Mould can be a big problem in wardrobes, because it not only causes musty odours inside your wardrobe and on your clothes, but it can also ruin your clothes. Mould can also cause health problems in some individuals if exposure is prolonged.
In this article, we’ll look at why and how mould is present in your wardrobes in the first place, and how to prevent mould in wardrobe areas and what to do if you have found mould in your wardrobe.
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Table of Contents
Mould In Wardobe Areas – Why?
Mould forms when wet or damp clothes dry in an enclosed space that has no airflow or limited airflow.
If your clothes are even slightly damp, your clothes dry by water molecules (moisture) escaping from the fabric of your clothes and evaporating.
Except, in a wardrobe, they have nowhere to go.
This moisture ends up on the back of your wardrobe, the sides, or the ceiling of the wardrobe, creating ideal conditions for mould to form.
It’s a similar story when you cook in your kitchen, and don’t have a door or window open, and don’t use an extractor fan – the moisture created by the cooking process can lead to mould on walls and ceilings.
Now lets look at how to prevent mould in wardrobe areas with just a couple of simple tricks
How To Prevent Mould In Wardrobe Areas
Next, we’ll run through two very simple ways on how to prevent mould in wardrobe areas, and prevent mould from having an ideal environment to grow and thrive.
Step One: Dry Your Clothes Correctly
The main reason you get mould forming in your wardrobes is damp or wet clothes placed inside the wardrobe before they are 100% dry.
Never put damp clothes in your wardrobe thinking that they will dry whilst hung up.
They will of course dry, but all that dampness and moisture has nowhere to go, so it clings to the back and sides of your wardrobe that then allows bacteria and fungus to grow.
The best place to dry clothes is outside on a washing line or on a drying horse.
Wherever possible, use an outside washing line or horse to dry your clothes, and then feel each piece of clothing for dampness before putting them away in a wardrobe.
British weather doesn’t always allow for this, so the next best thing is to dry your clothes in a tumble dryer.
If you don’t have access to a tumble drier, then using a drying horse inside is also acceptable, but you must have a window open as this will then cause condensation, moisture formation and eventually mould inside your house.
And if you must use radiators to dry your clothes, do make certain that a window is open and there is good airflow.
Step Two: Buy Wardrobe Dehumidifiers
Wardrobe dehumidifiers offer excellent protection against damp, mildew and mould forming inside your wardrobe.
Interior Wardrobe Dehumidifiers |
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- Hanger design to hang in wardrobes |
Remember when we said that any moisture still trapped in your clothes has nowhere to go?
Well, now it does. These dehumidifiers collect any moisture in the air of your wardrobe, meaning that mould and damp cannot develop, there will be no musty odours, and there’ll be no damage to your clothing.
You can buy it here on Amazon.co.uk
How Do Dehumidifiers Work?
Dehumidifiers come in all shapes and sizes, with different jobs in mind.
Wardrobe dehumidifiers are simple devices that collect any moisture within the wardrobes. Instead of the moisture escaping from the clothing and onto the material of the wardobe, the moisture will be captured and contained.
They use hydrophilic crystals to absorb this moisture, and when it is full, simply throw away and replace with a new one.
Other Dangers Of Mould Inside Wardrobes
It is possible that mould formation within a wardrobe space will not occur on the wardrobe material at all; instead, it may well occur on clothing, especially on things like bags, shoes and leather goods.
Not only is it unsightly, but the mould will create an awful damp and musty smell on your previously machine washed, fresh smelling clothes.
There’s also health associated problems with mould, and specific types of mould can give off poisonous toxins that can trigger allergies, breathing problems and other respiratory illnesses.
Removing Mould In Your Wardobes
If you’ve found mould in your wardrobes, then quite simply, you’re putting clothing into your wardrobes before they are dry.
That is the simple fix for the future – dry your clothes thoroughly before returning them to your wardrobe space.
The next obvious thing to do is to clean the mould off using either hot soapy water, or a mould magic spray such as this one here:
Cilit Bang Mould Remover |
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- Gets rid of mould fast (3 Pack) |
Always ensure when you are dealing with mould, you wear gloves, a mask and light eye protection, and you let the wardrobes air out by leaving the doors open afterwards.
It’s also advisable to open a window in the bedroom too.
Summary
We hope we have answered your question on ‘How To prevent Mould In Wardobe Areas’ in an organised and simple way.
In closing then, here is a summary of our article.
- When returning clothing to wardobe areas, they should be 100% dry with no feeling of dampness present.
- If dampness is present, eventually this moisture will evaporate and form moisture on the inside of the wardrobe.
- Moisture is an ideal condition for mould to grow.
- Mould can also grow on clothes, bags and shoes and damage them.
- Some mould can cause health probelms.
- Use hanging dehumidifiers in your wardrobe to ward off moisture and mould growth.
- If you find mould in your wardrobe, remove it immediately to stop it spreading.
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