Rain, heat and humidity sees unwelcome return of mould to the hinterland…
By Marina Gomide
IT’S gross, dangerous and everywhere.
With rainy Maleny having copped over 600mm since January 1, it is no surprise it’s struggling with mould issues again.
While this year’s problems are nowhere near as bad as the flood season two years ago, many residents are still struggling to keep the growth at bay.
Lifelong Maleny resident and cleaner, Julia Parker, owns Immaculate House Cleaning and said every single house she has gotten called out to within the past weeks, has been covered in mould.
“It’s just horrendous right now,” Ms Parker said.
“Most visible mould grows on items such as furniture, leather, clothing and suede shoes, but most people don’t notice the mould on their walls and windows unless looking very, very closely.
“Locals know what to look for, but newcomers have no idea how fast mould grows in mouldy Maleny, so I always say the first thing people need when moving into town is a portable dehumidifier.”
Both IGA Maleny and the Maleny Co-op have been selling out of clove oil as soon as it’s back on the shelf. IGA Maleny manager, Trace Mazzaserri, said the store is managing to mostly keep on top of the demand, with the exception of the clove oil.
“We do still have some mould killer left on the shelf and some Black&Gold dehumidifiers, but clove oil and DampRid are hitting the shelves and already going,” Ms Mazzaserri said.
Co-op manager, Charlotte Henderson, recommended some other natural options to deal with mould if clove oil isn’t available.
“Vinegar is also recommended, along with sunlight, portable dehumidifiers and running the aircon on ‘dry’ mode throughout the day,”Ms Henderson said.
Julia Parker also recommended peroxide, if the mould is getting bad, and advises that bleach does not kill mould. Once black mould starts growing, however, the only real option remaining is chemical mould killer.
Bathrooms and dusty areas, such as blinds and windowsills, are usually the first areas where it starts growing, due to dust serving as a meal for the mould spores.
“People need to get on top of it because they don’t understand how dangerous those spores can be… once they’re inhaled they start growing in the lungs and you can’t get them out,” Ms Parker said.
More advice can be found at https://www.qld.gov.au/.
