How To Remove Mold from Your House
Mold isn’t just an unsightly problem, it can actually cause serious health problems. One of the most frustrating obstacles to getting rid of mold is - just because it’s out of sight doesn’t mean it’s gone. Mold spores can hide out in places you’d never think to look and can cause unsightly discoloration and odors when you least expect it.
The good news is that there are ways to get rid of mold for good.
What Causes Mold:
Mold is cause from moisture, high humidity, darkness, and lack of air flow and ventilation. Mold spores are everywhere, and when conditions are right, mold will start to grow. You'll typically find mold in the bathroom, basement or kitchen. Anywhere moisture exists is susceptible to mold growth
How To Get Rid of Mold:
Regardless of the surface you’re trying to make mold-free, you need to start by protecting yourself. Wearing a mask or respirator and eye goggles can prevent mold spores from negatively impacting your health. Be careful when choosing your cleaning clothing, as you will want to later bleach it to remove any mold residue.
Not all mold is harmful, but any mold- especially in large quantities can cause respiratory distress and it's better to be safe than sorry.
There are several different methods for cleaning mold, depending on the particular area it’s in and the surface that it’s penetrated.
No matter what the surface is, your basic process consists of:
- Remove the mold
- Disinfect the area
- Rinse and dry the area quickly
Pretreatment:
Before you start removing mold, wet the area thoroughly. While this may seem to be counter-intuitive since mold grows in wet areas, the dampness will allow it to loosen and be more readily cleaned. It also reduces the number of mold spores that become airborne as you scrub.
Step #1 For Cleaning Non-Porous Surfaces:
Areas that are non-porous, such as glass, metal, counter tops or plastic, can be scrubbed down with a cleaner. Be sure to use a cleaner that doesn’t include ammonia, as bleach and ammonia make a toxic mix and we’ll be using bleach later to sterilize it.
Step #1 For Cleaning Porous Surfaces:
Unfortunately, if the mold has penetrated papers, drywall, carpet or other porous surfaces, you’ve got no choice but to let those items go. It is simply impossible to be sure that you’ve removed all mold spores from these surfaces. As you rip up and throw out, remember that mold can become airborne and therefore you’ll need to carefully wrap and discard the mold-infested items.
You may be able to save some porous items that are moldy by allowing them to dry thoroughly such as can be accomplished by letting air dry in the sunlight and then brushing them off with a paintbrush to remove any residue that comes of easily.
Remember to keep these items in a dry- non-humid environment to stop mold for coming back.
Step #1 For Cleaning Wooden Surfaces:
You can clean mold from wooden surfaces but you may not be able to remove all of the mold growth. Not to worry though – simply sanding down the infected surface area will get rid of the mold you see and the mold you can’t.
Step #2 Sterilization:
Once you have the moldy area cleaned up, your next move to is to disinfect to prevent the re-growth of those nasty spores. Create a solution of 1/2 gallon of water 1/2 cup of bleach. The more porous the area is, the more bleach you will need. Wash the infected area and keep it wet for at least 15 minutes. Then follow with clean water to remove the bleach residue.
Bleach kills spores and removes discoloration. If mold has grown due to a leak, you should fix the leak to prevent it from reoccurring. Opening the window to increase air flow, using a dehumidifier or air conditioner and regular cleaning will stop mold from coming back.
Removing Tough Mold Stains or Mold That Keeps Coming Back:
Tough mold stains need different cleaners and Mold Armour is the best at removing stains. It's about 2 times stronger than bleach. It removes the mold and the stain with no pretreatment or cleaning required. Each treatment lasts for 2 months. This is helpful for areas where mold keeps coming back or it's not possible to remove moisture completely.
