Cleaning Mold Stains on Vintage Fender Tweed Case?

[Mark Helm]

I recently acquired a late 50s Fender steel with a vintage tweed case. Nice case, but it has black stains all over one side (what I assume came from mildew?).

Any advice on how--if at al possible--to remove or mitigate the stains?

Any advice appreciated!

[Chris Boyd]

I've had good luck with a spray bottle filled with 1/2 bleach and 1/2 water with a shot of dish soap..Spray and allow it to sit in the sun for 20 minutes and then rinse or repeat if necessary..

[Michael Butler]

i sure wouldn't use bleach but baking soda and warm water with a small amount of dish soap. vinegar could be added but will make it smell like vinegar. then in the sun.

play music!

[Mark Helm]

Is there any hope for this case? Anybody EVER clean up stains like this successfully?

Thanks, guys!!!!

[Tom Campbell]

If this is a Tolex case...I've use a Tub & Tile cleaner that comes in a spray bottle.

Spray it onto a damp cloth and rub it into the mold area. Take a clean wet cloth and rub off the spray (mold) area. Repeat as may times as necessary. I've also used an old tooth brush to work the Tub & Tile cleaner spray into the crevices of the mold area.
Key words:
Spray
Damp cloth
Wet cloth
Tooth brush

[Michael Maddex]

White Vinegar and Water 50/50 in a Spray Bottle.
Clean Damp Cloth.
Sunshine.

Spray it, leave it in the sun a couple of hours, wipe it off. Repeat.

HTH. Works for me. Good Luck!

[Dave Mudgett]

If this is a Tolex case...

The picture shows a tweed, not Tolex case. Tweed is the hardest to clean without messing up the material.

I have been able to clean serious mold/mildew off tweed cases, but not been necessarily able to rehabilitate them to look real nice without doing worse things to the tweed. My objective is to remove the mold/mildew to the point where it isn't real ugly, doesn't stink, and the mold/mildew doesn't start to grow again.

I try anything I'm going to potentially use, first on a small patch in an inconspicuous area as possible. The worry with bleach is that it may bleach out the color completely. So generally start with the baking soda and/or white vinegar & clear dish soap in water solution - again, on a small patch. See what it does. It probably won't hurt it, but it may not remove the mold. If that doesn't work, I'd move up to dilute bleach, clear dish soap, and water solution, again on a small patch to start.

Do not mix vinegar and bleach! Chlorine gas is not good for you! If you try vinegar first, clear with water and let it sit in the sun for some time before you try a bleach solution.

Other agents like a diluted tile and tub cleaner or other mold/mildew cleaner may also work, but it's pretty unpredictable what the effect on the tweed will be. I imagine that some things might seriously mess up the tweed fabric. Again, the watch word is to try diluted versions first and try anything on a small inconspicuous patch first. And don't mix chemicals like this - get anything you try out before you try something else.

[Mark Helm]

Thanks, Dave!