Clean mould from wooden surfaces with soaking trick that 'kills it instantly'

Getting mould out of wooden surfaces has never been easier.

If you live in an older home with poor ventilation, you've probably dealt with mould before. It loves to grow in damp places, and so it's most commonly found in the bathroom, where there's often excess moisture in the air from steamy showers - particularly when the outside air is cold, as it is at this time of year.

You can also get mould growth in other areas of the home, especially if you find your windows get condensation on them in the morning. This mould is simple to clean if you get to it early enough, as it should just wipe off plastic window panes with the help of some bleach.

But if you have wooden window sills or parts of your bathroom with wooden surfaces, cleaning mould can be a whole lot more complicated. The fungus loves to burrow deep into the fibres of your wood, meaning simply wiping the surface with a cloth won't do much, even if you load it up with bleach or a mould-killing spray.

Thankfully, there is one thing you can do to get rid of stubborn mould growth. One technique has been praised by cleaning fans online for "killing" mould quickly, and you don't even need to put any elbow grease into it.

In a post on Reddit, a person asked for help after they had left a wet dish mat on their wooden kitchen counter and lifted it up to find mould in the wood.

They said: "I've put bicarbonate and white vinegar on it and tried to clean it right away, but it won't go away. I'm going to leave some more bicarbonate and vinegar overnight. But it's very encrusted. Do you think it can go, or is the whole wood ruined and I have to change the whole kitchen counter?"

Commenters on the post were quick to offer an array of helpful suggestions. But one of the most popular solutions involved "soaking" the mould in a bleach solution and keeping it contained with one handy kitchen staple - cling film.

One person said: "Try spraying with an anti-mould product, cover it in cling film for a few hours, then scrub with an abrasive sponge. There are many more instense measures you can take, but most black mould isn't the nasty stuff and will come off easily."

And another added: "Couldn't you spray with bleach and let it sit for a while, then scrub and finish up with soap and water? After it dries, coat with mineral oil."

Others backed the recommendation of using mould as it's known to "kill mould" relatively quickly.

There were also comments from people who suggested a more heavy-handed approach, as they said the poster might need to sand the wood down until the mould is removed and then refinish it.

It was also recommended that in the future, they use a stone drying mat on wooden counters instead of the fabric one they were using, as stone ones don't trap moisture underneath.

And the original poster replied: "Clearly this will be better. I have bought a very cheap one since I've just moved in, but I'll have to get a better one that will not lead to this anymore."