Help! Mouldy wood!

[plimsolls]

We've got rubberwood worktops in the kitchen, coated with worktop oil with extra water-protection.

After years of being incredibly anal about not letting water "stand" on the wood, I have just moved something in the kitchen which unbeknown to me was damp underneath. Now, there is about a 10cm x 5cm patch of black mould growing in the wood.

Does anyone have any tips for getting rid of it? Can it be got rid of? Haven't tried anything yet because I don't know if certain things will make it worse.

I totally blame DP, who tuts and laughs at me every time I ask him to make sure the worktops are dry.

(yes I know, nono-waterproof worktops are not very practical but when I built the kitchen I lived on my own and hardly used it so thought it didn't matter. so naive! )

Use oxalic acid to get the stain out.

Thank you. I just googled oxalic acid to find out where I can buy it from and found this in case anyone else is interested

I got a huge carton from a painter and decorator's store as I needed a lot for doing a Morris Traveller and the Liberon stuff is good too.

Oxalic acid is pretty obnoxious so wear the heavy duty rubber gloves and do it with the windows open as it stinks a bit.

You put it on, wait a bit then rinse it off and may have to repeat it until the stain has gone.(let it dry between times) It gets rid of all the dark gunky stuff.

I keep meaning to do our kitchen worktops as they are not even screwed down but it is one of those jobs on a long list....

Sand it down lightly, then apply a mixture of borax and vinegar, then sand it down again. If you don't want to use the hardcore stuff

Ah, that sounds safer. Thank you both for taking the time to reply.

gentleotter mine aren't screwed down on all sides either. I got 'so far' with the kitchen then cba'd to finish all the fiddly bits. One day, one day.

When I showed DP the mould, I said that we'd have to not put the damp thing there anymore as it caused the mould. He said we may as well keep it there and then clean the mould off when it returns every few weeks or so. Now to me, that sounds silly....it'll just keep getting worse surely?

Yes, and it will send spores all over your house, which will be disgusting, and you'll probably start getting sinus infections etc. Surely it's a better idea and much more efficient to dry out the damp thing?!

Ah, well, the damp thing is a plate-drying rack which has a waterproof bottom. It seems like a little bit of water gets trapped underneath no matter how careful we are, so I think either eradicate all mositure everyday or just think of a better place for it.

Ah. Got it. Sounds to me like you might just have to stand there with a tea towel over your shoulder drying the dishes as you go.

Or maybe lay a microfibre teatowel over the base of the drying rack, to catch drips?

Ah good idea! I hadn't thought of putting something over the base of the rack. Had one under, but of course that made it worse! Thank you.

btw are you a Joan Didion fan?

I was at university - and am going to be re-reading over the summer...

I love Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Well, I think I do- weirdly my copy had some kind of printing quirk and the middle section of the book had been printed twice, at the expense of the later sections. Anyway. Enjoy your re-read!