Signs of mould in your house and how to clean it

If you are noticing changes in your health, there could be mould inside your home. A mould allergy can cause headaches and respiratory problems.

Fortunately, there are several ways to detect mould in your home. When you find mould, you can remove it with regular house cleaning products.

Here are some of the common causes of mould:

1) Leaking pipes

A leaky pipe can cause mould in less noticeable areas of your home. If your basement or subfloor is always damp, mould could be growing on your pipes. The mould on your pipes could be green or grey.

2) Humidity and mould

If your home is in a humid climate, you might notice mould growing on your floors or walls. Peeling wallpaper and uneven surfaces are also signs of mould growth. Mould spores can also grow underneath carpet.

3) Mould and dirt

Large patches of mould obviously do not go unnoticed, but many people do not notice small patches of mould. Isolated clusters of mould can be mistaken for dirt. Besides the typical black mould spores, mould in hidden areas can be brown or grey.

4) Allergy symptoms

Many people have seasonal allergies, but there could be mould in your home if your allergies never subside. Nasal congestion and sneezing are common reactions to mould growth.

5) Musty odour

A musty odour could be a sign of mould. Mould is not always in plain sight. If you notice a persistent musty odour that cannot be removed with home cleaning products, there could be mould in hidden areas of your home.

6) Mould on grout

Mould on grout lines can be cleaned with bleach and detergent. The detergent will loosen the mould, and the bleach will kill the spores. Mould spores can also be removed with a mildew cleaner. You should always wear gloves to protect your hands.

7) Mould on concrete floors

A stiff brush and soapy water can be used to remove mould from concrete floors. Spray a mist of water on the floor before scrubbing it with a bristled brush. When the floor is clean, dry it with a rag.

8) Mould on carpet

Patches of mould on carpet should be cleaned with a vacuum that can absorb water. After cleaning the carpet, you should promptly dry your floors with fans. If the weather outside is hot, you can let the outdoor heat dry your carpet.

9) Mould on walls and ceilings

Walls and ceilings can be cleaned with detergents and bleach. You should throw away any mould infested porous objects. If the object has been wet for longer than 24 hours, throw it in the bin.

10) Mould on non-porous items

Non-porous items that do not absorb water can be cleaned using detergents. The items should dry outside or near fans.

Mould should always be cleaned immediately. A mould infestation can cause neurological problems if the growth gets out of control. If you are suffering from respiratory problems or headaches, do a thorough inspection of your floors and walls.

Do you have issues with mould in your house? Do you have anything to share in the comments below?

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

25 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 04 Aug 2021
    7:39 am
I have issues with mould on some ceilings but my ceilings are super high and its too dangerous for me to even try getting up there.

- - mom206279 said
  - 28 Apr 2017
    8:15 am
We had mould in our old house and there is absolutely no way of ever getting rid of it. It should have been bulldozed years ago but they are still renting it out.
Its nasty stuff.

- - tessie said
  - 14 Mar 2017
    3:30 pm
Thanks for the hints. We have trouble with mould on some of our walls and, naturally, in the bathroom. Will try out some of your tips

- - cherz said
  - 11 Mar 2017
    9:27 am
Seriously bleach and exit mould and the like are of NO benefit in the shower it only bleaches the grout/mould but DOES NOT KILL IT….that is why it returns. Using OIL of CLOVES kills the spores. Don’t take my word for it, Google it or refer to Shannon Lush .

- - mom79844 said
  - 23 Feb 2017
    5:31 pm
Mould in the bathroom is always problem. Thank you for your information.

- - ella12 said
  - 30 Aug 2016
    3:49 pm
Thank you for the interesting information.

- - Melissa89 said
  - 27 Jul 2016
    7:33 pm
Our apartment is about a year old so none of this thankfully

- - mom70876 said
  - 20 Jul 2016
    7:53 pm
Thankyou, useful article at this time of the year.

- - mom81879 said
  - 24 Apr 2016
    5:08 pm
We did have a mound problem when we first moved in. You could see it clearly up the walls of one side of the house. Then we got a decent wood heater and the mould has gone

- - serotonin said
  - 07 Apr 2016
    10:43 am
I was getting sick for a while after moving into a new place, and I believe it was the disgusting carpet in the kitchen. Very mouldy and stained (and I’ve never liked carpet in the kitchen, why do that?). Didn’t realise how bad mould is! Carpet has since been removed from the whole house and it’s so much clearer and cleaner. Phew!

- - Mum to one said
  - 06 Apr 2016
    11:04 am
When we were renting there was so much mound in the ensuite bathroom because there was no window and the fan didn’t work very well.. :-/

- - rovermum said
  - 04 Apr 2016
    10:40 am
Every now and then it pops up in the showers. I think it’s because there’s obviously moisture, and not a great deal of sunlight reaches the point of the shower recess. I do hate the job of having to get rid of the mould though. Hate it!

- - mom134803 said
  - 04 Apr 2016
    3:25 am
The bathrooms, ceilings, walls and curtains of our rental property show a lot of mould. It’s an older house which is bad insulated. All this mould gives so much extra cleaning to do and it still looks always dirty 🙁 For the walls and ceilings I just use Jif cream.

- - lizgh said
  - 04 Apr 2016
    3:07 am
After reading some comments I want to try the oil of cloves and vinegar in the bathroom. I used a lot of cleaning products but had no success.

- - Mombat said
  - 03 Apr 2016
    2:53 pm
Thanks for the mould info. The comment about vinegar being effective was useful, I’m going to try it. So far, the Dettol brand mound remover has been the best for me, in the shower for making grout white again.

- - cherz said
  - 02 Apr 2016
    5:08 pm
I find bleach and exit moulds just mask the problem …oil of cloves and vinegar are other alternatives.
Thanks for the post though.

- - amymc said
  - 01 Apr 2016
    11:31 pm
Our rental seems to love mould.
I am always scrubbing the shower to get rid of mould on the tiles and grout there.
And our bedroom wall had so much black mould on it at the end of last winter that I mopped the walls with domestos – while 8 months pregnant.
The window sills and glass like to grow mould on even.
Constant cleaning keeps it at bay, but it always comes back.

- - mom101628 said
  - 01 Apr 2016
    10:07 pm
My bathroom is consistently mouldy – I tend to follow Sharon Kush’s regime of oil of cloves to kill the mould – but it is so time consuming and a constant battle. I was hoping when I saw this article that I would be helped. I do all you have said and then some – but it’s a hard road to get rid of the mould in my house.

- - robyn_smithwick said
  - 28 Mar 2016
    1:06 pm
This is a very informative article.

- - mom112217 said
  - 28 Mar 2016
    9:50 am
Good article,l have had problems with mould in the past,nothing worst!