How to clean mildew cloth bellows?

[wagne025]

I recently acquired a Speed Graphic. The bellows look to be lightproof, but there is mildew on the inside, which is cloth. I see advice in the archives for cleaning mildew from leather bellows, but didn't see anything specific about cloth. What should I do besides brush off the mildew? Is there something that will kill the mildew without damaging the fabric or the adhesive? If there are remaining stains, is there a dye I could use to blacken the interior of the bellows?
Thanks!

 

[DBP]

I haven't had mildew inside a camera before, but the standard solution to mildew anywhere is to wipe down with a light vinegar solution. As for blackening any stained portions, I would probably use a liquid shoe polish like you use to cover scuffs on shoes. Or maybe a black magic marker. I would also take a very good look at the lens to be sure there is no fungus growing or starting to grow on it.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

a mild chlorox solution would also work. Take off the lens and lensboard, extend the bellows as long as you can, and mix up a dilute chlorine bleach solution in a spray bottle. Insert the spray nozzle through the back of the camera and spray the inside of the bellows. Let it sit for a few minutes, wipe down, and let dry. I'd be wary that the cloth focal plane shutter in your Speed Graphic doesn't also have mildew in it if the bellows are mildewed.

 

[wagne025]

Thanks for the adivice. I'll give it a try this weekend. By the way, the focal plane shutter is unaffected. Go figure.

 

[bob01721]

Have you checked the lens(es) for fungus?

 

[jolimon]

strange that i was just going to post this question as i just got a musty smelling/ mouldy but light tight bag bellows for my linhof kardan...what do you people out there suggest for leather. its smooth on the outside but the suede like interior is where the smell comes from....any help would be appreciated....and the dry climate in the canadian rockies may help in the long run. thanks all.....

 

[DrZ]

The Lysol Disinfectant Spray is very effective to remove mildew on the camera surfaces such as fabric, metal, leather, etc. without the oxidative effect of chlorine. Oxidative products are also good disinfectants but they can cause discoloration, fabric degradation and metal oxidation.
It is not recommended to use the Lysol spray directly to the camera. You can spray the Lysol in a surface like a dish to create a deposition, then wet a cootonswab with the solution and apply to the surface. Use each cottonswab only once to reduce contamination.
Dry the surfaces well and check for mildew periodically. You might have to repeat the disinfection.
More information on Lysol can be obtained on: http://www.lysol.com/solutionsfinder.shtml


All the best,
DRZ

 

[Ian Grant]

In a similar thread I've just posted about cleaning some damaged Speed Graphics bellows. Mine are the rubberised bellow, not the pre-Anniversary variety.

Mine have some holes on one set of corners and were dirty inside and out, I washed carefully but quickly with warm water, and had no problems at all, I let them drain dry for an hour then finished drying with a hair dryer.

Had there been any mold or mildew I'd have used a household antiseptic, as mentioned by others.

Ian

 

[wagne025]

This weekend I removed much of the mildew with a soft toothbrush, and then used cotton swabs to apply a 1:1 mix of water and alcohol. This left the interior of the bellows looking pretty good, with only a few traces of stains. The alcohol should be an effective mildew killer. For those wondering about the lens-- no worries-- I bought the camera without a lens.

Thanks again for the advice.