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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

The back of my wardrobe has gone mouldy

16 replies

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 06/12/2009 17:45

I mean the wardrobe itself, not the wall.

Wall is completely clear. I mean, if it was damp coming through the wall, the wall would have mildew on it wouldn't it?

But the back of the wardrobe is covered in it.

there's nothing damp in the wardrobe. It's the spare room where I hang out the laundry. Do you think it' getting too damp in there from the clothes???

I'm wallpapering btw [smug] which is why we moved the wardrobe...

OP posts:

DillieTantie · 06/12/2009 19:50

'Tis probably the wet laundry. Opening a window would help, except on minging damp days. A bit of heat in there would also help.

LovelyDear · 06/12/2009 19:52

i had this. it's just lack of air movement, the cold of the wall meeting the warm air from drying clothes in there. you need to ventilate it more.

Lonicera · 06/12/2009 20:02

You need a tumble dryer -get your dh to buy you one

Original poster

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 06/12/2009 20:53

Hmm. I'm going to have to keep the window open more I think, which seems madness when we've got the heating on.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 06/12/2009 20:54

get a dehumidifier

DillieTantie · 06/12/2009 20:56

Heating and ventilation is not madness - it is healthy. Expensive, but healthy.

FourArms · 07/12/2009 08:12

Dehumidifier worked wonders for us. Keep heating on, but open windows just in the room, and it will be fine.

jamaisjedors · 07/12/2009 08:30

We had this recently - and all the shoes at the bottom went mouldy too - boak!

Someone recently recommended small dehumidifiers especially for cupboards (see Lakeland).

SweetApril · 07/12/2009 11:43

Is it on an outside wall? If so, could you move it to an interior wall? We have terrible problems with condensation on the walls and our (inherited) fitted wardrobes got covered in mould, as did the clothes and shoes - seriously horrible and smelly. The person we bought the place off had kept quiet about it so it was several months before we discovered it. Anyway, we eventually got new wardrobes and put them on an interior wall and no more mouldy clothes. Have to say we got a tumble dryer as I thought drying clothes inside, as we did in our old place, would make it much worse. Even putting a slightly damp bath towel on the radiator causes condensation to form on the windows almost immediately.

We still have awful problems with condesation and mould on the bedroom walls though. During winter I am literally wiping down the walls several times a day. We keep the windows open even on cold days but can't do that at night which is when the problem is at its worst because it's just too chilly. Has anyone got a proper big dehumidifier for this kind of problem? I would invest in one if I thought it would do some good.

teatotal · 08/12/2009 16:45

Hi, There is a brilliant website
mold-help.org please be careful as mould is a health hazard, over 100 symptoms/illneses are linked to mould.

knowittoowell · 08/12/2009 17:39

Yes,get a dehumidifier,we bought ours a couple of years ago and it's made such a difference.I think it's a 2litre capacity and it fills up in just a few hours,amasing it all used to end up on our walls,clothes,furniture...bleurgh...it cost around £100,money very well spent!
Oh,and it's brilliant for drying clothes too(can you tell just how much i love it)

Original poster

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 08/12/2009 22:12

I think we might be able to shift where we hang out the laundry, but it's not ideal and will get in the way.

Is it possible to get a decent dehumidifier for under £100?

OP posts:

duffpancake · 08/12/2009 22:18

Do you run the dehumidifiers all the time? Are they expensive to run and/or noisy? We have a windowless boxroom that is like a mushroom farm next to our bedroom. I'd like to sort out as it is only really usable for storage but not even that useful for that when everything goes moldy.

whomovedmychocolate · 08/12/2009 22:24

There are a lot of dehumidifiers kicking around since the floods a few years back - may be worth asking on freecycle if anyone can lend you one?

wingandprayer · 08/12/2009 22:35

We had this problem too. Like others have said it's down to condensation. Do you have window vents or airbricks in the room? Saves leaving windows open. We had vents fitted and has made huge difference. If you handy with a drill you could fit them yourself for far less than dehumidifier.

leeloo1 · 10/12/2009 20:46

Our dehumidifier was from Screwfix (£130?) and it is quite noisy - but it is effective! It has settings so you decide how efficient you want it to be - the fan is on constantly but the dehumidifying bit clicks in and out when it gets damp enough (like a heating thermostat but for damp, if that makes sense).

We have it attached to a timeswitch so just have it on for a couple of hours when needed, not leaving it on constantly, so not expensive to run at all.

Oh and when we went to Kenwood House (at Hampstead Heath) they have the same dehumidifier as us!!! Well, it was a small claim to fame!

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