how to clean mold off wood window sills
Are you fed up with mold (mould) on your window sills? Or do you have unsightly mold around your windows?
Tackling mold on your window sills is going to take time and you will need to be vigilant because mold is living and is always looking for places to set up home.
You want to get rid of the mold but just unsure what product to use or how to do it effectively?
Mold spreads, they release spores into the air, and these are difficult to get rid off until they set up a new home.
But do you know what kills mold?
It isn't as simple as you might think, some products don't actually kill mold, bleach is one of these examples. It removes the colour and the surface appearance of mold but it doesn't actually kill it so it will come back.
Prevent Mold On UPVC Windows
Not only is mold on the window sills ugly but it can be dangerous to your health too!
Don't let mold spores take hold in your home, tackle them and keep them at bay with these tips and ideas on what products to use and how to use them safely.
But don't panic there are ways in which you can kill mold and reduce the possibility of it appearing and taking hold of your home.
Why Mold Grows On Windows
Mold develops around windows because of the difference in temperature from the inside to the outside and this causes condensation. Mold loves damp warm places to breed and grow, your windows are the ideal place.
We've created this problem for ourselves, we have a need to seal up our homes to reduce the potential of any energy loss.
The problem starts here; we then don't ventilate our homes and any moisture is looking for a way to escape.
When the air laden with water hits the window, it forms window condensation, and this provides an ideal environment for mold to grow.
We have created homes with no air flow, we need this air flow to circulate around our home to prevent mold spores taking hold and starting up their own breeding grounds.
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The Best Ways For Tackling Mold On Widow Sills
If you are looking for how to get rid of mold on window sills then you need to consider how the mold is taking hold. Are you providing it with the perfect environment in which to live?
As we've just discussed we need to make air flow, this will help to stop the mold from forming. You need to supply some sort of ventilation to the room with the problem.
Some windows come with ventilation built-in. This is something that we had to ask for when replacing our windows, it's something that's offered but not something they ask when they are designing your windows.
If you don't have vents on your windows consider opening your windows, or having some sort of air movement, a dehumidifier is good even a fan causes air flow and this might be enough to reduce the potential for mold to grow.
What about a plant or two to help improve the air quality, some plants are really good at making the air in our homes better and is something you might want to consider.
The most important tip is not to seal up your home, let the air flow. When the air can't flow any spores of mold won't be blown away.
This simple tip might help prevent some mold growth in your home.
Tackle This Mold Now
Getting rid of this mold is important, mould spreads by releasing microscopic spores into the environment and these spores can cause ill-health as well as new mold patches; it is not healthy to live with mold.
How you treat the mold will depend on how quickly it returns.
It's very difficult to kill the roots of mold and most products just remove the surface colour and spores but leave the roots behind which means the mold will just re-grow and allowing the problem to start again.
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Do You Get Mold On Glass
I have seen mold growing on my windows in the past, just tiny specks of mold trying to take hold.
If you want to know how to remove mold on windows, this is an easy process and simply wiping the glass with the cleaning product of choice will do the trick.
These spores that are released are looking for a home. They might have landed on moisture and decided to give living a go.
However, these are the easiest places to get rid of the mold because it can't get it's roots into the glass and any product that kills mold will eradicate these homes quickly and easily.
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How To Get Rid Of Mold
You must keep on top of the treatment of mold and if you see it reappearing, it is important to tackle it again.
However, if you don't aim to tackle the problem properly you will have to continue to deal with mold, spending money on cleaning products, whereas if you addressed the problem the mold should go away.
Getting rid of the mold is difficult, the spores are in the air and they aren't visible, and they can quickly take hold again and again. You must keep on top of the situation and don't allow it to develop and grow where it becomes impossible to control and remove completely.
Living with mold is not good for your health and getting rid of it should be a top priority.
Tips To Remove Mold
When it comes to removing mold there are some items that you can use that will help to remove it completely and they don't have to cost the earth either!
You want something that will kill the mold including the roots. Often, products aim for a quick fix and the mold will return because it's just killing off the surface mold leaving the roots intact and ready to just start growing again.
- Bleach will not kill the mold on contact and is not an effective way to treat mold on any surface. If the surface is porous, the bleach is not an effective method to kill mold because it can't penetrate the surface to kill the roots. Using bleach is great at removing the mold colour but you will have to keep reapplying regularly as it regrows. So, whilst it gets rid of the surface colour of the mold it doesn't penetrate and kill the roots, allowing it to re-establish and re-grow.
- Borax is supposed to be great for cleaning mold but you do need to scrub the surface, and this will release the spores into the atmosphere and can spread the mold. I've been told that leaving the borax on until it is completely dry should eliminate the mold. However, this product isn't widely available and in some countries, it's banned, and for this reason I've never personally used it.
- White Vinegar is a popular cleaning product for those people who are trying to avoid chemicals in the home, unfortunately, it doesn't kill all forms of mold and this means it isn't really an effective cleaner if you are looking to remove and kill all mold growth. This is a shame as I like using a natural product to clean with.
- Ammonia is not able to penetrate a porous surface and so some of the mold could survive and continue to grow. Whilst, it's good for surface cleaning it's not going to solve the problem long-term. It is important that you don't mix ammonia with bleach as this creates a poisonous gas, this combination of chemicals makes a chemical warfare.
- Hydrogen peroxide is an anti-fungal product, which will kill the bacteria that it meets and is a safer product to use than bleach. Being anti-fungal it will kill the mold. This is good news as this product is relatively cheap to buy.
- Hot soapy water is the most ineffective way to kill mold, it can remove some of the mold, but it won't kill the mold at all; what it will do is allow the mold to spread to new surfaces as spores are released into the atmosphere.
- Baking soda is a great cleaning product for lots of different cleaning tasks and one of those tasks is killing mold and absorbing the moisture too. This makes it a great treatment for mold as mould needs moisture to grow. However, it's a very mild disinfectant and in some cases it might not be strong enough to completely remove the mold.
- Tea tree oil is the best treatment for killing and tackling mold on window sills, unfortunately, it is the most expensive option too. However, it can penetrate into the roots of the mold and can kill and remove all traces of mold. This is just one property of tee tree oil and is something you should have on-hand at all times.
Products Purchased For Mold Removal
If you were to look for cleaning products that remove and clean away mold you won't go home empty handed.
But, do they work and how?
I've looked at a few products especially when it comes to mold as it seems to be a common problem but one that seems difficult to resolve.
If there was a simple remedy, then so many products wouldn't be available.
I tried Astonish mold removal spray and I must admit it seems to work, the mold does go away but the product smells bleachy and this tell me that in some places the mold will come back.
It's relatively cheap and if you are looking for a quick fix this might be the solution that you go for.
This company doesn't test on animals and the product is vegan friendly.
Another product that is highly recommended but one I haven't tried is HG Mould spray, this product is not tested on animals. I've been told is very good at removing mold, but it's not one that I've tried.
There are other variations on the market of similar products but again I've not tried them, but beware if they contain bleach it might just be masking the problem rather than removing it completely.
Resources To Help You Remove Mold
- If you have mold or mildew on your windows it might be time to clean your window. Here's a great article to help you with that: When Did You Last Clean Your Windows?
- What are the best products for removing mold? Tea Tree Oil and Hydrogen Peroxide
- Check out these products on my Amazon shop page, they are all related to mold removal.
How To Remove Black Mold
Sometimes it might be appropriate to call in professional help especially if the mold is bad, there are some types of mold that are really dangerous to your health and you might need to ensure that this isn't the case with the mold you have.
As you might have guessed there are different options, all with varying results, but with all of them it's important to follow the instructions and not to mix products.
Choosing The Right Mold Product For You
You need to choose a product that will remove the mold, if you opt for a product that might not completely destroy it remember it's going to come back. So, be prepared to tackle the mold again in the future.
Whatever product you are using protecting your health is key. So, if the product recommends wearing gloves then follow these instructions. A face-mask might also be required to prevent mold spores entering your body.
Protecting The Area Around Your Window
Think about protecting the area around the problem, you don't want the product damaging anything else and you want to catch as many spores as you can. Something that can be rinsed or thrown away is an option to consider.
Depending on the product you are using you will want to let the product do it's work before wiping and cleaning the area down.
Most of the time product needs wiping away, you don't want to leave the product on the affected area, do this carefully and avoid splashing the product on surfaces other than the mold.
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How To Clean Mold And Mildew From Windows
I don't want you to think that this is an easy project, especially if the mold has taken hold of the area. When you have a really bad patch of mold in reality it's going to take more than one session to get rid of it.
If you don't address the problem as to why you have mold in the first-place chances of it coming back are very high. If it's around your window, often this is a ventilation problem and unless you take steps to address the issue it's just going to come back.
How To Actually Clean The Mold
Whatever product you are using I would wear protective gloves as a minimum. The first thing I do is spray the cleaning product onto the cloth. I don't want the spray to allow the spores a chance to fly away.
Then slowly and carefully remove the surface mold. I swap cloths before going over the area a second time because I don't want to re-infect the area with the fungus that is in the first cloth.
Wash all your cloths in hot water and I would add a drop of tea tree oil in to kill any spores that might still be lurking on the cloths.
How To Prevent Mold On Window Sills
Often, I'm asked 'how to stop condensation and mold on windows?' the answer is simple, mold loves damp warm places, and this is something that we create when creating sealed homes.
The condensation forms on windows because of the different temperatures and mold simply sees this as an ideal home and quickly takes hold.
To prevent mold growth you need to remove the potential new home, this means proper ventilation, and tackling any mold as soon as it's seen.
Cleaning Window Sills Of Mold
As with all concepts of mold removal the most important thing to do once the mold is gone is to clean the widow sills on regular basis.
This will help ensure you can spot any potential problems before they take hold and are difficult to remove.
What I Did To Remove Mold Around Windows
We had windows without vents and mold was a constant, I couldn't keep on top of it, it drove me mad.
We recently had new windows installed and I insisted on vents on every window and we've had no mold. I know this isn't a solution for everybody, but ventilation is the only way to prevent mold taking hold.
If the mold has entered a porous substance like sealant it's more difficult to kill as you need to get into the root structure. Sometimes it's easier to remove the sealant and to clean the area and reapply fresh sealant.
Preventing Mold Growth
Mold is a living organism and is looking for the most ideal place to live and grow. Prevention is so much better than dealing with the problem.
Ventilation is the most important thing that you can do, air flow prevents the perfect conditions from forming. If you still have a damp environment, then you need to think of other ways to dry out the area.
A dehumidifier is a good option, it allows the moisture to be removed from the air and this dries up the potential for having a damp room and can slow down the regrowth of mold.
Let's Recap…
If you have mold on your windows already you need to find a product to get rid of the mold. Soap and water isn't going to get rid of this, you will need a product that can get in and destroy the mold including the roots.
You have options, tea tree oil is amazing, but it is expensive. Hydrogen peroxide is another option that will kill the mold. Don't use bleach on mold, it doesn't kill it. The mold will grow back.
There are products that you can buy that are designed to kill mold, I'm not convinced that they are killing the mold completely because often the mold comes back.
But this could be that the environment hasn't been changed and the mold can just take hold again.
Prevention is always better than curing the problem, look at the room and decide if there are any ways in which you can reduce the potential of mold.
Can you ventilate the room? Can you reduce the amount of water in the atmosphere to reduce the potential of creating the prefect home for mold?
how to clean mold off wood window sills
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