Things You'll Need
Vacuum cleaner or scrub brush
Spray bottle
Bucket
Non-ammonia dish soap
Hot water
Rags
¾ cup chlorine bleach
Mineral spirits
A chest made of cedar wood is susceptible to mold growth, just like other items and surfaces in your home. If the chest is located in an area of your home with high humidity and low sunlight, it makes an ideal breeding ground for mold. Not only does mold eventually eat away at the wood, it is also a health risk for the people living in the home. Reduce your family's risk of mold exposure and preserve the beauty of your cedar chest by removing the mold.
Step 1
Fill a spray bottle with water and lightly mist the molded area prior to brushing (this will reduce the number of mold spores released into the air). Brush off loose mold with a vacuum cleaner brush or dry scrub brush.
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Step 2
Fill a bucket with a few squirts of non-ammonia dish soap. Add one gallon of hot water to the bucket.
Step 3
Dip a rag into the bucket of soapy water. Wring it out well.
Step 4
Wipe the mold from the cedar chest using the rag and soapy water. Rinse and wring out the rag frequently.
Step 5
Wipe down the cedar chest with a rag and plain water to remove the soap residue. Go over the cedar chest with a dry rag.
Step 6
Discard the soapy water from the bucket. Rinse out the bucket with plain water.
Step 7
Fill the bucket with one gallon of hot water. Add ¾ cup of bleach to the water.
Step 8
Dip a clean rag into the bucket of bleach solution. Wring it out well.
Step 9
Wipe down the cedar chest with the bleach water to disinfect. Rinse and wring out the rag often.
Step 10
Go over the cedar chest with a rag and plain water. Dry immediately with a clean rag.
Step 11
Finally wipe down the cedar chest with a rag dampened in mineral spirits. This will restore the luster of the chest and remove any film created from the cleaning agents.
Warning
Avoid soaking the cedar chest in water. Too much water may cause damage to the wood. Open windows and doors in the room in which you are working to reduce exposure to mold spores and fumes from the cleaning agents. Never mix bleach and ammonia or products containing these ingredients. The results could be toxic. Wear rubber gloves and a face mask for protection against mold and cleaning products.
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