Mould in the kitchen: the hidden hotspots to check
Why kitchens get mould
Cooking, boiling the kettle, washing up and running the dishwasher all put water into the air. A kitchen is warm, so that air carries the moisture until it reaches something cold, and much of what happens next is out of sight: inside cupboards, behind appliances and under the sink, where the air barely moves.
The second source is plumbing. Apart from the bathroom, no room has more water connections, and most of them sit behind cupboard doors and kickboards. A slow drip can soak a cabinet base for months before anyone notices.
The hidden hotspots
- Under the sink. The most common spot. Waste traps, tap connectors and the dishwasher and washing-machine hoses can all weep. A swollen or stained cupboard base usually means a slow leak.
- Cupboards on outside walls. The back panels stay cold, condensation forms behind tins and packets, and green mould turns up on shelves and cabinet backs.
- Behind and under the fridge and dishwasher. Many fridges have a drip tray that collects defrost water, and the hoses behind a dishwasher can work loose.
- Around the window and along the worktop sealant. Steam condenses on the glass and runs down; tired silicone behind the sink lets water into the wall.
- Rubber seals on the fridge door, and on the washing machine if it lives in the kitchen.
What makes it worse in Cyprus kitchens
Plenty of apartment kitchens are small, closed rooms, and some have no window at all, so everything depends on the cooker hood. Many hoods recirculate air through a filter instead of venting it outside: they catch grease, but the steam stays in the room. In winter the windows stay shut and the outside walls turn cold, so condensation that would dry off in summer lingers. Seafront flats add humid coastal air on top.
How to tackle it yourself
Switch the hood on before you start cooking and leave it running for a while afterwards; if it recirculates, open a window as well. Put lids on pans, and let the dishwasher cool before you open it so the steam doesn't pour into the room. Wipe the window and sill in the morning while they're wet. Leave a gap behind the fridge, keep cupboards on outside walls less crammed, and check under the sink with a torch every few weeks.
Small spots of surface mould on a hard surface can be wiped off with a damp cloth and a mould cleaner, then dried. Keep cleaning products away from open food, and throw away any food with mould on it. Painting over a mouldy patch won't hold: mould grows back through fresh paint.
When to get help
If a cupboard keeps going mouldy, the base is water-stained or swollen, or there's a musty smell you can't trace, there's a moisture source behind the units. We find the cause before we touch the mould, so the fix lasts. A mould and damp inspection gives you moisture readings in every affected room and a written report with the quote; typical fixes include upgrading the extractor or insulating the cold spot. Mould treatment then clears the growth.
Kitchen mould you can't get rid of? book an inspection from €75 or call +357 99 759144.