What can you do to get rid of mold from furniture?
Mold spores float through the air both inside and outside your house, undetected until they start multiplying rapidly. When they are provided the right conditions such as moisture and warmth, they begin to grow excessively. When mold and mildew invade your home, they quickly spread onto the floors, walls, and even your furniture.
It can be devastating to look at your favorite pieces of furniture mottled with patches and spots of mold. If left untreated, it can completely ruin your furniture and also affect the health of your family. Therefore, you need to act quickly otherwise the mold can penetrate deep into the fibers of upholstery and you may have to discard the item. Here are a few steps you can take to remove mold from furniture.
Getting Rid of Mold from Wooden Furniture
Before you begin the cleaning project, wear protective gloves, glasses, a mask and if required, a coat or apron to keep yourself protected from coming in contact with the mold spores.
For heavily affected items, it’s best to seal them before moving so you don’t contaminate other areas that you pass through. Move the wooden piece of furniture into a well-ventilated area preferably outside if possible. Remove any cushions or fabric from the furniture. If the mold has spread to the cushions or other porous materials like fabric, padding, or foam, it’s best to discard those items.
The best method is to use a true HEPA vacuum and a small brush attachment to remove as much growth as possible. Your typical household vacuum with a HEPA filter should not be used as the seals around the filter are not adequate for mold remediation and you risk contaminating your home after cleaning when doing regular vacuuming around the home. Pass the vacuum over moldy areas several times so that all loose spores are sucked up along with dirt and dust.
The next step is to prepare a cleaning solution. Spray this solution on to the furniture following manufacturer’s guidelines for saturation and dwell time. After proper dwell time, you can lightly scrub the furniture with a soft cloth or brush then rinse and wipe any excess residue to prevent damage to the finish.
Once dry, all items should be HEPA vacuumed once more. Once you’re done with vacuuming, empty the bag or canister of the vacuum away from other items into a plastic bag. The filter should also be discarded at this time. Seal the bag and throw it in the garbage.
Last Few Words
While getting rid of mold and mildew from furniture can be doable, if the damage is extensive or it has affected too many of your furnishings, it’s best to leave this job up to the professionals because the growth may have spread beyond the furniture into the structure, air ducts or other rooms and in many cases can help determine what caused the issue in the first place to help prevent it from happening again. So, if you have detected mold growth on your furniture, get in touch with a mold remediation service today.
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