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How do I Remove Mold on Furniture?

Autumn Rivers
By
Updated Feb 29, 2024
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Discovering mold anywhere inside a house can be bothersome, but you should know that there is a way to remove mold on furniture. As soon as you are aware of the mold, you should purchase cleaners for either wood or upholstery, depending on the type of moldy furniture you have. You should then take the furniture outside, and clean it with the appropriate cleaner until the mold disappears. Once you can no longer see the mold, you should let it dry in the sun, followed by disinfecting it with a mixture of bleach and water. Finally, dry it in the sun again, making sure to polish any wood, since cleaning solution often strips away the polish on most furniture.

Many people find it easiest to take the furniture outside to clean it, especially since it is usually the fastest way to dry it at the end of the process of removing mold on furniture. Before you get started, you should make sure that you have cleaning solutions that are appropriate for the furniture that you are treating, such as upholstery and wood cleaners. The next step is to spray the cleaner on the area that has mold, scrub it with a wet rag, and repeat until the mold appears to be at least mostly gone. Leaving the moldy furniture in the sun to dry out completely will help ensure that mold does not grow on it again.

Once the furniture has dried, you can mix water with bleach to disinfect the surface. You may want to first test the bleach on an inconspicuous area to make sure that it does not stain the furniture. If it does, you may be better off having a professional clean it to avoid ruining the surface. Otherwise, the next step in the process of removing mold on furniture is to dip a rag in the bleach solution and then wipe down the surface until there is no trace of the mold, as the bleach should kill it.

Among the last steps of removing mold on furniture is to let it dry in the sun once again, and then polish the wooden areas of it. While this just goes for wooden furniture, you should note that even upholstered items, such as couches, often have wood in the arms. Therefore, polishing any exposed wooden areas after you have removed mold on furniture will help the item look its best, as the wood should be mold-free and shiny once the procedure is complete.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Autumn Rivers
By Autumn Rivers
Autumn Rivers, a talented writer for WiseGEEK, holds a B.A. in Journalism from Arizona State University. Her background in journalism helps her create well-researched and engaging content, providing readers with valuable insights and information on a variety of subjects.

Discussion Comments

By Spotiche5 — On Dec 14, 2014

@heavanet- I think you have a good reason to be concerned about using bleach on certain colors. It is very easy to damage and even ruin fabrics with bleach if you strip the color. While bleach is good to use on outdoor furniture that is made of waterproof fabric, it is not always good to use on interior furniture.

This is why I prefer not to use bleach to clean mold on fabrics. In my opinion, white vinegar also works. Though it won't strip colors, it does remove mold. It is also good for killing germs and eliminating odors.

By Heavanet — On Dec 13, 2014

Is bleach safe to use to clean mold off brightly-colored furniture? I'm afraid to try it for fear of causing white marks on the fabric.

Autumn Rivers

Autumn Rivers

Autumn Rivers, a talented writer for WiseGEEK, holds a B.A. in Journalism from Arizona State University. Her background in journalism helps her create well-researched and engaging content, providing readers with valuable insights and information on a variety of subjects.
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