A New Year of Mold-Free Pallets

Now that we’re well into the New Year, you may have let some of your resolutions slide, but here’s one you can keep—preventing mold from affecting your pallets.

No one likes the ‘M’ word and, oftentimes, the mere mention of the word mold can cause panic. But, in the case of wood pallets, mold is only a surface nuisance and does not cause any structural damage. It can, however, pose problems for the products stacked on the pallet, especially if its food.

What Can You Do?

Mold prevention is important and can be as easy as maintaining a clean warehouse, which reduces the amount of mold spores in the air and subsequently minimizes mildew growth.

Other tips are as follows—

1. Keep your wood pallets (and other lumber) dry with a moisture level below 20%; ensuring good airflow in your warehouse will help keep pallets dry and reduce the risk of mold growth.
2. Do not keep loads of pallets in closed storage areas such as trailers (fluctuating humidity levels and dew points inside small, enclosed spaces promotes mold growth).
3. Remove any nearby sources of mold spores including decaying wood; check and clean storage areas (where objects aren’t moved frequently); and also inspect and routinely clean your heating and air conditioning vents.
4. If your pallets can accept mild fungicides, periodically treat your pallets or lumber with fungicides or a concentrated solution. One treatment to kill or remove mold and mildew from lumber is to spray or dip it in 1/3 part household detergent and 2/3 water. This can be effective for 3-5 days.

Mold Treatments

If your pallets will not have contact with food products, ask your pallet provider about long-term mold guard treatment options (ranging from three to six months). This can involve application of prophylactic fungicides which are applied by dipping or spraying the lumber shortly after sawing. There are a variety of chemical treatments available; the most popular contains copper-8-quinolinolate or chlorothalonil. Be sure to discuss your options with the pros at Rose Pallet. Or, for more information, consult this article on Mold Remediation courtesy of the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association.