When homeowners are trying to decide the best furniture brand for them, the first thing that comes to their mind is the type of wood used for making the furniture. Is it made from real or engineered woods? This kind of comparison is highly necessary because furniture made from real woods is believed to be more durable than its engineered furniture wood counterparts.
Since that is an already established fact about solid wood furniture, people always want to know, can wood furniture have mold?”, “How to tell if furniture has mold and how they can be treated. You will find answers to these questions in this article. Keep reading for details.
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Can wood furniture get mold?
Yes, mold grows on wood furniture. All types of wood, whether real or engineered, has the potential to suck up water, and as you already know, moisturized surfaces are the breeding grounds for molds and every other bacteria. Hence, if you pour water on a wooden chair and you leave it there for long, and this becomes somewhat perpetual, then it is only a matter of time before mold starts to grow on them.
Can mold grow on wood furniture?
Yes, mold can grow on wood furniture. Wood furniture is highly vulnerable to mold infestation because of how ease they absorb water. A moisturized wooden surface provides an avenue for molds to thrive because it will provide these bacteria with free food and shelter.
How does mold grow on wood?
Unknown to many, there are lots of activities we do that lead to the growth of mold in our homes. The funny aspect is, most of the time, we are not usually aware of these activities. For example, one of the ways mold grows on wood surfaces is by walking on wood floors with wet feet, leaving wet cloth or towels on wooden surfaces for a long time, leaving spills uncleaned, or putting washed plates into cabinets without drying them. Although we may not notice the growth of molds on these surfaces instantaneously, with time, there will be a change in their appearance.
What causes mold on wood surfaces?
Most of the time, water is the major cause of mold infestations on wood surfaces. As long as you keep your wood surface dry, you do not have to start searching online or ask people what you can do to prevent mold infestation on your wooden surface. That is the only best way to prevent their manifestation.
Another thing you may have to look out for is adequate ventilation. Remember I told you earlier to avoid getting your wood surface wet, right? Well, if your room does not have adequate ventilation, that is, if there is a restricted circulation of air, then you should prepare for a storm of mold infestation. This is because ordinarily, wet surfaces are breeding grounds for molds, so when this is combined with poor ventilation, they become more powerful and grow in numbers.
What does mold do to woods?
Interestingly, even though molds feed on the nutrients they find on wooden surfaces, they don’t cause any damage to the wood itself. The only obvious damage they do to the woods is the obvious discoloration they leave on them.
However, as a homeowner with allergies, you may need to bother more about the effect of mold infestation on your health than on woods. This is because mold produces several spores that may have an adverse effect on you. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid their growth at all costs.
Can moldy furniture be saved?
Yes, moldy furniture can be saved. Nowadays, upholsteries are too expensive to lose your investment in them to mold infestation. If this has always had you worried, I have good news for you — you can save your furniture from being destroyed by mold infestation. You will find details about this in a later section of this article.
How to tell if furniture has mold
To know whether your furniture is moldy or not, look for the signs below;
- You can perceive an earthy or musty smell from the furniture.
- You can see signs of cracks, peels, and warps in your furniture.
- If you notice that your furniture reacts almost immediately (within 1 or 2 minutes) to a drop of bleach on its surface.
Another sure way of checking on molds is by taking samples from the presumed mold-infested furniture and taking them to a lab for mold testing.
How to treat wood furniture for mold
Fortunate enough, you have the solution to curing mold infestation on your wood furniture right in your house. This is because most of these home-based cleaners and disinfectants like hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, liquid dishwashing detergent, bleach solution, and rubbing alcohol are excellent mold killers. Check below for details on how some of these cleaners can be used.
Treating with dishwashing soap
- Make a cleaning solution by mixing warm water and a teaspoon of dishwashing soap.
- Pour the solution into a spray bottle and shake gently.
- Spray the solution moderately on the infested part and scrub the surface gently with a soft-bristled brush.
- Rinse the treated spot with a damp cloth.
- Suck liquid remnants with a dry cloth or towel.
Treating with vinegar
- Get a spray bottle filled with distilled white vinegar
- Spray on the affected part of the furniture.
- Allow the vinegar to stay on the surface for about an hour
- Wipe the treated surface with a slightly damp towel or cloth
- If you can still see some molds, treat the process until they are gone.
- If the stain is gone, blot the treated spot with a dry towel.
Can you use moldy wood?
Yes, you can use moldy woods for firewood to cook or for campfires. Albeit if you suffer allergies, you may want to avoid using them because the smoke from them can affect you.
Is furniture molds dangerous?
Yes, furniture mold can be dangerous if you are allergic to molds. The spores produced by mold can make you sick.
Can mold destroy wood?
Yes, molds can destroy woods if given enough time. Wood attacked by mold tends to become structurally weak as they suck nutrients from its surfaces. And if you don’t treat it immediately. Mold will definitely destroy the wood.