How to rid mould from your home for good

Mould can ruin clothes, furniture and be terrible for your health. Here's some effective ways to get rid of mould from your home.

How to rid mould from your home for good

If you live in Sydney, you’ll know it’s been a very wet autumn and a cold start to winter. Along with the awful weather, mould and mildew may have also snuck into the home and taken up residence in your bathroom or wardrobe.

No matter how much house cleaning you do, it can ruin furniture, your clothes and there is a real health risk. Mould can cause issues such as sinus, asthma, yeast infections, headaches, fatigue, depression, skin and respiratory infections and aching joints. It’s toxic and needs to be taken care of immediately.

Your first instinct will be to go to your local supermarket and stock up on mould killing products, but I hate to be the bearer of bad news – they won’t work. And I’m going to tell you why.

Mould vs. Mildew – what is it?

Mould is a type of fungi (yep, gross) and mildew is a type of mould. Mildew is what can show on surfaces like wood, wool, leather, silk, cotton and linen) and it’s pretty much everywhere and only needs water to get a colony started.

Mould and mildew love warm, moist, sometimes dark spaces – that’s why it’s important to air areas like garages and cellars regularly (especially after rain).

How to get rid of mould?

Feel like throwing everything out?  Unfortunately, it’s the mildews food source, which means you’ll have to get rid of the water source. To do this requires you to dry out your home and eliminate any moisture and dampness.

Are you renting?

You should tell your landlord (in writing) as they have a duty to maintain the rental in reasonable repair, which includes mould. For more information head to tenants.org to find out what your rights and responsibilities are.

Here’s a quick list of things you can do to prevent moulds from occuring:

  • Make sure you have ventilation leaving doors and windows open on dry days.
  • Insulate your ceilings to keep them warmer so it’s less prone to condensation – moulds water source.
  • Open up the curtains and windows to let the sun in (remember it likes dark spaces).
  • After a rainstorm check for leaks and water pooling on the roof.
  • Dry all wet areas.
  • Clean indoor plants of dust and extra water.
  • Wipe away condensation.
  • Use a dehumidifier – set it to less than 55% humidity.

What about bleach?

Bleach will only mask it and not get rid of the mould at all and if you are suffering any allergies from the mould, those symptoms will stick around too.

To clean mould, you’ll need…

  • Face mask
  • Goggles (especially for ceiling and walls)
  • Gloves
  • Newspaper
  • Micro-fibre cloth
  • Bucket
  • Broom
  • Toothbrush
  • Old stockings
  • Oil of Cloves
  • Vinegar

Fixing Mouldy Things

Washable fabrics (curtains, cushions, bedding, towels, clothing)

  1.  Soak in 1 cup salt and vinegar in 10L of water with 3 drops Oil of Cloves – Leave overnight.
  2. Next morning, squeeze out as much as possible and hang in the sun until dry and leave out for an additional hour as a salt crust forms.
  3. Use a soft brush to remove salt crust over the newspaper and dispose of it after.
  4. Machine wash with warm water and hang to dry as normal.
  5. Spray with 3 drops Oil of Cloves and 1L of water and leave to dry.

Non-washable fabrics (suede, leather, silk)

  1. Lay down sheets of newspaper and put the items on top.
  2. Mix some coarse salt with a little vinegar and a drop of Oil of Cloves.
  3. Leave to sit for a day in the sunshine.
  4. Brush off mould as mentioned in washable fabrics and spray again with Oil of Cloves water mixture.

Leather goods

  1. Put 3 drops of Oil of Cloves with 1/2 cup baby or coconut oil.
  2. Wipe mouldy area in a circular motion.
  3. Leave to soak and store in a light airy location.

Non-portable/washable fabrics (carpets)

  1. Spray with a mixture of Oil of Cloves (3 drops), 1/2 cup vinegar, 5 cups of water and then sprinkle salt over the top in a thick layer.
  2. Leave overnight to dry and then vacuum.
  3. Repeat if necessary.

Mouldy grout

  1. Use a toothbrush or grout brush and dip into vinegar and then in a mixture of 3 drops Oil of Cloves and 1/2 cup bicarb soda.
  2. Brush while fizzing on grout.
  3. Repeat and afterwards spray with clove oil and water mixture and leave to dry out.

Cupboards

  1. Hang a stick of chalk tied together with ribbon to absorb moisture.
  2. When chalk become damp, hang outside to dry.
  3. Reuse chalk bundle.

Walls and ceilings

  1. Mix 3 drops Oil of Cloves, 1/2 vinegar and 5 cups water.
  2. Use a clean broom, and the leg portion of stocking over the head and dip into solution.
  3. Sweep over the mouldy area.
  4. Allow it to dry and repeat.
  5. Every month spray walls/ceiling with a solution of 3 drops Oil of Cloves to 1L of water and leave to dry completely.

All of this cleaning can take a lot of energy and time, so if you need a helping hand there are plenty of Airtaskers in your local neighbourhood who can help.

Do you have any more mould killing tips? Share with us in the comments below.

Bathroom Cleaning Tips

Bathroom cleaning is a chore that no one wants to do, but unfortunately it must be done and regularly. There’s "Bathroom Cleaning Tips"

Alternative cleaning products

Bathroom cleaning is a chore that no one wants to do, but unfortunately it must be done and regularly. There’s a lot of advice and tips available however there are a few alternative solutions that caught our eye. Some are chemical-free cleaning solutions and others pure genius with a pinch of wacky.

Here are the best Bathroom Cleaning Tips for you to consider when you do your bathroom in your next home clean:

1. Vinegar

It’s something you’ll find in every household kitchen and also one of the most popular alternatives as a chemical-free based cleaning product. It can be used by itself or mixed with other products, meaning less products you need to buy for your home to sparkle. To create a simple multi-purpose cleaner, in a spray bottle mix some white vinegar and a nice eucalyptus oil (to make it smell amazing) and voila you have a cheap product that can use on most surfaces throughout the house.

In the bathroom other than cleaning the surfaces, you can also clean your shower curtains with vinegar and no scrubbing or spraying of water involved. Just put the curtains in the washing machine, along with a bath towel and add a cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle.

2. Let’s get fruity

Fruit is not just for eating; you’ll regularly see it in homemade beauty regimes but we didn’t realise you can clean a bathroom too. It turns out citrus fruit can be used for a whole bunch of things.

Grapefruit: Along with some salt, cut a grapefruit in half and you have the perfect acidic bath tub scrub.
Lemon: Using the lemon juice it can get rid of difficult water stains on glass, tiles and taps.

And finally….

3. Coke toilet cleaner

Yes you read that correctly, you can use cocoa-cola to clean the toilet. Just pour it around the rim, let it sit for a good hour (or overnight), then brush and flush. Seems pretty simple, but be wary you could be left with a sugary sticky toilet so maybe just stick to the regular run-of-the-mill cleaning products instead.

So what did you think? Which one are you going to try next time?

Better yet, got another tip? Comment below and we’ll add it to the list.

Want some more cleaning tips? Check out our Top 5 Cleaning Tips or if you have a pesky stain, find out the myths and facts behind stain removal.