My best friend is on mold patrol this week. She lives in Hawaii and is hosting 25 people for Christmas at her new home. Unfortunately, while her house is new, her outdoor furniture is not. In fact, thanks to the Hilo rain and humid weather, the health of her plastic lawn furniture has been compromised. Apparently, there is mold on many of her pieces, and she has less than a week to remove it in time for her big outdoor Christmas bash.
Fortunately, there are a number of inexpensive solutions to my friend’s mold problem, including:
Lemon Juice: A little lemon juice can go a long way to help rid mold from plastic furniture. However, you will need the help of the sun to fully eradicate mold form your furniture. Start by dousing the furniture with lemon juice and placing the items in the sun for a few hours. Next, wash the moldy furniture items with soap and water. Finish by drying the pieces with a soft, dry cloth and storing in the shade.
Bleach: A tried and true mold killer is standard household bleach. Simply dilute a half gallon of bleach with the same amount of water and wipe all over the affected furniture pieces. Once the mold is removed, rinse the items and dry with a towel.
Bathroom cleaners: Many traditional bathroom cleaner sprays work very well to get mold off plastic outdoor furniture. Look for ones that contain non-toxic, organic mold remover if you are worried about chemicals. Otherwise, use a standard version and rub it in with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for maximum effectiveness.
Another option is to use a pressure washer to eliminate surface mold from plastic furniture. If you are worried that the water method won’t do the job, consider wiping some rubbing alcohol on the plastic surface and then spraying it off with the pressure washer.