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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Can I get rid of mould for good?

16 replies

elliejjtiny · 06/02/2024 01:34

We live in a rented house that we pay below market rate for. There is damp and mould in various places but the worst bit is in ds1 and ds2's bedroom, round the window and on the sloping ceiling above. I clean it off with mould removing spray but within a fortnight it's back with a vengance. Landlord says it's an old house and we have to put up with it. We had the outside of the house painted recently and the man who did that sprayed the walls with anti fungus stuff that was meant to stop the mould but it didn't. Ds2 is getting constant coughs and colds at the moment, although ds1 seems to be ok, and I'm worried it's the mould causing it. Is there any way we can get rid of the mould for good.

OP posts:
judgementfail · 06/02/2024 04:24

White vinegar. The anti mould stuff just bleaches. Use it to clean it off and then spray a light film and leave it to dry. Don't worry it doesn't smell vinegary once dry. Non toxic and the mould spores can't grow. Spray a light film in problem spots every week or so.

I repurpose an old kitchen cleaner bottle to spray. It's magical.

ISeeTrees · 06/02/2024 07:25

Similar issues in an old house. I'll try the vinegar.
I think the biggest help here has been ventilation- windows open every day even if just for a short time, leave them open a crack as much as you can. Blast the heating for an hour or so too. I avoid drying washing inside as much as I feasibly can- the launderette dryers have been a revelation.
I do have a dehumidifier but it's so noisy and doesn't seem to do much despite being a "good"/expensive one.
There's a lot of staining around from old leaks in the roof so it's hard to tell how much difference the above has made, other than the fact that it doesn't "feel" or smell damp any more.
I've been putting off redecorating but going to do it this summer and hope it doesn't get ruined next winter.

Meadowfinch · 06/02/2024 07:31

Mould is caused by spores in the air finding a relatively warm damp surface to grow on.

You can kill it with bleach but if the conditions are right, it will be back.

The best way is to get rid of the damp. Clear the gutters outside the windows. Have a close look at the seals around the windows, inside & out, and reseal any gaps or splits. And on fine days, open the windows a little and let the draught dry the surfaces.

Also check there aren't any tiles missing in the roof above. Go up in the loft if you can and check for damp above the ceilings or daylight through the roof.

MojoMoon · 08/02/2024 00:05

You can only address it for good by address the conditions that are causing the environment for it to grow in.

From the sounds of it being on the ceiling and around the window, you most likely have external water ingress that is making the area damp a d perfect for mould to grow on.

ItsieDitzyBitsOfOnionInTheSoup · 14/02/2024 02:35

The house has a damp problem and the LL knows it. He has no intention of fixing it because whatever it is it'll be something really expensive. Instead he's charging below market rent for it with the expectation the renter will put up with it. When the damp problem becomes too bad for anyone to ignore, LL will probably sell it as it is without doing any repairs.

The issue isn't it's an old house, it's possible to have old houses that aren't damp.

You'd be daft to throw too much money at fixing up somebody else's property. Any anti-mould measures you try won't work beyond a week or so as you've found out, because they're not addressing the root cause of the damp.

Mould spores from prolonged damp are in the air much sooner than you can see them. By the time you have visible mould, it's bad.

I'm not surprised your child is suffering, can they sleep in another room? If the bedroom could be swapped with another room nobody spends too much time in (dining room?) that would be best for health.

You need to either -

fix the cause (unlikely to be feasible/sensible for you)

heat the room sufficiently (and use a dehumidifier permanently too) to keep it dry enough that mould doesn't grow (this could work out expensive)

or leave it unheated and with permanently open window in the hope it becomes cold and dry enough that mould won't grow (which might mean it's too cold for DC to sleep in)

Long term the only answer is likely to be moving house. It's a rotten situation to be in. 💐

elliejjtiny · 14/02/2024 16:23

Thank you everyone. Been cleaning the mould off the walls and ceilings every 2 weeks but yesterday I sprayed with vinegar as well. Roof has no leaks and the guttering is clear. I got the landlord to look at it before I cleaned. He still says the only thing that can be done is clean the mould with bleach once a week. We can't afford to move house and we can't not use that bedroom. It's small anyway, and they have bunkbeds so it couldn't be used for much else. I don't understand why their room is so bad. Other rooms are damp as well but I only need to clean those walls once a month to keep it under control. Dc1 and dc2's room the mould starts growing back a couple of days after I clean it and then it's really bad in a week.

OP posts:
umbrel · 14/02/2024 16:33

HG mould remover spray. It keeps my bathroom grout clean. I used to get a little bit of black mould at the edge of the ceiling near the window. I’m pretty sure it was from shower steam. Wiped the ceiling with HG and it’s never come back. I will say my house is only 40 or so years old. I don’t have damp anywhere. It was just caused by the shower (no extractor fan and we dry washing in the bathroom). So it may not be as effective for you if you have leaking gutters/bigger damp issues etc. But it’s cheap -about £6/7

marshmallowfinder · 14/02/2024 16:35

Op, why aren't you using a dehumidifier to draw moisture out of the rooms? That's vital, rented or owned. Living and daily activities causes moisture and condensation to build up. Some houses are worse than others for retaining it, but you need to use a dehumidifier.

MrsMoastyToasty · 27/11/2024 21:49

Speak to environmental health at your local council. They can make him take steps to get the problem resolved.
Alternatively frame your request to him in terms of managing his investment. He will have paid lots of money for the house. When the time comes to sell who is going to buy a mouldy house?

Lifeglowup · 28/11/2024 17:37

How are you drying washing?
Do you use a dehumifier?
Is the house heated properly?

mikado1 · 28/11/2024 17:43

judgementfail · 06/02/2024 04:24

White vinegar. The anti mould stuff just bleaches. Use it to clean it off and then spray a light film and leave it to dry. Don't worry it doesn't smell vinegary once dry. Non toxic and the mould spores can't grow. Spray a light film in problem spots every week or so.

I repurpose an old kitchen cleaner bottle to spray. It's magical.

Came to say this. It works! Gaff goddess is worth a follow on insta, she has lots of good similar tips.

Carraramba · 28/02/2025 13:04

Proper ventilation and keeping humidity low are key, but if mould keeps coming back, there might be a deeper issue. I've dealt with persistent mould, and sometimes wiping it away isn’t enough. A professional approach made a difference for me. Aidens - Mould Removal & Remediation really helped by finding the source of the damp and treating it properly, not just the surface stains. It’s been mould-free since.

Pineapplewaves · 28/02/2025 13:26

Pour some neat bleach into a bowl and paint it over the mould with a paint brush. The mould should dissolve and the bleach that remains on the wall should keep any growth at bay for a while.

Make sure you wear old clothes when you are doing this and don't let the bleach drip onto anything you like.

Wildflowers99 · 28/02/2025 13:29

Oh gosh poor you - can you report to environmental health?

I had a flat that was newish but OMG the condensation/mould. It was thick, green and fluffy and popped up on everything within days of cleaning it off, plus the mould.

My tips are to keep all windows on trickle vents at all times, and open all of them for an hour in the morning and an hour before you go to bed. Days like today have them open all day. Buy a Karcher window vacuum and hoover the windows as well as the bathroom whenever somebody takes a shower (mirror, shower door, sides of the bath etc). Pull a furniture 5cm from the walls to enable circulation. If all else fails buy a big second hand dehumidifier and run it - a small one will not do. Good luck

OriginalUsername2 · 28/02/2025 13:35

Open your windows every morning with the heating on, so all the condensation leaves the house. Don’t put furniture right against walls if it’s moulding on contact. Always open the windows when you cook and after someone has taken a bath or shower. Use a dehumidifier if you’re hanging wet clothes indoors.

I do all this and have gotten rid of the mould we used to have when we moved in.

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