Often, mold will develop around the windows and on the sills; this is due to the moisture, with warm air hitting the cooler glass and condensing on the window and providing a breeding ground for mold. If you are looking for ways for tackling mold on window sills this article will help you find the right cleaning product for you!
The best ways for tackling mold on window sills is to ventilate the room.
We have created this problem for ourselves with the need to seal up our homes to reduce the energy loss in the windows, doors and even the walls themselves; however, what we have created homes with no airflow and this makes them ideal breeding grounds for mold.
The Best Ways For Tackling Mold On Widow Sills
To stop the mold from forming you need to supply some sort of ventilation to the room, some windows come with ventilation built-in, but many don’t; they are looking to prevent the loss of heat, but in some ways we are sealing our homes up so well we are creating new problems and one of them is mold growth.
Getting rid of this mold is important, mould spreads by releasing microscopic spores into the environment and these spores can cause ill-health; it is not healthy to live with mold.
The way that you treat the mold will depend on the products that you use, some will kill the mold completely and others will just remove the surface covering of the spores and growth, but leave the roots behind, allowing the problem to start again.
How To Get Rid Of Mold
You have to keep on top of the treatment and if you see it reappearing, it is important to tackle it.
However, if you don’t aim to tackle the problem properly you will have to continue to deal with mold, spending money on cleaning products, whereas if you addressed the problem the mold should go away.
Getting rid of the mold isn’t too difficult and it is important that you keep tackling the situation and don’t allow it to develop and grow.
This will prevent the possible health issues related to living with mold.
Tips To Remove Mold
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- Bleach will kill the mold on contact and is an effective way to treat mold on a non-porous surface; if the surface is porous, the bleach is not an effective method to kill the mold, because it can’t penetrate the surface and kill the roots of the mold. Using bleach is great at removing the mold but you will have to keep reapplying regularly to kill it as it regrows. So, whilst it gets rid of the visual aspects of the mold it doesn’t penetrate and kill the roots of the mold, allowing it to re-establish and re-grow.
- Borax is great for cleaning mold but you do need to scrub the surface and this will release the spores into the atmosphere and can spread the mold. Leaving the borax on until it is completely dry should eliminate the mold.
- White Vinegar is a popular cleaning product for those people who are trying to avoid chemicals in the home, unfortunately, it doesn’t kill all forms of mold and this means it isn’t really an effective cleaner if you are looking to remove and kill the mold growth.
- Ammonia is not able to penetrate a porous surface and so some of the mold could survive and continue to grow. It is important that you don’t mix ammonia with bleach as this creates a poisonous gas, this combination of chemicals makes a chemical warfare.
- Hydrogen peroxide is an anti-fungal product, which will kill the bacteria that it meets and is a safer product to use than bleach. Being anti-fungal will kill the mold.
- Hot soapy water is the most ineffective way to kill mold, it can remove some of the mold but it won’t kill the mold at all; what it will do is allow the mold to spread to new surfaces and spores release into the atmosphere.
- Baking soda is a great cleaning product for lots of different cleaning tasks and one of those tasks is killing mold and absorbing the moisture too, making it a great treatment for mold as mould needs moisture to grow.
- Tea tree oil is the best treatment for killing and tackling mold on window sills, unfortunately, it is the most expensive option too. However, it can penetrate into the roots of the mold and can kill and remove all traces of mold.
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How To Prevent Mold On Window Sills
If you keep on top of the cleaning this can help prevent mold growth!
If you are looking to tackle mold on window sills then you must try tea tree oil.
If the mold has gotten into a porous substance, like chalk or sealant, it’s more difficult to kill with chemicals like bleach; they are unable to kill the root structure.
How To Clean Mold On Window Sills
You must think about the different ways you can prevent mold from growing; try ventilating the room or using a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air to prevent the mold having the right living conditions to grow.
Prevention is always better than tackling a problem, you can prevent the mold growing in the beginning and ensure that it doesn’t have a chance to establish, long-term you will have less cleaning to do!
Misty says
March 27, 2015 at 5:46 pmOh, we have SO had a problem with this. Thanks for sharing 🙂 Stopped by from Fellowship Friday
Sharon says
March 27, 2015 at 10:05 pmThank you for visiting 🙂
cam says
March 31, 2015 at 4:28 amWe have this problem in a huge way during the winter. We have standing puddles of water in the window sills on cold winter mornings, and lots of mold to follow. I thought it was a problem with our windows (it’s a new house).
Bleach diluted in a heavy duty spray bottle works perfectly and easily to kill the mold, though I wish it never formed in the first place. I spray it on and leave it for a while, then wipe it all off. No more mold…at least not for a while.
Sharon says
March 31, 2015 at 8:55 amThank you for visiting, I think a lot of time the mould happens because we seal our homes up too well, we forget the airflow that prevents the mould growth. I think it is something that many of us have to deal with on a regular basis unfortunately. Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
iris tregelles says
March 16, 2016 at 5:24 pmi moved in to a newly built home 2 years ago in the month of november and had awful mold by christmas. been fighting it until i discovered dehumidifiers are a marvel!!!! the one in my living room at my french doors i empty every 6 days of over a pint of water! and the master bedroom one next to the french doors there i empty it every 7 days of over a pint of water too! no more mold! gee wiz no wonder we had a mould problem all that water. dehumidifiers are the way to go.
Sharon says
March 16, 2016 at 10:40 pmI do love dehumidifiers but if the home has enough circulation of air then mould shouldn’t be a problem. It is a buy product of insulated homes! We have used and still do use dehumidifiers around the home but I want a more cost effective option! 🙂 Have a great week!
iris tregelles says
March 16, 2016 at 10:56 pmat the cost of 22p a week its a snip. my time is worth so much more. have a nice week:}
Carol says
April 10, 2016 at 5:16 pmIt’s by-product, not buy product
Sharon says
April 11, 2016 at 3:26 pmThanks for noticing I will update the post! 🙂
Mary says
August 13, 2015 at 6:24 pmWas going to read the article, but something kept bothering me…. Oh, yes, it is MOLD not mould.
Sharon says
August 13, 2015 at 8:32 pmHi Mary, Mould is the English spelling of the word and is therefore correct 🙂 But thanks for pointing this out I am only too happy to clarify any point in an article 🙂
elizabeth says
January 5, 2016 at 9:07 amThanks for the tips, very useful at this time of year, especially!
Sharon says
January 7, 2016 at 10:59 pmYou are welcome! Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment! 🙂
Stephen says
January 20, 2016 at 7:26 pmIt’s “too” happy, not “to” in your sentence above. Spelling counts when writing for others. 🙂
Sharon says
January 20, 2016 at 9:21 pmThank you for noticing! I have corrected it! Spelling is very important but sometimes an odd error slips through! 🙂
jean says
October 30, 2016 at 6:09 pmhow do you use/apply the baking soda? I also have black mould/mold on my bathroom ceiling.
Sharon says
October 31, 2016 at 7:30 pmI just make it into a paste and spread it onto the mould, if you can leave it for a few minutes to work its magic the better results you will get. If you make a thick paste (use less water) and use a cloth to apply to the mould. Hope this helps!
Susan says
March 4, 2017 at 2:35 amHow do you use the tea tree oil?
Sharon says
March 6, 2017 at 9:02 amHi Susan, I just dilute a few drops in water in a spray bottle, shake well and apply. Nothing technical in my methodsI like to keep things simple! 🙂
Sarah says
March 7, 2017 at 7:04 pmHello, Susan,
The caulking, paint and window casing of some of my windows are stained with mold. During the cold months they definitely produce condensation so I open the blinds & draperies, turn on the heat and the ceiling fans in those rooms to no avail. I’ve applied a paste of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, five different essential oils known to be antifungal: 2 different tea tree oils (Melaleuca alternifolia & Melaleuca quinquenervia), rosemary essential oil, clove essential oil and cinnamon essential oil and have allowed it to sit then scrub with a toothbrush. Some of the staining is removed but not all. Would you suggest I use bleach for the staining then apply a light mist of the essential oils diluted in water or hydrogen peroxide to kill it?
Thank you in advance!
-Sarah
Sharon says
March 7, 2017 at 10:12 pmSometimes I really hate caulking it is a nightmare for getting clean! You have certainly tried to tackle the problem and you have opted for some great products! Bleach should work for the staining, but it might damage the caulking! I would use a very mild bleach to remove the staining and rinse well before using a tea tree oil to kill the mold. To keep this from coming back I do fear that it is going to be something you will have to keep a very close eye on!
Lindsey says
June 15, 2017 at 8:52 pmSharon, I love the way you deal with people! Set them straight in the nicest way possible. 🙂 And I love all the information on mould/mold killer.
Thanks,
Lindsey
Sharon says
June 16, 2017 at 8:43 amThank you for your kind words! I’m glad you liked the information too! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
Sutton Turner says
August 7, 2018 at 5:48 pmI never knew that to stop the mold from forming you need to supply some sort of ventilation to the room. I had to get remediation done to my windowsill after mold piled up on it. Thanks for the tips for tackling mold on windows.
Sharon says
August 8, 2018 at 12:22 pmIt’s such a simple tip but it works! Thanks for stopping by and commenting! 😃
Paula Garcia says
October 22, 2018 at 6:40 pmHi I have mold on the back of a vinyl poster. How can I clean it off so the rare poster is not damaged? Yes the wall is what caused the mold. Thank you
Sharon says
October 22, 2018 at 7:18 pmWith anything that is delicate or rare is to take extreme caution. Because I can’t see the poster I would really be cautious as to how you tackle this problem! I would try to wipe it off with a cloth, if it doesn’t come off I suggest looking into a specialist to see what they say!
Sheridan says
December 30, 2018 at 9:53 pmI can’t believe how rude people are. This is a page with cleaning tips- not political opinions or slandering or anything even remotely malicious. It’s like a bunch of 13 year olds stumbled onto this page after their mother’s scolded them. Thank you, Sharon, for taking the time to post a page full of great tips and being very gracious and diplomatic when dealing with people. Let’s hope they learn a bit of humility.
Sharon says
December 31, 2018 at 9:03 amThank you for your kind words! 😊
Kayla says
January 27, 2019 at 7:45 pmThank you so much for these wonderful tips! We are currently renting a small farmhouse that was built in 1960 and it still has the original windows that slide sideways to open. All of the windows collect moisture and we have been struggling with mold issues. We have 3 small children (one of whom has asthma) so we have been looking for effective ways to rid our home of the mold.
Sharon says
January 27, 2019 at 9:42 pmI’m so glad you found these tips helpful! 😁