Jump directly to the content
Bleach ban

Cleaning fans warned NEVER to use bleach to deal with mould – you’re probably making the problem worse

BARELY a day goes by that a cleaning fan doesn't share a hack using bleach.

The product is commonly used to get rid of mould, but an expert has now warned cleaning fanatics against using bleach for that purpose.

Bleach is the worst thing to try and get rid of mould - use white vinegar instead
1
Bleach is the worst thing to try and get rid of mould - use white vinegar insteadCredit: Alamy

Mycologist Heiki Neumeister-Kemp - a specialist in the study of fungi - told ABC that using bleach on mould is just "masking" it.

"The fungi contain melanin and the bleach just takes the colour out, but the fungi are still there, you are just masking it," he explained.

“Six weeks later it appears to come back but it was never gone.”

Instead, he advises using white vinegar.

Mix 80% vinegar and 20% water in three buckets.

Use a clean cloth dipped into the first bucket to wipe the surface mould away.

Rinse the cloth in the second bucket before rinsing it again in the third bucket.

Repeat until all traces of mould have gone.

Mr Neumeister-Kemp explained that the "mechanical" effect of the vinegar - and the way it penetrates the fungi's structure via osmosis - helps get rid of mould once and for all.

In other cleaning hacks, try these four ways of getting rid of condensation in your bathroom.

Get rid of all the hidden grime in your washing machine.

And get your whites sparkling again with this one product.

Topics