My bedroom is downstairs in a thick stonewalled 100+ yr old house, the heating is limited (non functioning at the moment tbh) and I keep getting mildew forming on the things I store (mainly leather shoes, belts and handbags) especially those stored in plastic boxes under the bed.

Is there any way to stop it forming and how best to clean the items other than wiping them clean with a cloth?

white vinegar for cleaning ( or stuff with teatree oil in it, though I havent used that). The vinegar kills the spores and from my experience now i have dry storage previously mildewy items are fine once cleaned with vinegar. the vinegary smell doesnt stay for long either.

as far as stopping things getting mildewy im afraid i dont have an answer for you.

Collect those little sachets of moisture-absorbing silica gel you get with electronic products, and distribute them in strategic areas of the house.

see that de-humidifier you’ve got? that and leave the lids off the containers so condensation doesn’t form. Mould and bacteria need moisture to multiply.

Or possibly bags of silica gel in the sealed boxes, take it out and zap it in a low microwave occasionally to dry it out again.

Can’t help with the cleaning, although, at a guess, wipe them with a dilute bleach or Milton type solution (obviously test it on your least favorite pair of shoes to make sure it doesn’t damage them 🙂 ) and let them dry well before storing again.

Moulds that cause mildew flourish wherever it is damp, warm, poorly lighted, and/or where air is not circulated

I think the key is deeping your storage area dryer – increase ventilation if possible, or a dehumidifier may be the solution

I believe the advice for cleaning mildew is wash with 50/50 bleach & hot water. Bleach is the only thing that’ll kill the mould it properly.

Or buy a dehumidifier and set it on a low tickover so it doesn’t eat too much power.

We had exactly that problem (110 yr old house, very cold and exposed gable end, some clothes got covered in mildew etc). The dehumidifier does a great job of stopping it.

Mastiles, that description fits my circumstance exactly. Gable wall faces N.E onto Moray Firth, nasty winds and little light 🙁

Dehumidifier going to have to be a permanent fixture then… at least having the thing running gets some heat into the room!

Will try the milton solution as I already have that for camelbak bladders and race bottles.

Cheers 🙂

Dehumidifier going to have to be a permanent fixture then… at least having the thing running gets some heat into the room!

Make sure you get a desiccant dehumidifier then – they are the ones that pump out heat (and our ‘Ruby Dry’ one is almost silent on the low setting so can be used overnight if sleeping in the same room). They cost a little more to run than refrigerant ones though.

steamy in your bedroom eh Jojo? 😉

Insulate.

Cat litter is a very cheap way to absorb moisture. It’s a tip used in motorhomes when they’re parked up and not being used.

Get a multi-fuel stove. It sends massive amounts of air up the flue to ventilate the house while warming everything beautifully.

My local cycling café (Puddleducks in Dunsop Bridge, the centre of the UK) used to be a miserable damp place, wringing wet with condensation from wet clothes and shoes especially in winter. The floor was always awash and the atmosphere humid and sweaty. Then Trevor the owner installed a woodburner – what a difference! Now it’s warm, dry and comfortable.

A bucket of salt (like the stuff used for paths etc) will keep things dry. Nice and cheap. You can microwave it when it gets mushy and it’s good to go again.

(Used to use this on my yacht in a tropical climate to stop it furring up inside)

Get them dry as buggery, then stick them in sealed plastic bags.

I see little point in attempting to dry/warm/humidify a whole room to keep some of its content mould free…