Australian Mould Expert Talks on ABC Radio about How to Get Rid of Mould

When the humidity levels rise, mould is more likely to grow in the home.

Dr Heike Neumeister-Kemp is a Principal Mycologist at Mycolab and she’s one of the leading experts on mould in Australia. icate it and deter it from growing back.

SAN-AIR products are made from natural substances and are effective at preventing and eradicating mould.

ABC Radio Host Josh Szeps, talks with one of Australia’s leading experts on mould - Dr Heike Neumeister-Kemp – about the best ways to get rid of mould.

With all the humidity, the outdoor furniture is mouldy so wipe it down... Some of those bio-enzymes like SAN-AIR products, they actually leave a coating and then they will stay active.”

— Dr Heike Neumeister-Kemp, Principal Mycologist at Mycolab

SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA, December 21, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- During La Nina, ABC Radio Host Josh Szeps, talked with one of Australia’s leading experts on mould - Dr Heike Neumeister-Kemp – about the best ways to get rid of mould when humidity levels rise. The segment was called ‘You Versus Mould’ and many people called in asking questions because mould was growing rampantly in homes on the east coast of Australia. Now with some hot, humid summer weather hitting the east coast again, it’s a good time to revisit the advice given.

Dr Heike is the Managing Director and a Principal Mycologist at Mycolab and she’s very knowledgeable about how mould grows and what to do to eradicate it and deter it from growing back.

Josh opened the radio segment by saying: “With everything so wet, thanks to all this rain, the clothes aren’t drying, the whole house just feels damp and it’s happening very quickly… What’s going on with mould in Australia amid all this rain?”

Josh asked Dr Heike: “What do we need to know to conduct a full-frontal assault on mould?”

Dr Heike answered saying: “Well, there’s lots to know about mould, especially when it’s extreme weather conditions with very high humidity… because mould absolutely loves moisture. And moisture is the key thing we need to control if you want to have any chance fighting the mould.”

Josh asked if she could explain what mould is exactly and Dr Heike said: “Mould is a tiny little lifeform or organism – it’s not bacteria – it’s actually in its own group,” which is classified under ‘fungi.’

When she was asked how mould grows, Dr Heike said: “It has little filaments and lots of spores. Because it has lots of spores it can grow very, very quickly so you can actually see it grow in front of your eyes. What is happening is the mould is already there but we can’t see it with the naked eye.” She said it goes from not being visible to being visible when the spores actually fill with colour. “So, it looks like you see the mould grow, but what you see is when the spores actually become visible,” she added.

How can mould be eradicated?
Dr Heike explained that because we now actually understand how fungi grow, we’re can eradicate them: “Fungi have a triple membrane in their hyphae and it’s very hard to just put chemicals on it because fungi are really, really smart and they don’t just take the chemical in. So, what it does is, it squirts out exoenzymes… and this neutralises all the chemical around it – and then it grows through it and absorbs it. That’s why it can live in nearly any conditions and use any type of nutrient.”

Dr Heike added that often products which have been used for a long time to get rid of mould are not the best solution - including bleach: “So, if you come and put Exit Mould on it – which is nothing else but bleach – it just takes the colour out of the fungi but the actual fungi is still there.,” she said.

When asked what else can be used to get rid of mould, Dr Heike said products which are plant-based or enzyme-based, usually work the best. She added it’s important to use products which are TGA approved and not harmful to people because there are a lot of products around which are actually worse than the fungi itself.

“Bio enzymes actually dissolve the fungi and plant-based products have enzymes in them and again, they dissolve the organism,” Dr Heike said, adding these types of products are less harmful to people and very effective in eradicating the mould.

She explained: “If you have mould, you really should try to clean it off… With all the humidity, the outdoor furniture is mouldy so wipe it down with vinegar or with the bio-enzyme. Some of those bio-enzymes like SAN-AIR products, they actually leave a coating and then they will stay active.”

Daniel Massaioli, Founder of SAN-AIR, said the SAN-AIR products are made from natural substances which are not bio-enzymes, but they’re still very effective at preventing and eradicating mould.

Can these products help if a house is flooded?
Dr Heike said when a house is flooded badly, it really needs to be disinfected from top to bottom and dried very quickly. She added: “So, the two points which will get mould to not grow is to take away the moisture and increase the ventilation… The air flow keeps the surfaces from not getting mouldy.”

“Where there is mould, there is always a possible health risk… It doesn’t really matter what type of mould it is – if you have mould there’s a potential for adverse health effects.”

Dr Heike added one thing people can do to reduce mould is to close the windows during the humid part of the day and run their air conditioner on the ‘dry’ setting as this will reduce the humidity levels. But she added if you don’t have an air conditioner, then at least have fans on or open the windows and get a breeze ventilating the home.

She said often people place gel packs in their cupboards to reduce the humidity but she felt that with the amount of air and humidity in a cupboard, “… in order to really make a difference, you need a proper dehumidifier.”

Dr Heike added if you close the windows and open the doors to your cupboards while also running the air conditioner or the dehumidifier, this will all make a difference. As the day goes on, if it becomes less humid outside, it’s best to open the windows and make sure the place is ventilated by fresh air, but she said it all needs to be “closely monitored.”

This is reinforced by Daniel who explained that what Dr Heike was saying was that fresh air needs to be monitored because the wrong type of fresh air can add even more mould into a building.

Pamela Connellan
SAN-AIR
+61 409 307 327
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