You might love reaching for the clean smell of bleach whenever you see mould building up in your house, but evidence shows it is not the best at treating the horrible substance.  

The best goal you can have is to try and prevent mould and mildew from growing in the first place.  This you can do by:

• Ensuring your home and particularly water sourced rooms have adequate ventilation.
• Bring sunshine into your home at every opportunity. Open the blinds, the windows and doors. 
• Direct water away from your home (check for leaks and water flow during heavy rainfall).  Look for opportunities to install drainage. 
• Dry wet areas immediately.  
• Ensure drainage is kept free-flowing – gutters, pipes and trenches.  Look for leaf litter that might be clogging things up.
• Clean indoor plants regularly by dusting the leaves and making sure puddles of water are cleared up.  
• Introduce mould-resistant products into your home (treated paints and building materials, non-organic fabrics).
• Air your home well after periods of rainfall or humid days.  Be aware these are times mould breeds worse. 
• Wipe condensation build-up from windows and walls after humid or wet days. 
• Spray fabrics regularly with a mix of 3 drops Oil of Cloves in 5 cups water and leave to dry completely.
• Spray surfaces regularly with a disinfectant, antibacterial spray.

So what other items can we use to remove mould when it rears its ugly head? We have discovered a couple of alternative ways to get rid of tough mould patches that aren’t going to cause you any grief.

1. Tea tree oil or clove oil and water (the most effective method and the favourite here at Starts at 60)

This combination is usually the most effective method of naturally removing mould. Add 15 drops of your chosen oil into a spray bottle – prefer oil of cloves to all the others. Spray onto mouldy areas and leave for two hours, spray a bit more, wipe away.

2. Straight, white vinegar

This combination is said to kill around 82 percent of mould colonies. So, if for some reason you’re not into using clove or tea tree oil and want the next best thing, vinegar is for you. Just pop some straight vinegar into a spray bottle, spray, leave for an hour, wipe off with warm water.

3.  Vodka

And now for something completely different, did you know vodka is great for cleaning? The cheaper the better.
Pop some straight vodka into your nifty spray bottle. Spray, leave for an hour, wipe off with warm water.

Tell us today… what do you use?