Mould grows in damp, warm conditions without much ventilation. It causes horrible stains on walls and carpets and can leave a damp, musty smell in your home. It can also be bad for your health, leading to respiratory conditions if left untreated. Here are our top 10 tips on how to deal with it and how to prevent it occurring in the first place.
1. Ventilate: One of the main reasons of mould build up in the home as lack of adequate ventilation, particularly if you live in a small property. Make sure you keep bathrooms, kitchens and other humid spaces well ventilated by opening windows or installing/repairing air vents.
2. Insulate: Bad insulation can play havoc with the humidity in your home and lead to mould. If insulation in your external walls is patchy, leaving ‘cold spots’, (areas with little or no insulation at all), condensation will form on the internal wall leading to mould build up.
3. Don’t dry indoors: Drying clothes and towels indoors can have a massive impact on the moisture present in the air. If mould is a big problem in your home, make sure you dry your clothes outside or in a tumble drier. Failing that, take them down to your local laundrette.
4. Deal with leaks: Don’t let any leaky pipes fester. Fix them as soon as possible to prevent moisture seeping into carpets, cavities and under floor boards.
5. Dehumidify: A good dehumidifier can do wonders to help significantly reduce the moisture in the air in your home and tackle long-term mould prevention. Install an electric dehumidifier in every room suffering from mould but make sure they are powerful enough to deal with the size of the room in question.
6. Clean with bleach: A solution of 1-part bleach to 3 parts water is a cheap and effective homemade detergent. Use a stiff bristled brush to really scrub the affected area with the bleach solution. Rinse thoroughly and leave to dry.
7. Invest in a powerful mould detergent: If the mould in question is deeply embedded in the paint work or plaster, then a strong, anti-microbial mould spray can help prevent the spores from returning. Be sure to ventilate the area thoroughly before using them. Your local DIY store will have a variety of products and will be able to advise you on the best products for your circumstances.
8. Repaint the area with anti-mildew paint. Once the area is thoroughly cleaned and treated, leave to dry and then repaint with an anti-mildew paint. These paints seal the area and contain ingredients that help prevent the return of mould spores.
9. Dry out your carpets: If the carpet can be removed, leave outside to dry out for 48 hours. If it is fixed, then pull the carpet 50 centimetres around the area and remove any soaked padding or lining. Leave the carpet to dry using a fan or dehumidifier.
10. Remove mould form carpets: Apply an anti mould spray to the carpet and an anti-fungal solution to the floor underneath. Leave to dry and run a dehumidifier in the room for a week after remove residual spores.
Written by Mike Pye
