Before cleaning mould, remember: if you don’t fix the underlying moisture source, it will come back. Cleaning is about managing existing mould and the health risk it poses in the meantime, not a permanent solution on its own.<\/p>\n
For small, surface patches on hard surfaces like tiles or paintwork, NHS-affiliated guidance for households describes a simple two-step process: clean off the mould using a mould-specific spray (many contain a dilute bleach solution), then leave the area to dry fully — usually overnight — before applying an anti-fungal wash to help prevent it returning, following the manufacturer’s instructions on the product.<\/p>\n
Mould on porous materials — fabric, carpet, some types of plaster or plasterboard — is much harder to fully clean, because the fungus can grow into the material rather than sitting on the surface. In many cases, badly affected porous materials need to be replaced rather than cleaned.<\/p>\n
If mould covers a large area (roughly more than about a square metre), keeps returning despite repeated cleaning, or you’re dealing with a household member who’s particularly vulnerable (a baby, someone with a serious respiratory condition), it’s worth getting a professional assessment rather than relying on repeated DIY cleaning — both to tackle the mould safely and to properly diagnose the moisture source causing it.<\/p>\n