Mould in the bedroom: causes, health and how to stop it
Why bedrooms get mould
A bedroom grows mould for a simple reason: people breathe out water vapour all night, usually in a closed room, and that moisture settles on whatever is coldest. Outside walls, window frames and the corners where wall meets ceiling are normally the coldest surfaces, and furniture pushed against them keeps them colder still. By morning the damp has collected where the air doesn't move, and night after night that's enough for mould.
Two people sharing the room, a door kept closed for privacy and a window shut against the cold or the street noise all add to it.
Sleeping in a room with mould
You spend long hours in your bedroom, with your face close to the bedding and the walls, so mould here matters more than the same growth in a garage. Mould can irritate the airways and make asthma and allergies worse. A small patch is rarely urgent, but it shouldn't be left to spread; whether it's safe to sleep in a room with mould goes into the detail. If you or anyone who sleeps in the room has a cough, wheeze, blocked nose or other symptoms you're worried about, speak to your GP. In an emergency, call 112.
Where to look
- Behind the headboard and down the wall the bed stands against.
- Under the bed, especially divans and storage beds close to the floor, and on the underside of the mattress (see cleaning or replacing a mouldy mattress).
- The back panels of wardrobes on outside walls, and the clothes inside them; here's how to go about saving mouldy clothes.
- Window reveals, sills and the hems of curtains, all covered in mould around windows in Cyprus homes.
- Ceiling corners along the outside wall, particularly in top-floor rooms.
The Cyprus winter bedroom
Many Cyprus homes are built to stay cool rather than hold heat, so in winter a bedroom on the north side or under a flat roof can get properly cold. Plenty of people warm the room only at bedtime, with the air-conditioner or a portable gas heater, and the gas heater adds water vapour of its own. The air warms, the walls stay cold, and condensation forms where the two meet. Spare rooms kept shut for months, and guest rooms in holiday homes, get the least fresh air of all. Why mould grows in winter explains the pattern.
Cleaning what's there
For light growth on paint or a window frame, open the window, put on gloves and a mask, and wipe it away with a damp cloth and a mould cleaner. Don't brush it dry, don't combine products, and let the room dry and air before you sleep in it again. Wash affected bedding and curtains on the hottest setting the label allows and dry them fully, outdoors if possible. Upholstered headboards and mattresses with mould deep in the fabric are usually better replaced.
Keeping it away
When you get up, open the window wide for ten minutes or so and pull the duvet back so the bed airs too. Move the bed and wardrobes a hand's width away from outside walls. Leave the door open during the day so the room shares the drier air of the rest of the home. Dry laundry elsewhere, and if you heat the room, a steady low heat keeps the walls warmer than a short blast before bed. If the windows are running with water most mornings, the room needs more airing or a dehumidifier.
When it keeps coming back
Mould that returns within weeks, spreads beyond one corner, or sits on a wall that feels damp to the touch points to more than overnight condensation. Identifying the cause is the first step; the mould is only tackled once that is clear. A moisture check of the bedroom walls finishes with a room-by-room moisture map on your phone and a written report with the quote. Where the problem is ongoing, a monthly maintenance visit keeps humidity down and catches regrowth early, from €45 a month.
Mould in the room you sleep in? book an inspection from €75 or call +357 99 759144.