Mumbai Rains: How to prevent musty-monsoon smell from soft furnishings?

Monsoon season is such a great respite after the scorching summers. However, high moisture content is conducive for growth of unwanted microorganisms. Coastal areas often receive more rainfall than other areas, it is possible for soft furnishings to have an unwanted growth in patches – which can smell and even turn dark.

In a city like Mumbai, which sees a lot of humidity and moisture especially during monsoon, this issue erupts every year affecting items such as shoes, bags, spices, etc,. Moisture can have an adverse impact on a variety of things in the household, including furniture and gadgets.

Molds and fungi can grow on furniture, upholstery, clothing – they enter home through open doorways, windows, vents or even attach themselves to clothing, shoes and even pets can carry them indoors. When mold spores drop on places where there is excessive moisture, they will grow. Commonly found materials like paper, paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, wood and wood products provide suitable nutrients for the mold to grow. Other materials such as dust, paints, wallpaper also commonly support mold growth. Areas with a lot of moisture or areas where there has been flooding are conducive for mold growth.

Mold growth, which often looks like spots, can come in distinct colors, and can leave a musty smell behind. It can really bring down the look and feel of your carefully selected soft furnishings. Molds such as Trichoderma Viridae, Chaetomium globosum, and Aspergillus Brasilensis tend to be present in indoor places – furnishing materials. The musty odors can be strong or unpleasant and have been linked to issues such as headaches, nasal irritation, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. Even fabrics close to the source of mold including curtains, carpets {rug}, bedding, mattresses can get contaminated and will need to be disinfected.

Mold exposure can cause discomfort in the form of irritation in eyes, skin and even in lungs. Should a few particles or areas of your home attract mold during the rain here are a few quick steps that might be useful.

Frequent disinfection – Follow up drying with a disinfection ritual. Couches, curtains, soft furnishings should be sprayed with a formulation proven to kill molds like the Savlon Surface Disinfectant Spray which is well known for killing 99.9% odour causing mold and fungi. Savlon Surface Disinfectant Spray has fresh fragrance notes, and it leaves behind a pleasant smell. It is safe to use on a variety of fabrics - nylon, rayon, velvet, leather, rexin, faux, felt, vinyl, cotton, polyester, linen, wool*. The surface disinfectant spray air dries and doesn’t need to be wiped off.

Improve ventilation in the house – Open windows regularly and leave doors open whenever possible. Molds find it hard to proliferate in cooler temperatures. Cross ventilation can go a long way in keeping the house cooler. Move furniture away from walls and try to keep the doors to closets open for the cooler room air to flow in.