Dry brushing
It throws the spores into the air. You breathe them and they land on the next wall. Use a damp cloth, or a vacuum with a proper filter.
Four ways a home clean goes wrong
Bleach
It lightens the stain on paint. Queensland Health says it may not kill mould that has soaked in. It also stinks, and it is dangerous if it meets another cleaner.
Painting over it
Paint over live mould and the spots come through again. Paint over a damp wall and it peels.
Not fixing the damp
Mould grows where there is water. Clean it but leave the leak or the missing fan, and it is back in a few weeks.
If anyone at home has asthma
Mould spores can bring on an attack. The health advice is that they should not be the one cleaning it, or in the room while it is done. Get someone else, or get us.
What the health services say
These are our notes on public health pages. Each one links to the original. We have not copied their articles onto this site.
Fix the water, or the spots return
NSW Health treats mould as a damp problem. Wiping the mark and leaving the leak, the steam, or the wet wall is how it comes back. Find what is feeding it, then clean what is left on a sound surface.
People who are unwell should not do the clean
The Australian Centre for Disease Control says mould exposure is a problem for people with asthma, allergies, or a weak immune system. They should not be the ones scrubbing it, and they should stay out of the room while it is done.
Australian Centre for Disease Control, Preventing mould exposure
Asthma and a mouldy room
Asthma Australia’s fact sheet is written for people whose asthma is set off by mould. The short version for a house on this coast: if someone at home has asthma, the clean is not a job for them.
Bleach fades a stain
Queensland Health says household bleach may not kill mould that has soaked into a surface, and it is dangerous mixed with other cleaners. A lighter patch on the paint is not the same as a clean wall.
Damp buildings and breathing
The World Health Organization reviewed the research on damp buildings. Dampness and mould indoors are linked with coughing, wheeze, and asthma symptoms. That is why a wet wall is not something we seal and leave.
Wash it yourself, or ring us
You can do it if
- It is a small spot on tile or something hard
- The paint is in good shape
- You know where the water came from
- Nobody at home has asthma or a lung problem
Ring us if
- It is on the ceiling
- It keeps coming back
- It covers a big area
- You can smell it but can’t see it
- It is behind a bed or wardrobe
If the paint is peeling or the board is soft, the water has already got in. That is a leak or a plasterer’s job. We will tell you straight, and we will not seal over it.
Where this comes from
- NSW Health, Mould
- Australian Centre for Disease Control, Preventing mould exposure
- Asthma Australia, Mould fact sheet
- Queensland Health, Mould after a disaster
- World Health Organization, Dampness and mould
We are cleaners, not doctors. If mould is making you unwell, see yours.