How to remove mould from wood

Have you just inherited one of Granny's old wooden furniture pieces just to find out the old dear didn't look after wood surfaces quite as well as you'd thought? Or maybe your Granny isn't the problem at all. Maybe it's you.

Either way, mould growth on wood furniture is never a good look, so you're going to need to know how to fix it - FAST.

But that's OK, because that's exactly why we're here. What we don't know about removing mould from wood isn't worth knowing, so you've come to the right place.

We'll cover it all - the bits and bobs you'll need (from rubber gloves to dish soap, distilled white vinegar to sandpaper), how to actually remove mould from wood (both porous and non), and a few handy tips to prevent mould growth and mildew development in the future.

So, if you're ready to tackle your mould problem with not much more than household detergent and a few other household supplies, stick with us. We'll have it sorted in no time.

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/YR3y5y4JYhE

What our mould growth killing solution can be used on...

Below we'll talk all about the products you'll need to kill those mould spores and get your wood looking right. But before we do, we need to talk about what our solution works on.

Can you tackle mould on wood furniture, your wood floors, and any other wood surface?

Well, yes, and no.

Let us elaborate. So long as the wood you want to treat is non porous wood, then yes, you can use our solution below. The problem is, our solution relies on cleaning mould on wood using a cleaning solution with warm water.

Porous wood HATES warm water (water of any kind really, it isn't that much of a diva that it discriminates based on temperature...).

Porous wood differs from non porous wood because it absorbs water. Imagine throwing an old phone in water. It'll almost certainly break. Nowadays, newer models come with protective gear that stops it from breaking if it accidentally falls into a bath.

Non porous wood is the flagship phone of the wood world. Your iPhone 14. Treated wood like this can repel water. Wood with porous surfaces cannot, however. So porous woods will break faster than a Nokia 3310 in a bucket full of water (if it's even possible to break one of those).

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-person-cleaning-the-table-4099467/

How to remove mould from wood (porous edition)

Because we're good to you, we'll quickly cover how to remove mould from wood when that wood has porous surfaces. You have to be careful not to damage porous wood with water. So, we'll avoid it as much as possible.

Vacuuming

To start with, you'll need to vacuum the mould. To kill mould it's best to simply remove it from the affected surface so it can't go on surviving. And there's really no better way to remove mould from wood than with a powerful vacuum.

Use a stiff bristled brush to first loosen the surface mould, before vacuuming the heck out of it. Make sure you get any loose spores - we don't need to tell you, we're sure, but all mould species are bad for your health, so don't leave anything around and make sure you're wearing protective gear like a protective coat, protective clothing, and face mask as you work.

Oh, and a vacuum with a HEPA filter is best. It'll make sure that no mould remains so it'll reduce the chance of future mould growth.

Wiping down

Once the vacuum has done it's job, take a slightly damp cloth (remember, water is the enemy) and remove any mould stains.

Lingering stains can be a nuisance, so you might also mix together distilled white vinegar and water. Equal parts vinegar and water ought to do it. Just make sure you dip a cloth in and ring it out heavily. (Like your life depends on it - because if you ruin your wooden floors, it just might.)

You only need a small amount of moisture - a wet cloth will penetrate the wood deeply and wreak havoc on porous woods...

Sanding

If stains remain, you'll have to sand it down. Sometimes mould will stay in the affected area because of how deep it's been able to go. The only solution here is sanding it down to restore the furniture.

You might be able to get away with a light sanding if you only need to remove light mould. But you won't know how bad your problem really is until you get started.

The moment you can't see any more mould, you can stop sanding. Until then, it's all hands on deck with sandpaper we're afraid.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/craftsman-polishing-wooden-board-with-grinding-instrument-5974325/

Porous products...

Once the mould spores have been removed from your wood, you can always look for products designed to prevent mould on porous surfaces like some types of wood.

These products can be bought for indoor and outdoor furniture, wood floor, wood structures like sheds, or wooden furniture.

Essentially, they'll act as a second skin, preventing mould from being able to grow in a damp environment in porous layers of wood. Most of these treatments and products are clear, so you won't change the look of the wood either.

Simply search for treatments for porous woods and you'll be amazed by the protective products you can pick up that'll keep that mould at bay!

How to remove mould from wood furniture, floors, and surfaces (non porous edition)

The main focus of today is non porous woods, though, because nowadays it's difficult to find wood surfaces that aren't painted or stained wood, treated wood, or just naturally non porous. So, the likelihood is, you'll be trying to clean mould off of non porous surfaces.

But what do you need?

It's more than a spray bottle...

(But yes, you'll still need a spray bottle...)

As well as:

• rubber gloves
• protective mask
• safety goggles
• protective clothing
• plastic bag (s)
• soft bristled brush
• soft cloth
• liquid dishwashing detergent (standard dish soap is fine)
• hydrogen peroxide or similar mould killing products - LAST RESORT
• sandpaper

Source: https://www.picserver.org/photo/8506/Cleaning.html

1. Prep

Start by prepping the furniture/floor/surface and surrounding area. And yourself.

Wear protective gear or else you could suffer health problems. An air mask will help you breathe safely whilst killing mould. Remember, no matter the species - black mould, green mould - breathing in mould spores is never safe, so cover your back and get protected.

Cover the area you'll be working with a few plastic bags or an old sheet, just in case you make a mess.

2. Vacuum away mould spores

To kill mould you'll need to remove it from wood surfaces because mould thrives and survives by being attached to damp surfaces. To do this, take your soft bristle brush and gently scrub the wood.

Removing mould in this way means you can clean mould away quickly with the vacuum.

Make sure your vacuum has a HEPA filter for best results. Then have at it!

3. Make up your spray bottle

The very first mixture you can try is a simple mix of water and dishwashing detergent. Mix the two together in a spray bottle.

A spray bottle filled with soap and water is much more effective than people realise. It will get rid of mould on wood faster than most expensive products that 'kills mould quick'. Sometimes these products are necessary, and we'll talk about that more below, but mostly dish soap and warm water will do the trick just as well - and for a fraction of the cost.

4. Deep clean

Next, lightly spray the wood surface with your mixture. You don't need to drench it, just enough to cover the mould growth.

Take your soft bristled brush and scrub gently. It's especially important that you're gentle with painted or stained wood because you might damage it, hence the soft bristles.

Once scrubbed, use a soft cloth to remove any excess and allow the furniture, surface, or floor to air dry. Move any furniture to direct sunlight if you can.

5. Vinegar solution

If the dish soap and water technique hasn't fixed the affected area, then consider distilled white vinegar instead. Mix a spray of water and vinegar, roughly equal parts, and apply it directly to the mould on wood.

Allow to sit for an hour, before wiping clean with just water. This should remove excess stains.

6. Sanding (if necessary)

Sanding isn't always necessary, but if the mould grows for a long period of time on the affected area, it might penetrate deeper into the wood, making removing mould that much more difficult.

Mould stains that are deeply ingrained will need to be removed with sand paper.

The problem here is that if the wood is treated, stained or painted, it will be removed with the sand paper. But hey, it gives you the chance to upcycle that old piece of furniture and make it look great again, right?

Sand the surface until the mould on wood has gone. Hopefully it won't be too deep. If it is, you might want to consider simply replacing the piece (not ideal, we know, but sometimes these things happen).

7. Professional wood cleaning solution (if necessary)

Black mould can be particularly difficult to deal with, and it seems to grow at a rapid pace. Still, other moulds besides black mould can prove stubborn too. When this happens, professional cleaning supplies might be in order.

Specifically products with hydrogen peroxide.

(Hydrogen peroxide, by the way, is essentially bleach - but we wouldn't recommend using straight bleach from your bottle at home - it's best to pick up the official sprays and products from the shops rather than mixing your own.)

Simply apply these sprays according to the package instructions. They're specifically designed for removing mould from wood, so it ought to do the trick.

These products should be your last resort after the soap and water trick though. There's no sense in wasting money on these often-expensive products right away if water, soap, and elbow grease will do just as good a job.

Prevent mould from returning

To prevent future mould growth you need to treat your wood right. Below are some life-changing (and wood-saving) tips that you MUST follow moving forwards:

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/44016053955

Keeping everything dry

The number one tip we can give you is making sure your wood is dry. If the room has high humidity, then it will be affected by mould.

Think about purchasing a dehumidifier or moving your furniture to a room with better air flow and less moisture.

If the humidity is unavoidable, then try to wipe down the wood surfaces regularly with a dry cloth. Any spillages should be cleaned up IMMEDIATELY.

Ventilation

A well ventilated space won't have mould problems, mould develops because of moist air. If you keep the air flowing, then mould won't become an issue.

Cleaning regularly

Simply cleaning your wooden surfaces and furniture regularly will be enough to prevent mould from growing too.

Either use soap and water on non porous woods, or specialised products on porous ones.

Protective treatments

Protective treatments are available that will seal and care for your wood long after the mould has been removed.

Make use of these, especially if your furniture or surfaces are frequently affected by mould.

Remember, wood was once a living plant - it's going to need a little extra TLC from time to time to stop it from breaking down.

Protective treatments will help you there.

When to call in the pros

There's only one rule you need to know here:

If the affected area of mould is greater than ten square feet, you need professionals.

Anything less, you can handle it yourself with our helpful guide!

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-person-disinfecting-the-table-4099471/

Wrap-up

Cleaning your wooden surfaces and furniture is easy enough. To know how to remove mould from wood, you simply need to know what type of wood it is (porous or not) and then treat it accordingly.

Thankfully, our helpful guide today covers both types of wood. If you aren't sure which type of wood you're dealing with (Granny didn't save that product info, huh?), then we'd always recommend treating it using our porous advice section.

Follow the advice in today's post and we can say one thing for certain. That mould problem you're having? It'll be a thing of the past in no time!

Why not read our blog post "Is Mold on Wood Furniture Dangerous?" to find out more.

How to remove mould from wood was originally published on http://www.homesdirect365.co.uk

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