block contribute to the humidity. If you can cover it with wood, that will help somewhat.
I am surprised you are not getting mold in your sweet feeds along with the mildew on saddles. Anything with molasses actually pulls moisture out of the air, to cause problems in the feed. I have gotten sealed bags when I used Senior feed, that had mold when opened. It had been hot and humid when I got them, took them right back. I also went to another brand of senior feed with MUCH less molasses for the old horse, had no more problems though I checked it constantly for any mold.
I have a great deal of leather in our tack room, though NO FEED at all because of the moisture it draws. We don’t feed anything now with molasses in it, because the mold can start in less than a week. I don’t want to be feeding moldy feed, so I just don’t buy sweet feeds. Feed is in the feed room, out in the barn in cans with lids Also no sink or running water in the tack room, which we have found via friends problems with damp tack rooms, to cause problems with mildew. Sink and faucets just bring more moisture into the room to cause problems.
We have the dehumidifier set at a higher level, so it runs when the moisture reaches a certain level. Some days in summer heat, humidity, it needs emptying AM and PM. I also have a tight sealed metal door, thick wall insulation, with drywall surfaces. Also have a cement floor, but it is not damp with the dehumidifier running as needed. I don’t leave the lights on if no one is in there. It can be quite a relief going into the tack room when it is so damp or air is so humid out in the barn. Feels like you are breathing water some days!
Fan might be helpful with circulating the air inside the tack room, though I would think a floor type fan more useful than a ceiling fan because the bigger face of blades move more air per minute. Moving air picks up moisture off used tack drying out, for dehumidifier to remove.
[QUOTE=goodhors;8382799]
I am surprised you are not getting mold in your sweet feeds along with the mildew on saddles. Anything with molasses actually pulls moisture out of the air, to cause problems in the feed. I have gotten sealed bags when I used Senior feed, that had mold when opened. It had been hot and humid when I got them, took them right back. I also went to another brand of senior feed with MUCH less molasses for the old horse, had no more problems though I checked it constantly for any mold.
I have a great deal of leather in our tack room, though NO FEED at all because of the moisture it draws. We don’t feed anything now with molasses in it, because the mold can start in less than a week. I don’t want to be feeding moldy feed, so I just don’t buy sweet feeds. Feed is in the feed room, out in the barn in cans with lids Also no sink or running water in the tack room, which we have found via friends problems with damp tack rooms, to cause problems with mildew. Sink and faucets just bring more moisture into the room to cause problems.
We have the dehumidifier set at a higher level, so it runs when the moisture reaches a certain level. Some days in summer heat, humidity, it needs emptying AM and PM. I also have a tight sealed metal door, thick wall insulation, with drywall surfaces. Also have a cement floor, but it is not damp with the dehumidifier running as needed. I don’t leave the lights on if no one is in there. It can be quite a relief going into the tack room when it is so damp or air is so humid out in the barn. Feels like you are breathing water some days!
Fan might be helpful with circulating the air inside the tack room, though I would think a floor type fan more useful than a ceiling fan because the bigger face of blades move more air per minute. Moving air picks up moisture off used tack drying out, for dehumidifier to remove.[/QUOTE]
Some of that is simply not true. I have feed and a hydrant in my “tack” room - it’s all one big storage area. I don’t have a mold or mildew problem. Feed/molassas does not “draw” moisture. Moisture is present in the air due to weather conditions. If you have leaky faucets, yes that will contribute to a humid room. Running hot water that results in steam will contribute to humidity.
We used to put a lamp on our saddles when I lived in PNW.
I haven’t started storing my tack in my barn here in NC yet, since it’s not done. However, I did have a mold problem on my harness when I had it in a trunk in the carport. I was fine for awhile but I think I didn’t dry it well before using leather bitter that time.
Now I’m using leather therapy or dish detergent + a little vinegar and problem seems solved.
Once you get mold it will keep coming back unless you are able to clean it up with something like vinegar. Leather therapy has mold inhibitors,most cleaners don’t.
I worked in construction for many years, and sometimes dampness can be caused by runoff from gutters, or maybe a little excavation around the exterior is needed. Hope you find the cause and a good solution.
Up here in Canada, we do get mildew as well in the summer. My DD shares a tack armoire with her friend and they have collected many many of the little packages that are found in shoe boxes, new purses, etc. and place them strategically in the armoire. No mildew!!
They have 2 saddles, bridles, reins, girths, etc… no trace of mildew!
Gosh, what a lively discussion! I don’t feed anything with molasses. No standing water/drainage problems outside barn. I do have a small room and it probably needs more air circulation. I think a vinegar wipe-down then dry outside before putting saddle away would help a lot.
OH, BTW, doing any more improvements to the tack room walls/floors is not gonna happen, hubby needs some new power tools and the budget can’t do both.
I use those Dri-Z-Air black plastic basket things and the calcium chloride crystals that you put in them. I have 3 in the feed room and 3 in the tack room. Have used them for years and they do the trick. They are the same thing that people use on boats and campers. One big plus is I don’t have to leave a heater or light on. This keeps the moisture down. Don’t know if it would stop mold that’s already growing though.
