Preventing mould in tropical climates: 5 easy tips
Mould in Darwin is a reality many tenants and owners alike have to deal with come the wet season. The damp, hot weather and continual excessive rain conditions mean that even the best aired homes can see mould creep in. Here are our easy tips to keep it at bay.
Our Darwin Wet Season has been just that - wet!
With the onslaught of monsoon troughs, flooding in the Darwin region and persistent rainfall for many weeks, we have seen one issue pop again in our property management day to day - Mould!
Mould in Darwin is a reality that many tenants and owners alike have to deal with come the wet season. The damp, hot weather and continual excessive rain conditions mean that even the best aired homes can see mould creep in.
Mould isn’t just unsightly, inconvenient and a pain to clean - it can also cause a variety of health problems for those occupying the household.
We can help both our tenants and owners in addressing this issue when it arises, but there are some handy tips to know to avoid it all together!
Here are 5 easy tips to keep your household mould at bay.
5 Mould Removal Tips
1. Prevent Moisture From Accumulating
Mould cannot grow without moisture, so try your best to dry wet areas right away! Whether this is a leaky pipe, or even rain seeping through a window, your best chance of getting rid of mould is to make sure mould doesn’t appear, and to dry the affected area as soon as possible.
2. Control the Humidity
You may notice sometimes, when we get rain for days and days, that everything seems damp!
High humidity in the home makes mold growth more likely. Try to keep the indoor humidity levels below 50% to prevent it from forming. An easy way to accomplish this is by using a dehumidifier.
Running an air conditioner will reduce the humidity in the room too.
In addition, placing DampRid in cupboards, walk in robes, or rooms with carpet will help keep humidity down - they collect moisture from the air.
3. Maintain the Gutters
Have your roof gutters been cleaned recently? Your mould problem may be the result of damaged or full gutters. We get our fair share of storms during the wet season and gutters need to be cleared annually, at least. This is to ensure the water from the roof flows off the house and so that water doesn’t sit there. We arrange for gutters to be cleaned at the end of the dry season and ask our tenants to keep an eye out for water stains after storms as this is usually a tell-tale sign of a roof leak.
4. Improve Ventilation
Keep your fans on during the wet! This is by far the easiest prevention! Keep a fan or two on – especially in areas that are prone to moisture. Keeping the air circulating will keep rooms or areas dryer and prevent mould from forming.
Optimize the circulation of air in your home opening doors between rooms. If you’re leaving for a few days, open up your wardrobes and cupboards as well as moving your furniture away from the corners of the room – this all assists with keeping air circulating.
5. Oil of Clove - Prevents and Cleans Mould
Our Property Managers have a unique tip! They buy Oil of Clove and place a few drops in a small container. They pull out the drawers in the house and places the small container with drops in it behind the drawers to stop the damp and musty smell.
Oil of Clove is also handy for removing mould by actually killing the spores, not just bleaching and hiding it.
Mix 1/4 teaspoon of clove oil per 1 litre of water, spray on, leave 20 minutes and wipe off, spray on again and leave until mould dies and drops off
We also have access to cleaners that specialise in mould cleaning for inaccessible surfaces. If in doubt, just give us a call – we are here to help, keep you safe and look after your property.
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Get in touch
You can contact us at (08) 8930 6600 or contact your Property Manager to discuss any problems you may be having with mould whether you are a homeowner or tenant. We look forward to working with you and kissing your mould misery goodbye!
