Bunnings store stripped of mould killer: 'New panic buy'
A Bunnings customer has shared the reality of living with unprecedented wet weather in Queensland and New South Wales, revealing shelves stripped almost bare of mould killer.
As East Coast residents have navigated their way through months of flooding and widespread rain, mould has infiltrated many homes.
A Brisbane resident who goes by the Reddit username incendiary_bandit shared a telling photo of a Brisbane Bunnings last week, showing bare shelves and empty mould killer display boxes.
The man’s photo, which he captioned "a sign of the times" was met with several comments from other Redditors, who wondered whether the coveted product might have been bulk-purchased when the rain started.
"In this day and age you have to be one step ahead of the panic buyers," one person commented.
"The new toilet paper panic buy challenge," claimed another.
Others shared their own experiences of trying to get their hands on wet weather products.
"After all this rain everyone will be after that midgie and mosquito killing spray again but I bought one in advance last week since it all went out of stock like in Feb," wrote one Reddit user.
"What's really killing me is I can't get those wardrobe moisture crystals anywhere. I keep getting told 'sorry we just sold the last of the pallet'," wrote another.
Bunnings store shuts due to toxic mould concerns: 'The place stunk'
Mould lurks everywhere: The hidden cost of wet weather and floods
Mould management strategies revealed
The Queensland Health website confirms that an onset of wet weather is likely to "create an environment that is favourable to the growth of mould", and recommends store-bought mould killers to remove mould.
Thrifty Reddit users who "missed out" on mould killer solutions at their local Bunnings stores added homemade mould solutions in the photo's comments.
"Vinegar is the best mould killer," one person wrote.
Another Redditor said using vinegar and eucalyptus had been "working a charm".
"Vinegar and clove oil is another one," commented another person, while others said they have been using bleach to clean mouldy surfaces.
Queensland Health’s official stance is that bleach isn't an effective mould killer, however vinegar and many other household cleaners may do the trick.
"Household cleaning agents or detergents can do an effective job if used correctly, as can white fermented vinegar cleaning solution," reads a statement on the Queensland Health website.
"The use of bleach may not be effective in killing mould on porous surfaces. However, bleach will help to minimise other disease-causing organisms that may be present because of contaminated floodwaters."
Queensland Health also strongly advises against mixing cleaning agents such as bleach and ammonia, as they can produce toxic fumes when combined.
Bunnings restocks mould killers
Sharyn Pertzela, Bunnings' Category Manager of Painting and Cleaning told Yahoo News that mould killers, while in high demand, are not experiencing a shortage.
"We are currently experiencing strong demand for mould removal products in Queensland and New South Wales, but we have good overall stock availability across our store network," Ms Pertzela said.
"There may be times when some stores are temporarily low or out of stock on a particular item or brand but we are working closely with our suppliers to replenish as quickly as possible, and we generally have alternative product options available for customers."
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