7 Natural Ways to Remove Mould In Your Home

Posted on 05/05/2023

How Do I Get Rid of Mould in My House Naturally?

There are well-publicised concerns floating round, about the harms of repeatedly breathing in the harsh chemicals of conventional home cleaners as you go about your house cleaning routine. But it doesn’t have to take a toll on your time, let alone your health – or even your money, where hired cleaners are concerned. Take a look at some safe and effective home cleaning alternatives.


Tea tree oil

This is about as pricey as we’re going to get on the list. Tea tree oil is an effective and fragrant way to remove mould from almost any surface, whether in the grout on tiling, or anywhere it’s found during that dreaded end of tenancy cleaning. Mix 10 – 20 drops of oil with between half and a full bottle of warm water, and affix a spray bottle top. Apply to the mould affected area and leave to soak for 2 – 3 hours, then wipe away and it should come off with little effort. Tea tree oil is a good alternative for your upholstery cleaning, as it is gentle enough on fabrics to remove mould and mildew stains without harming the colours in your fabric.


Vodka

The cheapest of the spirits, it won’t harm to have a little of the strong stuff to hand for getting your surfaces in shape during a pre-move clean, or when hiring house cleaners before a move is just not an option. If you’ve found a musty mildew smell in a forgotten wash of clothes or all over the laundry room, even though they might have been cleaned, you can rid your items of the smell by adding half a cup of vodka to a quick wash. Using it as a cleaner for surfaces makes it a powerful deodorizer as well.


Distilled white vinegar

A versatile condiment, this is a surprisingly powerful mould remover and the smell of vinegar doesn’t cling for long, although the results last. Fill a spray bottle without diluting the vinegar and spray directly onto the mould affected surface. It is suitable for most hard surfaces and all but the most delicate of furniture fabrics. Allow to sit for one hour, wipe or rinse off with water, and let dry out. The vinegar odour will be gone in a few hours.


Baking soda

This comes in handy for carpet cleaning issues where a stray bit of oil or grease has dropped. If you don’t have the money to fork out for conventional carpet cleaners whether that be steaming or chemicals, this is a cheap and effective way to manage stains. Bicarbonate of soda is a gentle alternative for carpet cleaning. Sprinkle dry over the moulded fabric and leave overnight to dry out the mould. Vacuum away and if needed finish by scrubbing with a little white vinegar to kill of the remainder. For hard surfaces, use the soda in a 50/50 combination with water to form a paste, and apply to mouldy surfaces. Allow to dry and then scrub off – the baking soda will also bleach out any mould stains.


Lemon juice

Use half lemon juice and half water in a 1 litre bottle with a spray top and apply to bath surfaces, tiles, walls and even ceilings. Use undiluted for stubborn mould, for example in grout (between the tiles), and leave for ten minutes or so on tiles, longer on the grout. Wipe off and most of the mould should come away.


Natural moisture absorber packs

Made from the charcoal of plant matter like bamboo, placing sachets of these in the corners of drawers and other places likely to have stored goods absorbs the moisture from the air. Dark and damp places are where mould is most likely to grow, and the inside of cupboards and drawers are often overlooked.


Sunlight and well-aired rooms

This is a highly effective way to keep mould and mildew out of your living space. Mould thrives in the dark and damp and where air is stagnant. You don’t even have to use any cleaning ingredients for this method. Household items such as mattresses, rugs and carpets benefit from bright light as a way to prevent the onset of mould.

So, you needn’t worry about carpet cleaners ruining your fabrics. Make sure all spaces are free from too much clutter and the windows are opened regularly to allow fresh air to circulate. You can take a musty item like a rug outside to hang, or a wooden table can be left in the sunniest part of your garden. The light will dry out and kill off the spores.