Mum's mould cleanup using ONE product from Bunnings sparks debate online – is it really effective?
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Many parts of Australia have been drenched in rain on and off for months now.
When you add that to the poor ventilation in many homes and customary winter practices like indoor heater use and indoor clothes drying, you might as well just open the door and let the mould spores move in for the season.
Luckily for us, there are several ways to combat mould growth in our homes.
Sharing in a post on Facebook, an Aussie mum revealed that she discovered a 'miracle' product to get rid of the mould buildup on her bathroom ceiling.
She used the Mould Off spray from Bunnings which claims to brighten and whiten any areas of the house affected by mould in as fast as 30 seconds. "Couldn't recommend this product more, I'm amazed!" said the excited mum in her post.
But is it really as effective as the mum says it is? Other users on social media would like to disagree...
The ceiling looked brand new after an Aussie mum used a 30-second mould spray. But does it work to get rid of mould? Credit: Facebook.
The mum's post on Facebook attracted a string of comments, with many fellow cleaning enthusiasts warning her that mould sprays and strong chemicals like bleach only "mask" the spores; they don't actually get rid of them.
"As great as it looks. It will return. It's a bleach-based product and all it has done is discoloured the mould," one woman wrote in the comments section. "It's still there… you just can't see it."
A second user agreed and added, "It just bleaches the mould, it WILL come back," suggesting that the removal and treatment of mould must be carried out by trained professionals.
According to mycologist Heike Neumeister-Kemp, who is more than happy to be called the "Mould Lady", the biggest misconception that people have when it comes to removing mould is that bleach destroys it.
"The fungi contain melanin, and the bleach just takes the colour out, but the fungi are still there, you are just masking it," she said. "Six weeks later it appears to come back, but it was never gone."
The best course of action, according to Mould Lady, is to use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to collect all the loose mould spores.
Then, make a vinegar cleaning solution by mixing 80 per cent white wine vinegar and 20 per cent water. Fill three buckets with this solution to avoid cross-contamination of your microfiber cloth and other vinegar solutions.
When cleaning a mouldy area, dip a microfiber cloth into the first bucket, clean the area, and then rinse the cloth in the second bucket. Rinse the cloth again in the third bucket to make sure the spores are "killed", and then repeat all the steps again and again until all the mould is gone.
"The vinegar attacks the fungi mechanically, so it actually, via osmosis, penetrates into the structure and explodes it, so you actually kill the fungi," the Mould Lady explained.
When cleaning up mould in your home, you should wear gloves and a mask to keep yourself safe. Credit: Pexels/Polina Zimmerman.
Members, we also have to stress how important it is to protect yourself if you ever decide to get rid of mould in your home yourself.
Please make sure the area is well ventilated. You must also put on protective clothing, such as a shower cap, rubber gloves, eye protection, overalls, appropriate footwear, and a P1 or P2 face mask, all of which are available from your local hardware store.
This video below might be useful to homeowners who are currently dealing with mould or wish to prevent it in the future. Feel free to check it out!
Credit: Rise.
When you add that to the poor ventilation in many homes and customary winter practices like indoor heater use and indoor clothes drying, you might as well just open the door and let the mould spores move in for the season.
Luckily for us, there are several ways to combat mould growth in our homes.
Sharing in a post on Facebook, an Aussie mum revealed that she discovered a 'miracle' product to get rid of the mould buildup on her bathroom ceiling.
She used the Mould Off spray from Bunnings which claims to brighten and whiten any areas of the house affected by mould in as fast as 30 seconds. "Couldn't recommend this product more, I'm amazed!" said the excited mum in her post.
But is it really as effective as the mum says it is? Other users on social media would like to disagree...
The ceiling looked brand new after an Aussie mum used a 30-second mould spray. But does it work to get rid of mould? Credit: Facebook.
The mum's post on Facebook attracted a string of comments, with many fellow cleaning enthusiasts warning her that mould sprays and strong chemicals like bleach only "mask" the spores; they don't actually get rid of them.
"As great as it looks. It will return. It's a bleach-based product and all it has done is discoloured the mould," one woman wrote in the comments section. "It's still there… you just can't see it."
A second user agreed and added, "It just bleaches the mould, it WILL come back," suggesting that the removal and treatment of mould must be carried out by trained professionals.
According to mycologist Heike Neumeister-Kemp, who is more than happy to be called the "Mould Lady", the biggest misconception that people have when it comes to removing mould is that bleach destroys it.
"The fungi contain melanin, and the bleach just takes the colour out, but the fungi are still there, you are just masking it," she said. "Six weeks later it appears to come back, but it was never gone."
The best course of action, according to Mould Lady, is to use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to collect all the loose mould spores.
Then, make a vinegar cleaning solution by mixing 80 per cent white wine vinegar and 20 per cent water. Fill three buckets with this solution to avoid cross-contamination of your microfiber cloth and other vinegar solutions.
When cleaning a mouldy area, dip a microfiber cloth into the first bucket, clean the area, and then rinse the cloth in the second bucket. Rinse the cloth again in the third bucket to make sure the spores are "killed", and then repeat all the steps again and again until all the mould is gone.
"The vinegar attacks the fungi mechanically, so it actually, via osmosis, penetrates into the structure and explodes it, so you actually kill the fungi," the Mould Lady explained.
When cleaning up mould in your home, you should wear gloves and a mask to keep yourself safe. Credit: Pexels/Polina Zimmerman.
Members, we also have to stress how important it is to protect yourself if you ever decide to get rid of mould in your home yourself.
Please make sure the area is well ventilated. You must also put on protective clothing, such as a shower cap, rubber gloves, eye protection, overalls, appropriate footwear, and a P1 or P2 face mask, all of which are available from your local hardware store.
This video below might be useful to homeowners who are currently dealing with mould or wish to prevent it in the future. Feel free to check it out!
Credit: Rise.
