6 min read
Black mould in the bedroom
Bedroom mould matters more than most rooms because of how long you breathe that air. It is also the easiest to miss, because it starts out of sight — behind a wardrobe, under a bed, in the corner of an external wall.
Why bedrooms are vulnerable
Two sleeping adults release roughly a pint of moisture a night. Bedrooms are usually the coolest rooms in the house and often the least ventilated, because the door and window stay shut.
Put furniture hard against a cold external wall and you remove the last thing keeping that surface warm. That is why the growth pattern often matches the outline of a wardrobe.
Where to look
Window reveals and behind curtains. Behind and inside wardrobes, especially on the back panel. Skirtings on external walls. The ceiling corner where an outside wall meets the roofline. Under the bed against a wall.
Damp, musty-smelling clothes in a wardrobe are often the first sign, before anything is visible.
Making it safe to sleep in again
The room needs cleaning and treating rather than repainting, including behind furniture. Contaminated soft items — a mattress with growth on it, for example — sometimes cannot be saved.
Then change what caused it: pull furniture a few centimetres off cold walls, keep the room gently heated rather than cold-then-hot, and let the room air properly each day. We use low-odour products so the room is usually usable the same night.
Frequently asked
Is it safe to sleep in a room with black mould?
Not ideally, and definitely not for a child or anyone with asthma. Use another room until it is treated where you can.
Will treatment stop it coming back?
Treatment can reduce the chance of regrowth, especially when the moisture cause is addressed. Ventilation, insulation or a protective chemical may help depending on the room, but no treatment can guarantee mould will not return.
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