Cleaning mould from walls and fabrics

With all this rain around we've developed a mould problem in our home. Usually we have the front and back doors open and that good ventilation stops most moulds from establishing. However, with the house locked up for the past week, the high humidity and the rain, mould is now growing on the wooden walls near our front door and on the lower parts of cupboards in the kitchen.

Most of us will find mould growing in our homes at some point. Either in the bathroom or, in humid climates, on the walls, like we have now. You'll need a safe and effective remedy at some point, so I hope one of these methods works well for you.

Mould is not only ugly to look at, it can cause health problems so if you see mould growing, do something about it straight away. The longer you leave the problem, the harder it will be to get rid of it effectively. If you have asthma or any allergies, you should do this type of cleaning with a face mask on so you don't breathe in any spores. Many people use bleach on mould but I've found it just takes the colour out of it, you think it's gone, but it soon grows back. The best treatments are safe ones that don't rely on harsh chemicals or bleach. Don't try to brush it off with a dry brush or broom first, that will just spread the spores around and the mould will probably establish in another area.

MOULD FIRST AID

1. Mould loves dark, poorly ventilated rooms - open the windows and doors and keep the air moving through the room.
2. Mould loves warmth and moisture - if condensation is building up, open the window and wipe down damp surfaces.
3. If you have mould in the bathroom grout, it's almost impossible to remove. It's best to remove the grout, treat the tiles with vinegar or tea tree oil and re-grout.

Mould is an accumulation of fungi that will start to grow if the conditions are right, such as in the presence of water and warmth. In our case it was the humid air and the closed house that started off our problem. We can't get rid of the humid weather, unfortunately, but we can create a well ventilated space and that's what we've done.

Treating mould effectively requires a two stage attack - washing the mould off and drying the area and finishing off with either clove or tea tree oil in a spray. Tomorrow, when I'm home again, I'll wash the walls with hot water, bicarb (baking soda) and vinegar. I'll use 4 litres/quarts of water, ½ cup white vinegar and a tablespoon of bicarb. Washing the walls should remove the spots of mould but I need to clean around this space too - if any spores are left, they'll re-establish the mouldy growths again.  If you have mould on hard surfaces - like cupboard doors or smooth walls, you can use the liquid solution above or a paste of vinegar and bicarb (baking soda). Wipe it on the surface, leave for 20 - 30 minutes, then wipe off completely with a clean damp rag. Make sure all the solution is off, then wipe over with a dry cloth.

For the second and final treatment, the lovely Shannon Lush, Australia's cleaning guru, recommends ¼ teaspoon of clove oil mixed into a litre/quart of water in a spray bottle. I have no clove oil here but I do have tea tree oil and that works well too. Just add one teaspoon of tea tree oil to a cup of water in a spray bottle, shake it well. After you've completed your initial cleaning of the surface, spray that over the affected areas and leave it on.  If you notice the mould growing back, repeat these steps, always finishing with either the tea tree or clove spray.

If you have fabric that has mould growing on it, wash it in a couple of litres of water to which you add two tablespoons of homemade laundry liquid and two teaspoons of borax. Soak the fabric overnight in this solution, rinse well and dry in the sun. If that doesn't remove the stains, you may have to soak the fabric overnight in a solution of hot water and oxy-bleach, like Napisan, Dri Pak or OxiClean - or their generic alternatives.

Good luck with your cleaning and don't let mould grow too long before you do something about it.

BTY, we had 108 mm/just over 4 inches of rain yesterday.