How to get rid of mould on wood furniture
Move the piece, put protection on, wipe visible mould with a barely damp treated cloth, spot-test the finish, dry the timber, then dry the room. First Light is the treatment we use on furniture you can save. Lab tested: 99.2% on direct contact.
The usual piece is the back of a timber bookshelf hard against an exterior wall, or a bedside table in a shut spare room after a wet week.
Solid timber, veneer and particleboard
Sound solid timber can often be saved. Veneer does not take sanding. Swollen, crumbling particleboard often cannot be saved, and no oil will re-form a blown board.
The method, step by step
Wear a P2 or N95 mask, gloves and eye protection. Do not dry-brush spores around the room. Spot-test a hidden edge. Treat with First Light on a barely damp cloth. Wipe, then dry the piece fully. Never soak it, and do not use bleach on polished timber.
Treat the piece, then dry the room
First Light on a barely damp cloth, after a spot-test. Lab tested: 99.2% on direct contact. The Protection Kit is for the shut room that ruined the piece. Free standard shipping. 60-day money-back.
Shop First Light, from A$39.99 Shop the Protection Kit, from A$79.98
When to call a restorer, and when to bin it
Antiques, deep staining, and structural swell are restorer territory, or a write-off. Do not sand veneer to "get the mould out".
The room that ruined the piece
Pull furniture forward off a cold exterior wall. If the wall itself is mouldy, use how to get rid of mould on walls. Timber floors, wicker, and books have their own guides.
Bookshelf spotted too? Read how to get mould off books. Cane or woven pieces need a gentler method. Read how to get mould off wicker and rattan.
Questions people ask
Can I use bleach on mouldy wood furniture?
No. Bleach can stain and raise the grain, and it soaks moisture into the piece. Use a treatment you can spot-test on a hidden edge. First Light is the one we use. Lab tested: 99.2% on direct contact.
Why does furniture go mouldy on an outside wall?
The wall is colder and often damper. Air cannot move behind a hard-up bookshelf. Pull it forward, treat the piece, and fix the room.
Can I oil or polish the timber straight after?
Only once it is fully dry and the mould is gone. Trapping moisture under a finish is how it comes back.
Aurala is a Gold Coast business. Shop First Light or shop the Protection Kit.
