I’m a damp expert – steer clear of the cheap supermarket solutions, here’s the exact ingredient to banish mould for good
A DAMP EXPERT has revealed why you should steer clear of cheap supermarket mould solutions – and the one £13 product you need to banish it for good.
Sam, known online as @damp_sam, revealed that there’s one chemical you need to treat black mould – and that the majority of the products stocked in supermarkets don’t contain it.
The ingredient is benzalkonium – however, supermarket solutions often opt to use salt instead.
The qualified damp & waterproofing surveyor claimed that this doesn’t treat the mould, and so could actually cause it to come back quicker.
Therefore, he recommends using the Wickes Fungicidal Wash, which contains the much-needed ingredient, priced at just £13 on their website.
In a new TikTok reel, he said: “If you’ve got issues with condensation and black mould’s all over your bathroom, it’s all over your kitchen, it’s going into your room and you want a quick fix.
“The cheapest, the best value for money on the market at the minute, is a thing called fungicidal wash.
“It’s at Wickes, it’s £12 for four litres which is a decent-sized tube.
“You pour it into a container. You can either apply it with a spray, brush or a sponge.
“You put one coat on and you leave it for a bit, and then you get a warm bucket of water, you put your sponge in and then you clean it off.
“Then you put another coat on and leave it until it’s dry. Simple, easy steps.
“Fungicidal wash by Wickes has got a product called Benzalkonium, and that’s what you need in a mildew cleaner or whatever.
“These big supermarket brands, and a lot of little ones, they’ve got sodium in.
“And what will happen is the salts, once they’ve been sprayed onto your wall, they’ll absorb moisture and it’ll come back quicker.
“But if you use this…you can’t go wrong. It’s good stuff.”
Although Sam did remind his followers to attempt to treat whatever is causing the mould and condensation first – and typically, this tends to be poor ventilation.
He continued: “We always say treat the source of the problem, which would be ventilation, so try and treat the source of the problem first.”
TikTok users loved his tips, with the video gaining more than 3,200 likes and 158,000 views.
In the comments, some shared their reactions, and their own tips – although Sam didn’t agree with them all.
One wrote: “Just use bleach, much cheaper.”
Sam replied: “No it’s sodium-based causes issues and it returns quickly.”
Another added: “Just checked my Cillit bang mould remover, sure enough, sodium-based, used it a month ago and it came back 3 x worse.”
“Thank you big time m8. Will go to Wickes tomorrow,” someone else put.