How to safely clean mould in your home
Cleaning mould from walls and carpets
The only lasting way of avoiding severe mould is to eliminate the cause of the dampness. However, regular cleaning of mould is vital as living with mould can be bad for your health. In many cases, this is something you can safely do yourself. To remove mould:
- Wipe down the affected areas with a mould-removal product. Choose a preparatory mouldicide or fungicidal wash which carries a Health and Safety Executive approval number. Always be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions precisely, which will provide longer-term prevention. You can buy specialist mould removal products at chemists, large supermarkets and hardware stores.
- Make sure you wear a face mask and rubber gloves when cleaning mould.
- Keep fabrics like clothing and curtains away from mould-removal products as it can bleach fabrics
- Rinse out the cloth or sponge then either wash at a high temperature in the washing machine or bin it – do not hang it over a radiator to dry.
- Shampoo carpets. Do not brush or vacuum your carpets as disturbing the mould can release the mould spores into the air.
Protecting your belongings
- Keep clothes and soft furnishings away from the area of damp and mould, as the mould could spread to them and damage them.
- You may wish to use sealed plastic bags or boxes to protect your belongings from damp and mould in the affected room(s).
- Dry clean mildewed clothes
Redecorating
- After treatment, redecorate using a good quality fungicidal paint to help prevent mould. However, this paint is not effective if over-coated with ordinary paints, emulsion or wallpaper.
- When wallpapering, use a paste containing a fungicide to prevent further mould growth