How to Remove Mold from Wood – A Step-by-Step Guide
What is that weird smell in the house? If your house is smelling musty irrespective of being cleaned regularly, you need to find the underlying cause of it. Moreover, in such cases, the cause directly leads to molded walls or wood.
But despite all your cleaning efforts, why has the mold started to grow suddenly? In addition, were you not able to identify it before? Well, mold grows silently, and hence, it can take some time for you to identify it as these easily hide within walls and wood.
Now since you have found yourself in such a situation, is there a way you can remove mold from wood? But before you learn of ways how to clean mold off of wood, you first need to understand why does it grow and how to prevent it!
What is Mold and Why Does it Grow?
Mold is a fungus that grows in hot and humid places. If your house lacks ventilation, then there are high chances that due to high humidity levels in the house, you will later if not sooner come across black mold on wood.
When the moisture in the spaces increases, it becomes a breeding ground for mold and mildew. But sometimes it isn’t easy to identify it unless you come across molded wood furniture, covered completely in it.
So, before you run into removing it from wood, make sure you open the windows to control humidity inside the house through ventilation because the cleaner air you’ll welcome inside, the less the moisture will be on the woody surface, and hence, it will decrease the chances of moldy growth.
How to Clean Mold Off Wood
Have you found the green mold on wood furniture? As much as this looks disgusting, if left untreated, it can ruin your furniture within a short time.
In addition, the mold on wood furniture will then grow outside the premises and there are high chances of you falling sick due to it.
Thus, is there a way to get rid of mold in furniture? Yes and here is how to clean mold off wood easily
1. Wear Protective Gear First
Before you start scrubbing off the mold from your wood furniture, it is mandatory to wear protective gloves and a mask so you do not inhale the chemicals and fall sick. Moreover, you would not want to touch the growing fungus as it may pose a serious threat to your health too.
So, gear up with the protective suiting and then, move ahead to the cleaning work.
2. Vacuum the Moldy Surface
To make your cleaning work easier and fast, we recommend vacuuming the wooden furniture. For this, a vacuum with a HEPA filter works ideally.
Just plug in your vacuum and run it over the moldy wooden furniture to remove as much mold as you can.
Once done, make sure you empty the canister and clean it so that no residue remains inside. Reach out to tight spots and corners of the furniture so you do not have to scrub it manually, which can be super difficult at times.
3. Wash and Scrub
Although, you all must have heard that one should use damp rang for cleaning furniture or wash them all together. But then again, there can be exceptions!
When you are trying to remove mold from your wooden furniture, mix liquid soap in warm water and scrub the wooden parts.
Use a soft-bristled brush for it and do it gently because you would not want to scratch the furniture. Once, all the mold has been completely removed, use a dry cloth to wipe it dry.
4. Prevention
When you spend hours and hours cleaning the mold from your furniture, you would want to take preventive measures so it does not come back. Thus, what can be done? For this, we would recommend mixing white vinegar in water and spraying it all over the wooden furniture.
This will work as a natural sealant that keeps away the moisture from absorbing and hence, reduce the chances of moldy growths. Just gently spray all the furniture with the solution and wipe it clean.
5. Use Bleach for Stubborn Mold
Have you been able to remove all the black mold stains from the furniture? Look like not! Some mold is too stubborn to come out easily and hence, for those tough stains, you need a stronger cleaner.
Add some liquid soap to water and add a little amount of chlorine bleach, which is wood friendly. Mix it well and apply it to the tough mold stains and let it sit for a few minutes.
Then take a soft brush, rub it and clean it away. This should surely help you get rid of the mold stains and clean your furniture fully.
6. Call a Professional
Since you have tried all the hacks to no avail or do not have the time to clean the mold, you can always rely on professional cleaners for help.
Expert cleaners are equipped with tools and products that allow them to easily remove and treat mold from all types of surfaces.
Thus, if the situation is out of hand and you cannot attend to it then book professional cleaners who hold expertise in removing mold to help restore your wood furniture.
7. Scrap with Sandpaper
Even after you have been able to successfully remove all the mold, your furniture might look stained. And if so is the case, you can use sandpaper to even out the discoloration.
But won’t it damage the furniture? Not at all! Yes, the paint will come off along the stain but you can always polish the furniture back.
How to Prevent Mold from Growing on Furniture?
Once you are done removing all the mold from wood furniture, the next step is to take preventive measures to ensure it does not come back. Thus, what can you do about it? Here is how you can prevent mold from rowing back on your wood furniture:
- Ventilate the house by opening the windows because it is important to let the fresh air in
- Use dehumidifiers to maintain the levels of humidity in the house
- Do not wash the furniture or if they need it, clean it with a damp cloth but then make sure to wipe it dry too
- Always dust the furniture using a clean rag
- Identify any leaks in the house that may be causing increased humidity and hence, get them treated
When you see mold growing on the furniture, get to removing it at the first instant. Do not ignore it and sit back to watch it grow because once the growth of mold starts, it is quick to spread to the surrounding areas.
Apart from cleaning, prevention is more important. For this make sure you have opened windows for proper ventilation. And if you do not have big windows for it, use a dehumidifier in the house to reduce moisture and control humidity.
Relax and Enjoy!
Remember, high moisture absorption is the main culprit that leads to moldy growth on furniture. Thus, never clean your furniture using a wet cloth and ventilate the house well to avoid moldy growths.
And just so if you are unable to identify it yet experience a musty smell in the house, call in professional cleaners for help. They will help you identify mold and get rid of it by using wood furniture-friendly cleaners and teach you ways of prevention.
Get to cleaning the mold before it spreads too fast because then, it is easier to deal with.
You may also take a look at our ultimate step-by-step vacuum cleaners buying guide.
