Mould is not only unsightly, but it is also harmful to your health. Yet, no matter how careful a homeowner is, it is almost impossible to completely avoid it. When heat from the sun comes in contact with cooler surfaces, like moist environments or cold temperatures, this becomes the ideal habitat for mould.

When sunlight and warmth hit the cold glass, condensation forms on the inside of a window pane. If you have curtains or blinds covering your windows, these will soak up both the moisture and the warmth. Lo and behold, a big ugly patch of mildew will be the result.

What makes mould so revolting is its sheer persistence. Once it gets its hooks into any household surface, whether it be a painted ceiling, an item of clothing, or a home fabric such as curtains. Removal is genuinely tough.

Here are some mould removal tips

Curtains

Start by vacuuming your fabric. Bear in mind that if you do so, you will need to chuck the vacuum bag afterwards, since it will likely be contaminated by mildew spores. If that seems like a, skip that step and try brushing the fabric with a stiff-bristled brush. This may get some of the mildew off. Do this outside because, again, you don’t want to be spreading mildew around the house.

Machine Wash

Put your curtains through a wash cycle as directed on the tags. Hope and pray that this, alone, will remove a lot of the mildew spots.

Dry cleaning

If your curtains can only be dry cleaned, take them to your dry cleaner and ask if they can help.

This bears repeating: make sure they know about the mildew first. That’s because the dry cleaning process will bind the mildew to your fabrics even more stubbornly. So the mildew stain must be tackled before anyone attempts a dry cleaning.

Hang to Dry

If the mildew remains but you aren’t ready to proceed with further stain removal attempts. Do not put the curtains through the dryer. Blasting the mildew with air, particularly hot air will make it harder to get the spots out. Hang them to air dry instead.

The Citrus Solution

Next up is an old-time stain removal tactic.

• Rubbing the mildew spots with a paste of lemon juice and salt.
• Saturate the fabric with lemon juice, then pour over plenty of salt.
• Rub with a soft cloth.
• When you’re done, rinse very thoroughly and put through the wash again.
• The rinsing is mighty important because any remaining lemon juice could cause a yellowish stain.

Oxygen Bleach

If your fabric can take it, the next step is to try oxygen bleach. Before proceeding, do a patch test according to the product’s directions.

• Start with an oxygen bleach soak.
• While your washing machine is filling, add a cup of oxygen bleach powder.
• Add your fabrics and leave for about thirty minutes.
• Then put them through a regular wash cycle again.
• If you’re using a pretty tough fabric, you can try soaking your curtains in oxygen bleach overnight.
• Exercise caution on this, though, because it may damage your curtains’ acrylic foam backing.

Try commercial anti-mould products.

If nothing else has worked, it’s time to get really tough. If your fabric can survive it (say, if you are working with white cotton), try chlorine bleach. If not, try some of the commercial products out there designed specifically for stain removal from upholstery and other household fabrics.

• Repeated vigorous machine washing helps a lot.
• So if your fabric will tolerate it, just keep putting the curtains through the wash cycle over and over.
• This will likely eradicate any remaining mildew spots.

Blinds provide ideal conditions for mould growth

With condensation on the windows aiding mould development on the blinds. Mould will grow in warm, damp areas, and the living spores cling to fabrics and porous surfaces. The spores must be destroyed to stop further mould growing.

One way to remove mould on blinds

• Is by cleaning the blinds using detergent and water.
• If mould remains, use a chlorine based bleach or some lemon juice.
• Then spread with salt and leave in the sun to dry, before rinsing thoroughly.
• If they’re metal or another waterproof material.
• You can certainly soak them in the bath for an hour or two.
• In a solution of hot water and washing-up liquid with a few splashes of bleach.
• After soaking, wipe the mouldy areas with a soft cloth to remove marks.
• And finish by rinsing off with the shower attachment.

If the blinds are made from fabric

• DON’T use this method.
• Instead, unclip the slats and lay them on a clean, flat surface.
• Using a soft brush, gently wipe away any dry mould.
• Then clean each one by wiping from top to bottom with a cloth dipped in a mild detergent solution.
• Use a clean cloth washed in water and dab gently.
• Use gentle, repeated applications rather than over-wetting or rubbing hard.
• For all methods, hang up straight on a washing line to dry. Air drying is the best.

Mould-cleaning products

Mould cleaning products are available at shops like bunnings, and supermarkets. You can also make your own homemade mould removal products- click here to view.

If you need professional help to remove mould click here or call us today on 1300 300 243