Our homes will often have a lot of humidity inside (especially homes with evaporative air-conditioning) which can create condensation on your windows. Your blinds absorb up this moisture and with the warmth of the sun, create an ideal growing environment for mould.
White vinegar is a top option because it's cheaper. They are sprayed undiluted onto the blind and left for one hour before scrubbing and then rinsing with water. For removing mildew, lemon is quite effective. For the same purpose of removing mould and mildew, there are so many essential oils that can be used too.
To Prevent Mold Growth in Your Home
Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you can—no higher than 50%–all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. You can buy a meter to check your home's humidity at a home improvement store.
A little dust on your blinds can create the perfect conditions. Mould on your blinds can then grow if the area around the window blind is moist or cold. It can create the perfect habitat for mould and mildew to grow when the sun hits it.
Lindsay Williams said: "I just sprayed mine with mould and mildew spray with an old towel underneath, they came up like new." Paula Cairns' advice was a little different, as she said: "Soak them in the bath with dishwasher tablets. Just done mine and they look like the day I got them."
If your blinds or window coverings are closed all the time, condensation can get "trapped" in between the window treatments and the windows, creating a damp environment that may encourage mold growth. Routinely open window coverings to increase ventilation near windows.
While a significant mold infestation is best handled by a professional restoration company, you have a powerful weapon against occasional mold growth in your kitchen cupboard: white vinegar. This humble household staple can kill more than 80% of mold species, including hazardous black mold.
“For surfaces that may be damaged by bleach, the most effective way is to use a vinegar solution instead.” White vinegar is a mildly acidic product that cleans, deodorises, and disinfects. It can also kill 82 percent of mould species, including black mould, on porous and non-porous surfaces.
Use undiluted white vinegar on hard surfaces in kitchens and baths. A bleach solution also works to kill mold. Mix one cup of bleach in a gallon of water, apply to the surface and don't rinse. Mix a 50/50 solution of ammonia and water.
'They are great at effectively getting dust off blinds and are a great substitute. ' Running a used dryer sheet over clean blind slats can also help keep them dust-free for longer, repelling a fresh covering, says Vera Peterson.
Dip a microfiber cloth in a mixture of dish soap and water.
To remove stubborn stains and sticky residue from metal, vinyl or faux wood blinds while they are hanging, dip a microfiber cloth in a bowl of warm water mixed with a few drops of dishwashing liquid.
Removing mould
Gently brush mould patches with a stiff brush or spot treat with a specialist fabric detergent. Leaving the blind to air dry after cleaning can help to prevent further outbreaks or smells from forming.
Mildew is flat, looks grey or white, and has a dry or powdery texture. Mould is darker in colour, usually green, black, red, or blue. It has a fuzzy or slimy texture and can be raised.
Mold generally looks slimy or fuzzy, tends to have a raised texture, and can come in a rainbow of colors, including deep green and black. Mildew is powdery, looks white or gray, always appears flat, and grows on surfaces.
Mildew is a surface fungi identified as a patch of gray or white fungus lying on the surface of a moist area. Mildew is easily treated with a store-bought cleaner and a scrubbing brush. Mold, on the other hand, can have colors that range from black to green and is often the result of a much larger infestation.
Clean with natural cleaners that can prevent mold: Cleaning surfaces with citrus-based cleaners or even a white vinegar solution can help prevent mold. Natural lemon is a terrific fresh smelling solution that can prevent mildew and mold growth.
Baking soda and vinegar are typically used together when dealing with a mold problem since they kill different species of mold. Add one quarter of a tablespoon of baking soda into a spray bottle of water. Shake the bottle to dissolve the baking soda into the water. Spray the moldy area.
Tea tree oil or clove oil and water
Add 15 drops of your chosen oil into a spray bottle – prefer oil of cloves to all the others. Spray onto mouldy areas and leave for two hours, spray a bit more, wipe away. This combination is said to kill around 82 percent of mould colonies.
Spray vinegar onto the moldy surface and leave it for an hour. Then wipe the area clean with water and allow the surface to dry. Any smell should clear within a few hours. While it's safe to use on most surfaces, vinegar is unlikely to be effective at cleaning mold off of soft surfaces.
While it is possible to use bleach to kill mold as well, experts agree that vinegar is a much better option. Unlike bleach, vinegar can effectively kill the mold at the root, which means it's less likely to return. Vinegar is also less toxic than bleach, making it a better choice for household use.
To clean mould and mildew and kill their spores you will need white distilled vinegar – the cheapest brand from the supermarket will do just fine. Mix 1 part of vinegar with 1 part water and pour into a spray bottle. Apply the solution onto the mouldy area and leave it to sit for one hour.
Additionally, those bacteria that were kept in the dark were also more closely related to respiratory diseases than those that stayed alive even with exposure to sunlight. So not only are you benefiting from the vitamin D that comes from the sun, but it could also be saving you from respiratory disease as well.
Keep blinds open during the day. Not only will this practice save you some money on energy bills during the winter, but it can also keep you and your family healthier. Read on to find out how sunlight can kill harmful bacteria present in the dust in your rooms.
'It's important to remember to open curtains, blinds and windows when it starts to get dark and the temperature drops outside. You need to allow the cool, evening air in to circulate around your home,' adds Greig Millar, an expert at OVO Energy.