How to Kill Mold on Furniture
Mold is a messy fact of life. It pops up in places you want to see it least, damaging furniture and creating health and allergy problems. When it hits your furniture, it can be a very costly thing to fix. You can try a few things to save yourself expensive furniture cleaning and having to replace your favorite couch or chair. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Face mask
- Color-safe bleach
- Water
- Laundry detergent
- Scrubbing brush or towel
- Vacuum
Instructions
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Move the furniture to a well-ventilated area and allow it to dry out completely before trying to remove the mold.
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Put on a face mask. If the item is not upholstered, mix a batch of 25 percent bleach and 75 percent laundry detergent, and wash the item really well. Scrub the area very well where the mold was growing, and allow it to dry out.
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If the item is upholstered, wear the face mask then vacuum the piece of furniture well. Mix 25 percent bleach and warm water. Then taking a small test area (one not highly visible), clean the area well. This is a color test to ensure that the bleach will not permanently discolor your fabric.
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If the color test holds, wash the area well and the area around where the mold was prominent. Scrub with the minimum force necessary to dislodge the mold because you can treat discoloration later if necessary. If the color test fails, consult with a professional furniture cleaning service.
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Rinse the area well until the water runs clear and is non-soapy. Allow the piece of furniture to dry out completely before using.
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Tips & Warnings
Chances are if the mold does not come out using these methods on a wood item, you will have to strip and refinish the item. If the item is upholstered and the mold does not come out, you will have no choice but to contact a professional company or replace the item.
Molds can present serious health issues if inhaled, so if you have a serious issue with mold spores, make sure you are working in a well-ventilated area and that you are using a face mask or respirator and eye shield. Be careful with mixing bleaches and detergents, as some detergents will react with bleach to make dangerous fumes. Check the detergent label to make sure it can be safely combined with bleach.
