All about mould
There are many different species of household mould. Mould spores are a part of life on earth- they are everywhere and usually enter homes via doors & windows, which explains why you may see mould pop up near these locations first.
Mould loves to inhabit nappy pails as there is ample food and moisture for it to grow. The best way to prevent mould is to wash regularly (eg every 2nd day) and to use an airy dry pail so that there is a lot of air flow and the nappies are comparatively dry in the pail. However, even the most diligent nappy washers will contend with mould at some point.
The good news is that treating mould is easy.
Methods of mould removal
Household bleach is a very effective way to kill mould and spores. A laundry bleach such as White King is perfect for this purpose. Use appropriate safety precautions (eg ventilation/gloves/glasses) when using bleach.
You can also use a high temperature cycle on your front loader to kill the mould. This method cannot be used on waterproof shells or elastics, but is suitable if your inserts are mouldy.
After killing the mould, you may have some black stains remaining. You can remove these with a Napisan/Vanish/Sard Wonder Soaker/any stain remover product soak following the package directions. It may take several hours to overnight to remove the stains. For waterproof shells & covers, you can use a paste of the product and apply only where needed.
Mould removal instructions
Option A: Bleach method
Step 1: Make a bleach solution of 20mL/1 tablespoon of bleach per 10 litre bucket of water. Soak affected items for 30 minutes then rinse thoroughly.
Step 2: Soak in Napisan solution until stains have disappeared
Step 3: Wash (with your regular nappy load is fine)
Option B: Heat method
Step 1: Wash the affected items with detergent on the 90/95 degree Cottons cycle of your front loader
Step 2: Soak in Napisan solution until stains have disappeared
Step 3: Wash (with your regular nappy load is fine)
What doesn't work against mould?
Antifungal laundry rinses (eg Canesten/Dettol/DiSan/Pineocleen) are not effective on their own against many household moulds. Similarly, while clove oil has antifungal properties, it is quite poisonous and difficult to dose and disperse effectively in water so is not a good choice for your nappies.
Some websites suggest dissolving bicarbonate of soda and vinegar in water. This is not an effective mould treatment, as bicarb + vinegar = salt + water + carbon dioxide, none of which are antifungal.
Mouldy walls or windows?
Bleach solution is a simple and effective way to remove mould from walls and windows in your home. Mix 50/50 bleach and water and wipe the surfaces, allowing to air dry.
A thick bleach product (Domestos type) is most effective against mould in your shower/bathroom. Apply undiluted, leave to work its magic (an hour seems to work well in our bathroom) until the mould has disappeared, then rinse thoroughly.
There are many different species of household mould. Mould spores are a part of life on earth- they are everywhere and usually enter homes via doors & windows, which explains why you may see mould pop up near these locations first.
Mould loves to inhabit nappy pails as there is ample food and moisture for it to grow. The best way to prevent mould is to wash regularly (eg every 2nd day) and to use an airy dry pail so that there is a lot of air flow and the nappies are comparatively dry in the pail. However, even the most diligent nappy washers will contend with mould at some point.
The good news is that treating mould is easy.
Methods of mould removal
Household bleach is a very effective way to kill mould and spores. A laundry bleach such as White King is perfect for this purpose. Use appropriate safety precautions (eg ventilation/gloves/glasses) when using bleach.
You can also use a high temperature cycle on your front loader to kill the mould. This method cannot be used on waterproof shells or elastics, but is suitable if your inserts are mouldy.
After killing the mould, you may have some black stains remaining. You can remove these with a Napisan/Vanish/Sard Wonder Soaker/any stain remover product soak following the package directions. It may take several hours to overnight to remove the stains. For waterproof shells & covers, you can use a paste of the product and apply only where needed.
Mould removal instructions
Option A: Bleach method
Step 1: Make a bleach solution of 20mL/1 tablespoon of bleach per 10 litre bucket of water. Soak affected items for 30 minutes then rinse thoroughly.
Step 2: Soak in Napisan solution until stains have disappeared
Step 3: Wash (with your regular nappy load is fine)
Option B: Heat method
Step 1: Wash the affected items with detergent on the 90/95 degree Cottons cycle of your front loader
Step 2: Soak in Napisan solution until stains have disappeared
Step 3: Wash (with your regular nappy load is fine)
What doesn't work against mould?
Antifungal laundry rinses (eg Canesten/Dettol/DiSan/Pineocleen) are not effective on their own against many household moulds. Similarly, while clove oil has antifungal properties, it is quite poisonous and difficult to dose and disperse effectively in water so is not a good choice for your nappies.
Some websites suggest dissolving bicarbonate of soda and vinegar in water. This is not an effective mould treatment, as bicarb + vinegar = salt + water + carbon dioxide, none of which are antifungal.
Mouldy walls or windows?
Bleach solution is a simple and effective way to remove mould from walls and windows in your home. Mix 50/50 bleach and water and wipe the surfaces, allowing to air dry.
A thick bleach product (Domestos type) is most effective against mould in your shower/bathroom. Apply undiluted, leave to work its magic (an hour seems to work well in our bathroom) until the mould has disappeared, then rinse thoroughly.
INFOCloth Nappy Help is collated and managed by Amy White (environmental scientist, keen researcher and lover of all things cloth and laundry). Amy has been helping parents with their cloth nappies and laundry online since 2015 and has been fundamental in bringing science-based, effective laundry advice to the mainstream in Australia. You can get a great start in cloth by hiring a package of nappies from Amy at Cloth Nappy Hire Australia, or chat online in the #getintocloth Australia and MCN Tips & Tricks Facebook groups.
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