Mouldy tack

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Louby

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Has anyone got any tips on how to stop the tack I dont use often going mouldy in my tack room?
In an ideal world I would keep the bits I dont use often at home but Ive just got no where to store anymore stuff. I only cleaned it all again recently but its already started going mouldy again :(
Just wondered if there was something I could clean it with or any tips on how to store it?
Thanks for any advice :)
 
Me personally would store bridles in bridle bags or seal in plastic boxes with lids sealed down with duct tape.....I have the same prob in my garage and found that I really dried out leather work after washing in washing up liquid....then box or bag with a very light coat of saddle soap....seems worse in older tack.....I also in the boxes line with newspaper which absorbs some of the moisture.
 
its due to mositure getting in, if its a tack room that is locked when not in use try a few trays of cat litter or salt to help take the mositure out the air, ideally you need heat thou, we have a heater in ours that comes on every few hours
 
Thanks for replying. Lining boxes sounds a great idea!
We all have small individual tack rooms at the back of our stables which is a new barn, so I dont think they would appreciate any modifications, not that I would have a clue what to do lol. They have already been lined and everything has been fine until the damp weather. Its mainly my spare saddle which is getting the worse of it so difficult to box really due to its size. I think it may end up having to come home and join the other saddle in the corner on the dining room floor!! Good look for a house thats hopefully going on the market soon lol
 
Once your tack gets mould on/in it, it's very hard to get rid of it completely.
If I come across any mould on tack that's in for repairs, firstly I take it well away from
my other leather.
I take it outside so when I clean it the spores don't float off and land on the
uncontaminated leather.
I use vinegar, you are supposed to use white but as I can buy 5 litres of the normal dark
vinegar from a cash and carry for a couple of quid, that's the one I use and I know it works.
There are many types of mould ranging from white that's on your tack to black in my van and vinegar does seem to kill it all.
My Transit van is boarded out, first year I had it it dripped water from the roof as the condensation
was bad.Most un insulated vans have this problem and my roof isn't insulated, just bare metal.
The wooden boards on the walls went black with mould.
I washed it off, then coated the wood with neat vinegar, I and it smelt like a fish and chip shop for a week or so
but that was 3 years ago and mould's never returned.
It is said vinegar in great concentration can damage leather, I have no evidence to support that but my methods
help reduce this risk by rinsing well.

Using paper towels remove as much of the mould as you can, dispose off the towels.
Wash your hands then apply the vinegar via a new paper towel, neat not watered down as that's next to useless,
it has to be neat
Leave it on allowing it to kill the spores off for several minutes.
Make sure you bin the paper towels, don't use rags and be tempted to wash and re use as
chances are they will still carry spores.
Wash your hands again before the next bit.
Rinse the leather off with plain water, hang to dry either outside if dry enough or indoors
in a warm,dry, bright room away from direct heat (radiators, open fire etc)
When dry it's important to keep the leather in a dry, not overly warm (55-56 degrees is best temp for leather) bright room.
Keep out of direct sunlight but light is good to keep mould at bay.
Avoid, glycerine saddle soap, it encourages mould, avoid dark, damp unheated, tack rooms.
If funds and power supply allow, use a de humidifier in your tack room.
You will have to use a leather conditioner (not oil) at some point to keep the fat content up in the leather.
Secret is dry, well lit room at 56 degrees or slightly higher if leather has good fat content but no more than 70 degrees.
I place any bridles not being used in thin white cotton pillowcases, these help absorb moisture in the air, stops spores getting
in to the leather from any other leather in the room and lets the light through which will help kill spores.
Sunlight in moderation is a natural disinfectant, helping to kill the spores but don't leave it in the sun for too long
as it will damage the leather and dry it out too much, try to get the balance right.
This is how I deal with any mould.
Oz
 
I use Ko-Cho-Line leather dressing, it seems to do a very good job at keeping leather mould free. At one stage I switched to a different conditioner and that was the only time I've seen my tack go mouldy so I went back to the Ko-cho-line
 
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