Cleaning awkward mould

[mundebon]

I've moved into a rented house, 60s, with one particularly cold corner and the wall leading up to it. On opening the lower cupboards, there is a lot of mould on the back walls, visible because all the cupboard backs stop a few inches before the underneath of the worktops.

I can clean the bits I can see and reach, but other than dismantling the cupboards, which is not possible, I can't see how to clean it all away - I used my phone to check by holding it over the gap, and it extends down the backs. The cupboards all smell too, from the mould behind. So far I haven't used them, and am keeping my crockery etc in my own cupboard in the living room, so the doors stay closed and at least it is 'trapped' in place and we are not exposed to it. It is annoying to have a kitchen I can't use the cupboards of though.

Assuming the landlord knows, I can't believe he didn't open the cupboards after the previous tenant left. He kept going on about keeping windows open. No extractor.

Any ideas about what I can do to clean in the unreachable space? This pic is by far the worst one BTW, the rest are not as bad.

Sorry, I described it wrong - it's not the 'wall', it's like the cabinets have two backs, 6 inches apart, but with the front one not going up to the worktop.

If a rental property then the landlord has a responsibility for your health & safety and should be replacing and resealing the cupboards if not getting the mould professionally removed. (Not sure if this is even possible, probably best to rip out & replace).

Especially relevant and topical is the recent news article about the poor 2 year old who died after there was black mould in his HA property, the landlord did nothing after parents complained.

I would buy Polycell 3 in 1 mould killer. You apply it with a paintbrush, leave it for a few minutes and then wipe off what you can. When you think you have done enough you leave a final coat over to dry. You could probably manage to get quite a lot with a brush, but really the whole wall needs treating. Have you made your landlord aware?

I need to deal with it myself ideally, the landlord it a bit difficult. I know they are obliged to, but the odds are so stacked against tenants at the moment. He gave is a speech about tenants who call landlords out for minor things and how annoying they are.

It seems unlikely that he was not aware. The let was directly through him, he showed us around, and had a new boiler installed in the kitchen in the brief vacant period.

I wonder if using something like that Polycell and making some kind of angled sponge/on a stick, with use of a hand mirror, might be able to get it.

I have found Dettol mould spray really excellent for killing mould in hard to reach places. I'm too feeble to scrub so I really appreciate being able to just spray it and leave it to work. I use it on the grout in the shower and a few other hard to reach places, I have never bothered wiping it off afterwards, the mould seems to have vanished by the next day. It does return after a couple of months but another quick spray gets rid of it again.
www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/264514881

He gave is a speech about tenants who call landlords out for minor things and how annoying they are.

presumably he reads the newspapers? I've used some stuff from Lakeland, very thick, and applied with a long, angled radiator paint-brush to reach those awkward places.

But. Without proper ventilation, and if there is damp anyway, it will come back eventually.

Radiator paint brush, perfect! I will get some spray and have a go at the weekend.

I know the mould will come back; I keep the window open all the time, but the placement of it means the steam struggles to get out (and when the external air is as moist as it's been lately, it's not that effective anyway). Hopefully we won't be here too long, we just have to get it as safe as we can. If the landlord really cared about avoiding mould and damp, he'd fit extractors in the kitchen and bathroom, but if he can avoid spending money, he will.

I'd be smearing that with bleach and using a radiator brush to push it down as far as I could. I wouldn't be wiping any excess bleach off, neither.

Is there anything piled up outside against the wall the cupboards are on?

My mum is in a bungalow, and stacked lots of bricks/slabs for a future project against the exterior wall of her bedroom - starting about two thirds of the way down the length of the room, along to the corner (hope that makes sense)? She mentioned that she’d been getting mould on the walls in that area and was regularly cleaning it with mild bleach, so I moved all of the bricks/slabs and mould hasn’t come back.

Might be completely irrelevant in your case, but thought it worth mentioning!

Also, it could be worth trying some mini dehumidifiers - whilst it’s really something your landlord should be dealing with, I totally understand you not wanting to rock the boat. I bought these from Amazon and keep one in my car all the time (as a cleaner, I’ve got wet cloths, mops etc. in there) and they really do absorb moisture well, and can be revived in a microwave.

Places like Home Bargains etc. sell non-reusable dehumidifier tubs and hanging bags - from memory, they’re about £2 ish, so could be worth getting one to see if it helps before spending too much on eco friendly stuff that doesn’t actually help.

Hi @mundebon Thanks for posting. I just wanted to pop in and share the link to our article on the best mould removers in the hope it will be helpful to you. The page was created with the help of Mumsnet user recommendations and consumer reviews. Do let us know if you find it useful.

HG Mould spray works wonders. Leave on overnight and I wouldn't bother wiping it off. www.amazon.co.uk/HG-186050106-Mould-Spray/dp/B000IU40HQ