How to clean mold on furniture after rain gets inside
Rain blowing through open windows can leave moisture on furniture and appliances that triggers unexpected mold growth. Without addressing the underlying moisture, wiping surfaces down with soap is only a temporary fix, and trying to scrub it away while pregnant poses safety worries that often leave people wondering whether to clean or throw out affected items.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1wiping surfaces with a cloth
- 2scrubbing cleaning cloths with dishwashing soap and hand soap
- 3using mold cleaners
- 4dumping the affected furniture and getting replacements
- 5cleaning surrounding surfaces with vinegar instead of bleach
- 6ventilating the room and running a dehumidifier
- 7using an air purifier
- 8keeping furniture away from problem walls to maintain airflow
- 9Trying to redirect water to the drain via a tray
- 10Inspecting humidity signs during intermittent visits
- 11running dehumidifiers in the basement
- 12putting moisture catchers in every closet and room
- 13getting a professional mold test done
- 14using a moisture meter to track down the source of dampness
- 15buying a mold test kit from a big box lumber store or hardware store
- 16Throwing the chair out on the curb for trash collection
- 17Putting the chair in a disposal bag
- 18Ripping the chair apart to wash pieces in disinfectant
- 19Burning it
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Anyway, we are expecting a baby in a few weeks and I just discovered this mould growth on the back of our dining chairs.”source ↗
“Knowing that we can't get the mould issue fixed right away, what should we do for now? Is it safe for me to clean this being heavily pregnant? Or should we dump these chairs and replace, knowing we'll need to fix the source of the problem before long. I'm so worried about our newborn coming home to this.”source ↗
“But I have mold growing on random things. Like a hat, my husband’s pants, book shelves. I’m so nervous about this.”source ↗
“can someone tell me what the heck is this? I mean I know it's mild but is it THAT mold in the basement??”source ↗
“Yes that is bad mold, that will be releasing spores into your house when you try and scrub it, when you sit on it, vacuum it... You need to get rid of this chair. It is not salvageable.”source ↗
“It’s hard to tell what’s going on exactly because I don’t live there full time.”source ↗
“We moved into our apartment 4 years ago and have battled with our respiratory health ever since.”source ↗
“My son developed asthma and during a recent flare of his we decided to take our ceiling vents down.”source ↗
“We also found that the vents themselves had mold spores on them and I’m wondering if these hairs look like mold or just building material and if anyone knows if it’s harmful or not.”source ↗
“Just got back to my dorm, and noticed these spots on my table and kettle that I put in front of my window, because I want to have ventilation for when I'm cooking.”source ↗
“There were times wherein I open the window, and it would suddenly rain hard, making some rain droplets enter my room and spray onto the table, but only on the edge of the table closest to the window.”source ↗
“A few days ago, I do think I did see mold spores growing on my electric stove top; I only wiped it with a cloth, and then I made sure to scrub the cloth twice with dishwashing soap and even hand soap to make use of it again”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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