4 ways to prevent mould growth in your wardrobe
Once you've emptied your wardrobe, treated the mould build-up, removed mould stains from the clothing and ensured that there's no sign of current mould, consider the following to help minimise the risk of growth:
- Minimise condensation by making sure your wardrobe isn't tightly fitted against the wall.
- Declutter your clothing and donate or sell any items you no longer wear. This will make sure your wardrobe isn't overflowing. Clothes jammed in your wardrobe will prevent air-flow which can create an environment that is ideal for mould growth.
- Never hang damp clothes in your wardrobe. Make sure they're always dry before storing.
- If you're storing clothes that you don't plan on wearing for a while, vacuum seal them to prevent moisture getting in.
Common causes of mould growth in wardrobes
Condensation
Condensation frequently occurs due to rising humidity levels in your house. Mould, a type of fungi, typically forms due to moisture. The biggest cause of rising humidity is a lack of ventilation - think an abundance of clothes in your closet or your wardrobe is pushed up tightly towards the wall. Typically, if you have clothes, accessories or shoes that haven't been worn in a while, they don't see much airing and are more susceptible to mould. Leather is a huge victim.
Damp Clothing
This is one of the biggest mistakes that people make. Often when you wash clothes, you're in a rush to put them away so you don't have loose threads floating around the house. The problem is most of your outfits are still damp and unfortunately, this leads to a build up of moisture in an area that won't see any ventilation or daylight.
Wardrobe accessories that may help keep mould at bay
Ridding your wardrobe of mould is a mammoth task that you probably don't want to experience again any time soon. Luckily there are wardrobe accessories and gadgets you can try to keep your wardrobe free from mould and mildew.
Kogan mini dehumidifier (2L capacity), $199 from Kogan
Set of 2 Hippo moisture absorbers (300g), $12.98, from Catch.com.au
Cli-Mate portable, reusable dehumidifier sunsack, $24.95, from Howard's Storage World
