Bad Case Of Mold On Rubber Trim

[bswombaugh]

I have a 2006 Toyota Tundra that has a bad case of what looks like mold/mildew on the exterior rubber trim around the windows. I have tried various cleaners and APC`s and nothing seems to work. What can I use to remove this stuff ? Would Acetone possibly work ? Maybe even wetsanding ?

[GearHead_1]

Bleach will kill mold if that`s actually what it is. Of course it`s bleach, use carefully.

[Stokdgs]

In the rainy, moldy, little trees growing out of the trunk jambs, etc., Pacific Northwest, the only thing I ever used very successfully was Einszett (1-Z) Deep Plastic Cleaner..
It killed and removed everything from rubber, plastic, conditioned it, turned it blacker if it was black, and left it perfect and protected..
Dan F

[MiVor]

I would test a spot with some isopropyl alcohol.

[Accumulator]

I`d probably try Griot`s Rubber Prep first. Though I might just use a regular mold-killer product made for janitorial/etc. use (I use Mold Stat).

[bswombaugh]

I would test a spot with some isopropyl alcohol.

I have tried isopropyl alcohol and straight D101. Neither one even touches it. These mold spots appear to be etched into the rubber. It doesn`t appear that it is just something sitting on the top of the rubber. I am thinking about trying some Tuff Shine Tire Cleaner since it works so well on rubber tires.

[conquistador]

This is a common problem with Toyota trucks built in the 2000`s. Magic eraser is the only thing thats worked for other people. I personally have not tried it yet.

[bswombaugh]

I wonder if a Trim Restorer such as Solution Finish would cover the mold damage and return the trims consistent color back ?

[Accumulator]

What, I`m the only guy here who uses a Mold Remediation Product to kill mold? Safe as can be too, won`t hurt anything but the mold IME.

I`d still try the Rubber Prep first if only because it`d be sitting there on the shelf while the MoldStat (full name = MoldStat Plus) is in the basement of the house

[bswombaugh]

Thanks for the idea about the Magic Eraser. The Magic Eraser with the Tuff Shine tire cleaner was the combo that I needed. It removed just about all of the etched mold and gave me a nice uniform appearance. Thanks again for everyone`s replys.

[Stokdgs]

Glad that Magic Eraser worked for you..
Hope it didnt remove anything else along with the mold or whatever that was necessary on the rubber trim..
Dan F

[bswombaugh]

Glad that Magic Eraser worked for you..
Hope it didnt remove anything else along with the mold or whatever that was necessary on the rubber trim..
Dan F

Thanks Dan. This trim was so bad the customer was considering to have it replaced. There was no real expectations so everything was on the table and I could get as aggressive as needed. The Magic Eraser did remove all the gloss from the rubber but left it with a nice flat consistent finish that I can now dress with Perl or some other protectant to restore its luster. Its not perfect, but looks 100% better and considering the expensive alternative of replacement I think the customer is going to be extremely happy.