How To Clean Mildew Off Wood?

Mildew is a name given to a form of fungus that is common on organic materials and is especially prevelant in damp places like showers, ceilings or walls, especially damp areas.

On wood, mildew can have a devastating impact. Left untreated it can rot wood and leave it unusable and unstable. The good news is that treating it early can stop it in its tracks quite easily.

Here’s how to treat mildew on wood.

The first thing to do is ot clean of the mildew area with water and soap using a sponge. Normal soap is fine, there is no need for any specialist cleaning products. Clean it off and let it dry.

Next thing to do is to mix a capful of bleach into an old spray bottle and fill it up with water. Spray the mildew area with the bleach and water. This will kill any mildew on the wood that hasn’t been removed through washing. Wash the wood again; this should remove the remaining mildew. If it doesn’t keep repeating the process until it does.

If you have done this several times to no avail then scrub the mildew covered surface with steel wool. Do not lean on it heavily enough to mark the surface of the wood but remove as much as possible and then bleach it again with the spray.

Finally if this has not removed all the mildew, use sandpaper. Fine sandpaper is the best as it wont cut into the wood too much. Keep the pressure even so as not to mark the wood unevenly and then repeat the bleaching step after it dries.

You will the need to paint or varnish the floor in the colour used on the wood.

Mix equal parts Water and White vinegar, Spray on and let set for about 5-10 minutes. Then with a scrub brush moisten in water and vinegar solution, and then put into a flat open Tupperware container with some Baking Soda in it . . Brush on working the baking soda into the saturated Water/vinegar mixture . . Clean with high powered hose setting, or preferably High powered pressure washer (Rented or owned). Should come off fairly easy. Works best of you have two people doing the two phases . . .

Mix one gallon of water with ¾ cup of bleach in the bucket. Fill a second bucket with plain, clean water. Moisten a sponge with the solution and gently scrub the mold and mildew until it is gone. Avoid letting water set on the wood for too long as it may cause damage. If necessary, repeat several times, drying each time so that the wood does not become saturated and warped. When the stains are removed, rinse with clean water from the second bucket. Ensure that all bleach residue is removed or it can lead to future growth. Allow the wood to dry completely.