Mould is a fact of life. If there’s a building, there’s mould. Nothing can be done. Move on. But should we really? The short answer: No. The long answer? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

You need a reason? Fine. Read on and try not to be absolutely mortified the next time you see mould.

What is mould and how does it get into my house?

Mould is a type of fungi. Yes, like mushrooms except not as tasty (the non-toxic ones anyway). And just like mushrooms, they come in all sorts of variety – black, white, yellow, blue, green, what have you. The thing is, is that when you finally see them, it’s usually when they’re ready to, or have already, released spores.

And that’s how they get into your house… and everywhere else. It’s all over the place and they can grow on just about everything – fabric, paper, wood, glass, plastic, the whole works.

Can I ignore them?

It’s like you didn’t even read the first paragraph. No, you can’t ignore them! While the mould itself isn’t usually dangerous, it’s the spores that typically are. They produce mycotoxins. And when inhaled, they produce all sorts of respiratory problems; asthma, allergies, sinus infections, and cold- and flu-like symptoms, to name a few.

And it’s not just the physical and health aspect [AK1] of it – it’s psychological too. The more mould there is, the more “sick” the building appears, and the less you really want to be in your own home too.

How do I get rid of them?

1) Locate:

Mould itself is rather obvious. That said, mould often grows where you can’t see them. So if you can’t see them, smell them. Mould spores produce a distinctive odour – musty, stale, and damp.

2) Assess:

How bad is it? Is it just your home or do your neighbours have it too? Is there a leak? Quickly identifying the severity helps you develop long term solutions to getting rid of mould.

3) Clean and/or Remove:

Mould is like an iceberg; the colouration you see is only the tip of the problem. Mould mycelium would have most likely infested the entire inside of the thing it’s on. It’s safer to remove and replace it than to keep it around.

If it’s something you can’t remove, like a wall, clean it. But not just with soap; anti-mould cleansers are what you need. Fortunately, these products are readily available and relatively inexpensive.

5) Repair:

Mould loves moisture. If there are any leaks, fix them up after then clean-up.

6) Paint:

You can’t replace a wall every time there’s mould. But you can prevent mould from moving back in. Paint with anti-mould properties can easily keep mould away. Alora Paints, a home-grown Singaporean company, is one such place that has that sort of paint.

And Alora Paints, you could do a lot more than just an anti-fungal solution to your problem. You can pick any of their 39 colours that match their swatches with a 97% degree accuracy. And if you’re worried about viruses and bacteria, you can also add antiviral and anti-bacterial solutions to your paints too.

Think of Alora Paints as a one-stop shop to mix paint in any way you want and have it delivered to your doorstep. Plus, you can even purchase paint kits that include paint rollers, trays, and protective sheets to get you up and painting as soon as you get home.

Posted on 19 January 2023

Kenny Tan,

SIXiDES Editorial Team