Easy Guide to Remove White Fungus on Wooden Furniture

A perfect home is a combination of a lot of things: a vision, efforts, finances, and furniture, and when it comes to furniture that adds elements to your home, then wooden furniture will always top the list of choices. Despite the market being flooded with a lot of options, wood is always the preferred choice, but it also comes with its own share of potential risks and issues, and fungus is perhaps the most stubborn and frustrating one.

​Fungi, too, have their variants, and if you own wooden furniture, staying aware of them is crucial if you don’t want to suffer the damage that follows. Though there are a few types of fungus, like black, green, and white, the most stubborn and common is the white fungus on wooden furniture.

​We understand the frustration you may face when you identify that your wooden furniture has already become a target by fungus, and to help you with it, we will discuss the potential reasons, ways to remove them, and preventive measures to take.

What is White Fungus on Wooden Furniture?

White fungus or white mold on wood furniture is easily identifiable because it has a powdery texture consisting of fungal species that can appear white, grey and a little green in colour. The colour strictly depends on the surface the fungus has infected, and when it is wood, they are mostly white.

The white fungus attacks the wooden surface because it feeds on the cellulose, easily found in wood. The white fungus, when attacking the wooden furniture, eats away the structure of the furniture and makes it weaker, and if not removed at the right time and earlier stage, the damage can go beyond repair.

How to Identify White Fungus on Wooden Furniture?

Before you start with any treatment, DIY, or solution to remove the white fungus from your wooden furniture, you must confirm that the white thing you spot is indeed the fungus. To confirm, you can spray some water on the area you think is infected by the fungus. If the material dissolved with the water, it is not a fungus, but if it stays, think no further because it is definitely a white fungus.

Common Reason for White Fungus on Wooden Furniture

You have encountered white fungus on wood furniture, and you would want to start with the removal to stop the damage, but it is very important to understand the common reasons they have infested your furniture. Knowing the reason will help you identify why your wooden furniture got infested in the first place.

High Humidity

Wood is a known porous material and easily locks in moisture. When the humidity of the room where the wooden furniture is kept reaches a high level, the moisture in the room creates a damp ambiance, making it a perfect place for the fungus to breed, which is already present in the air. With the passing time, these fungus spreads and multiply and start becoming visible as a white powdery cotton-like structure.

Poor Ventilation

Wooden furniture placed in a room that doesn’t have proper airflow and ventilation becomes more prone to white fungus. Rooms or spaces with closed space easily trap the moisture from the air and give space to white fungus to grow. Also, wooden furniture placed against the wall that doesn’t have any open corners can lead to dampness, followed by white fungus.

Water Spills and Leaks

Despite the additional coating, water is an enemy to wooden furniture and a great friend to fungus. If your wooden furniture comes into direct contact with water, maybe accidental spills, or is placed under a constant leakage spot, it can absorb the water and  even if you have wiped it off. This leads the moisture to get deep into the fibers, which further results in the fungal development.

No Sunlight Contact

Sunlight acts as a natural mold preventer, and there is a high chance that if you have kept wooden furniture in a room where there is ample sunlight, mold won’t grow. When you keep furniture in a room with no sunlight, the results are obvious: a breeding ground.  

Worn Out Wood

If the wooden furniture has worn out wood parts, polish, or paint, the raw wood becomes visible, making it a  breeding ground for fungus. The exposed raw wood easily absorbs the moisture, and the damp surface easily spreads it further.

Preparation for Removing White Fungus from Wooden Furniture

You might want to just wipe the white fungus off from the wooden furniture, but it is not as easy as it seems because it not only impacts the health of the furniture, and is equally dangerous for you. You must prepare yourself for the removal task only if it hasn’t gotten  deeper and requires professional service.

Here are the crucial steps that you must follow if setting out on the task of removing the fungus yourself.

Protect Yourself

Even the tiniest amount of fungus can be harmful to you and can cause grave danger to your lungs and respiratory system if it enters your body. To not let this happen in the first place, protect yourself by wearing goggles, gloves, a mask, covered shirts, and other items that can cover your skin completely. Not a tiny bit of your skin should come into direct contact with your skin.

Ventilate

The covered space and scarcity of proper airflow is often among the problems that lead to the breeding ground of the fungus. When setting out to clean the affected area, it is best that you keep the furniture either in the open space or open the windows to ensure the proper air flow comes through. If neither thing is possible, then use a dehumidifier to set a fresh air flow in the room.

Clean the Infected Area

Next, you have to clean the infected area, but do it in a way that it doesn’t spread into the air and transfer from one structure to another. The best way to do it is using the vacuum to clean the area, as it decreases the chances of the loose spores of the fungus to spread further.

Wash the Infested Area

Washing might not sound right to you, but it is an essential step in the process of cleaning the infected area. By using soap, soft-bristle brush, and water, scrub the area carefully to remove every leftover part of the fungus. If you are cleaning the raw wood, you can use a cloth and bleach to wipe the infected area.  

Use Baking Soda

After washing the area clean, mix baking soda with water and apply on the same area to eliminate any chance and presence of the fungus. Put the baking soda and water in a spray bottle and ensure it dissolves properly. Once done, spray the solution on the surface and scrub softly either with the brush or a cloth.

Use Distilled Vinegar

If you don’t want any chance for the fungus to make a comeback, you can perform other cleaning processes as well. One of the most powerful is using distilled vinegar. Spray the vinegar in and around the infected area and leave it for an hour. When it completely dries off, wipe it off with the soft cloth.

Use Chlorine Bleach

Another very powerful way of eliminating mold is by using a chlorine beach solution. You can use the solution and warm water and apply it on the fungus infected area. If the fungus is stubborn and has been left unseen for a considerable period of time and won’t come off easily, then you can also add a little dishwasher. Once cleaned, wipe down the surface and completely dry it off.

Sand the Surface

After doing everything to remove the fungus, it is very important to sand down the infected area, which you can do using sandpaper, and seal it by repainting.

Effective Products to Remove White Mold from Furniture

If you think you have done the task successfully and there is no need to keep yourself prepared for another fungus cleaning session, then you might be wrong. There is no guarantee that the fungus can’t come back, or it may have already spread to other furniture. To keep yourself prepared for any situation, keep the below mentioned products handy as they are highly effective in killing the fungus.

White Vinegar

Distilled white vinegar is highly effective in killing and eradicating white fungus from wooden furniture, as it possesses acetic acid, which consists of antimicrobial properties. These properties can kill fungus spores while ensuring they don’t grow any further and break down the very structure of the fungus. The best way to use distilled white vinegar is mixing it with warm water into equal proportions. Put the solution in the spray bottle, shake it well, and then use it.

Dish Soap

Another very popular and effective product to clean and kill white fungus from the wooden furniture is dish soap. Dish soap is a popular choice for removing dirt, grease, and cleaning utensils, but it is equally great for removing fungus if it has not become deadly. To have the best result, combine it with a white vinegar and water solution.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Not that common product to use in a household, but it is very powerful to remove fungus from wooden furniture because it is vivacious in nature and can penetrate through the porous surface and get through the roots. When used on white fungus, it releases an oxygen bubble that weakens the fungus. To use it, take a spray bottle with 3% of hydrogen peroxide and mix with an equal amount of water and spray on the infected area.

Commercial Products

Lastly, you should always have commercial products like anti-fungal spray for furniture to remove fungus because these are specially formulated for the purpose. These products contain the power of anti-fungal agents that work like magic on white fungus. The instructions to use the product are always mentioned with the pack.

Preventive Measures to Keep White Fungus From Attacking Your Wooden Furniture

There are various reasons that white fungus attacks your wooden furniture, and sometimes, you don’t even have control over it. However, taking preventive measures can help you take care of your wooden furniture and keep it safe from potential fungal attack.

Regular Cleaning

The habit of regularly cleaning furniture has been an underrated thing, but it has a lot of benefits. It doesn’t only make your furniture look clean and shiny but keeps fungus from developing because it doesn’t get time to penetrate through it. Take microfiber cloth and wipe the surface and that’s all. Do not use water for cleaning.

Prevent Humidity

The rise in the humidity level in the room where the wooden furniture is kept can give way to white fungus to grow and thrive. To avoid this from happening, ensure you have a dry environment with proper ventilation. If the room is not getting enough sunlight, use a dehumidifier, especially in monsoon seasons. Do not place wooden furniture against a wall that is damp.

Enough Sunlight

Sunlight is not only essential for humans and other species, but even wooden furniture needs it to last a long time. It also keeps fungus from growing, and if your furniture has already been infected with it, keep it at a place where it receives direct sunlight. It will dry out all the moisture trapped in the furniture as well.

Avoid Water Contact

Wood doesn’t do great when it comes in direct contact with water, so always keep a check on the water leakage and seepage on the wall where you have kept the furniture. If you spot any water leakage, move the wooden furniture to a different spot. Also, if you have kept any indoor plants in or near the furniture, ensure not to overwater it.

Use Polish as a Shield

One of the most effective ways to keep your wooden furniture safe from white fungus is to use good wood polish to create a barrier from any moisture. You can repeat this in a couple of months.

When to Seek Professional Service for Removal of White Fungus?

There can be a chance that none of your DIY works because the fungus growth has gone beyond control. In this scenario, the only way to get rid of the problem is by calling the professionals. Below are the shared reasons when you should call for professional service:

• When you fail to clean the fungus, it does not come off.
• When the penetration is too deep to be reached by any DIY technique.
• When the fungus spreads to other parts and is not visible to the naked eye.
• When the smell caused by the white fungus is too overwhelming, it can cause people to fall ill.

If the professionals themselves find the damage to be too powerful to restore, they can even advise to get rid of the furniture as a solution.

White fungus growing on wooden furniture is the most unpleasant experience because it not only damages the wood, but also poses health-related threats to the people living around. For the minimal infestation, you can use DIY techniques, and in most cases, they are effective, and by taking preventive measures, you can keep the fungus from growing as well.

FAQs

How do you get rid of white fungus on wood furniture?

There are several ways to get rid of the white fungus on wood furniture by cleaning the surface, vacuuming it, and keeping the furniture in the sunlight. For extreme cleaning, you can use solutions like white vinegar, dish soap, and Hydrogen Peroxide.

Is white fungus on wood harmful?

Yes, white fungus on wood is harmful as it can damage the very structure if left untreated and even cause health threats like breathing problems.

How to clean white mold off of wood furniture?

The best way to clean the mold off the wood furniture is by wiping the infected area using white vinegar, dish soap, baking soda, and chlorine, and drying off the moisture trapped in it.

How to get rid of white rot fungus on wood?

To remove white rot fungus, you will have to remove all the affected wood and then clean the rest of the wood to keep the spores from spreading.

Is wood fungus harmful to humans?

Yes, wood fungus is harmful to humans as it can develop allergies and respiratory issues.

How to remove white patches on wooden furniture?

To remove the white patches on wooden furniture effectively, using heat like an iron rod or baking soda.

What kills fungus on wood?

There are different ways to kill fungus on wood, including white vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, chlorine bleach, and Hydrogen Peroxide.

What causes white mold on furniture?

The most common causes of white mold to grow on furniture is high humidity, lack of ventilation, water leakage, and not proper sunlight.​

What does white fungus look like on wood?

White fungus on wood looks like a white or gray powdery patch, often imitating cotton.