Remove mould naturally – 12 tips to keep your home safe

Have you got some mould in your home? Do you want to know how to remove mould naturally and avoid using harsh chemicals?

There are many household items that you can use to remove mould naturally. We’ll go through these in detail and explain why it’s important to remove mould from your home or leave it to our house cleaning service in Sydney or Melbourne.

What is mould?

Mould or mold is a black fungus that attaches itself to surfaces in your home. Mould is caused by dampness and you’re most likely to find it in the ‘wet areas’ of your home. For example, you may find it the bathroom or kitchen.

However, mould can be found anywhere that doesn’t get a lot of sunlight, is damp, or has poor ventilation. Mould can have serious health effects, particularly to your respiratory system. Consequently, it’s important to get rid of mould as soon as you find it.

How to prevent mould

As mentioned, mould loves damp, dark, poorly ventilated areas. If you live in area with high humidity or a lot of rain, you may be more likely to find it in your home. Firstly, there are a routine house cleaning tips you can use to prevent mould from becoming a problem. Secondly, there are a few things you can do specifically to to prevent mould, including:

• Tip 1: Improve ventilation. Open your windows when it’s warm and dry to reduce dampness in your home and get the spores out. This is particularly important after rainy or humid days.
• Tip 2: Let the sunshine in. Mould hates the sun so an easy way to prevent it is to let as much light into your home as possible
• Tip 3: Improve your drainage. Check that your drainage is working properly and make sure your gutters are clean
• Tip 4: Keep your wet areas dry. Leave the extractor fans on for an hour after you shower and wipe down wet surfaces each day
• Tip 5: Use a humidifier. If you live in a humid area, set your humidifier to below 55% during humid times of the year
• Tip 6: Vanish your wood. If you have mould problems on wood, varnish will act as an anti-fungal agent to kill the mould. It also prevents it from coming back because it keeps the wood dry.
• Tip 7: Use grout sealant. Grout in wet areas like a bathroom are one of the most common places for mould to grow. Make sure it’s kept clean and repair any cracks with sealant so it has nowhere to hide and grow.

Already have mould in your home?

If you’re reading this, then chances are you already have mould in your home. Start by going through the list above as it will be important to reducing reoccurrence once you remove the mould.

Importantly, sometimes it’s not possible to remove mould from certain surfaces. Some materials can retain mould spores even after thorough cleaning. This is particularly the case with certain fabrics and wooden surfaces. If you’re having trouble, it might be best to hire a professional cleaner.

Does bleach kill mould?

It is commonly believed that bleach is the best solution to remove mould. However, this is not true for 2 reasons. Firstly, bleach only kills surface mould. As a result, you may notice it come back a few months later. Secondly, beach is a harmful chemical and it likely to damage your home; particularly if you use it on your walls or wooden surfaces.

While bleach may appear to magically remove mould, it leaves behind spores that will eventually turn into more mould. Additionally, all of the health risks associated with mould (especially for asthma sufferers) will still be there regardless of whether you can see the mould or not.

The only way to remove mould is to kill all of it and prevent new spores from growing.

So tell me how to remove mould naturally already!

Firstly, I need to reiterate the dangers to your health associated with mould. It is very important that you wear protective gear when you remove mould. I would suggest, at a minimum, you wear gloves, goggles, and, most importantly, a face mask.

So let’s get down to it. There are many household items that you can use to remove mould naturally:

Tip 8: Vinegar

Probably the most commonly used household item used to remove mould naturally is pain white vinegar. Put it in a spray bottle, spray the effected areas, scrub them and let it dry.

Vinegar can kill up to 85% of the species of mould that you are likely to encounter. It’s a little strong on the nose, but you’ve probably got a bottle in your house t it’s a good place to start.

Tip 9: Tea Tree Oil

Another commonly used substance is tea tree oil – a natural, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial oil made from a plant. It’s anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties make it an idea for killing mould naturally.

Mix 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil with 2 cups of water and put it into a spray bottle. Spray the effected areas, scrub them clean, and wipe any excess away with a cloth. Leave it to dry and it should prevent mould from growing again.

If the mould has been there a while and won’t come off. Spray it on, leave it overnight, then spray again in the morning and scrub away.

Tip 10: Grapefruit Extract

Although a little on the pricey side, grapefruit extract also has amazing anti-fungal properties and is a great was to stop mould coming back. It also won’t assault your olfactory sense as much as vinegar and tea tree oil.

Use the same techniques described earlier to remove the mould.

Tip 11: Oil of Cloves

Yet another substance you can use to remove mould naturally. Add 1 teaspoon to 2 cups of water, put it in a spray bottle, and spray away. Leave it overnight and wipe it clean in the morning. We recommend using a microfibre cloth to trap the spores.

Tip 12: Alcohol

Last but not least is our trusty friend, alcohol. There’s not much that this doesn’t kills, including your brain cells. You can try anything from Vodka to Ethanol but the latter is probably a better choice.

Prevent the mould from coming back

It’s important to take steps to stop the mould from coming back. Once you’ve removed the mould naturally, use our tips to make sure your home environment is conducive to killing mould rather than promoting its growth.

The tops things you can do are let lots of sunlight in, improve ventilation, and reduce build up of moisture.If you can’t be bothered to clean the mould yourself or you feel overwhelmed by the problem, then book our house cleaning service in Sydney or Melbourne and add the deep clean extra so we can take care of it for you.