Keeping closets and drawers mold free, naturally

I really don’t mind the rainy season all that much. To me, it’s the brief window of respite before the heat and humidity of the Japanese summer really kicks into high gear. There’s also some great things about it, including beautiful hydrangeas (my fave!), irises, and the chance to bring out those cute umbrellas we’ve kept stored away.

One thing that I don’t like about this time of year, however, is the prospect of mold growing in my house. We have a number of closets that we use for storage, and some of those rooms don’t have air conditioning. As a result, we have to be extra mindful when it’s damp and rainy outside that mold doesn’t start rearing its ugly head. I’ve had to learn the hard way that it’s important to be proactive with mold prevention - coming from Australia which has quite a dry climate, mold wasn’t something I’d ever had to consider, let alone worry about.

So what do we use as a mold deterrent? Well, I found these on Amazon Japan recently as a way to try and keep our closets mold-free naturally, and I can happily say it’s a case of so far, so good. They’re cloth bags filled with bamboo charcoal, and their effectiveness is backed up by a range of different scientific research studies such as this one.

Keeping our closets, drawers, and other mold-prone spaces safe with a natural alternative!

Different sizes for different uses - and they also work as an effective deodorizer!

The bamboo charcoal bags come in a range of different sizes - there are large ones for big closet spaces, medium sized ones to pop in drawers, and even smaller ones that you can fit inside shoes! The bags are touted for their ability to not only stop mold and moisture, but also for being great deodorizers, so if you or someone in your family has a pair of shoes that stink up your genkan, you may want to give them a go for that reason alone!

Sustainability win: you can reuse them over and over again!

One of the best parts about these bamboo charcoal bags is that you can reuse them again and again - it’s a very nice selling point from a sustainability perspective! It’s recommended that you put the bags in direct sunlight around every 30 to 60 days, since the UV rays are what helps to activate the charcoal and open up their pores so that they continue their moisture absorption. I like that this is a more natural dehumidifier route than some of the other options on the market that use chemical components - and it's not something I’m not having to toss out and repurchase.

Give them a squish (to separate any charcoal pieces) every 30-60 days, and pop them on a windowsill or other well-lit area to get some UV rays!

Some similar products to the ones I purchased can be found here, but if you simply search for "bamboo charcoal bags" Amazon will yield a number of results!

What do you use at home to keep your closets, drawers, or other areas mold-free? Any product success stories (or alternatively, the complete fails!) that you’d care to share? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!