Molds are not a fun surprise to find in your home. Seeing those black mold spots in your shower or basement can be disturbing. While small amounts won’t really make you sick, knowing how to eliminate them immediately can keep the situation from aggravating.
If you’re reading this article after seeing mold problems in your home, these guidelines we’ve prepared can help tackle the situation you’re in.
How to Safely Remove Molds in Homes?
Molds left untouched can quickly spread to larger areas, so tackling the mold while it’s just starting to develop is important. When overlooked, molds can destroy valuable household items and even trigger allergic reactions and health conditions affecting the respiratory system.
Here are five steps you can follow to solve mold issues before they become serious:
1. Locate All Mold
It’s pointless to only remove some of the molds in your house. It will spread and quickly grow when you miss even a little bit, putting you in a full-blown mold problem. To ensure you tackle every mold in your house, inspect all the rooms and pay attention to damp areas with a musty odor. Molds can grow under floor coverings and carpets, above ceiling tiles, inside walls, and inside air conditioning ducts.
2. Identify the Source of Moisture
Regulating moisture is the best way to address mold growth. Molds thrive in humid and wet conditions, so determining the sources of moisture is vital to prevent molds and keep them from recurring. Molds usually grow in damp unventilated areas like basements and bathrooms.
Some of the common culprits of mold growth in homes include:
- Excess moisture
- Condensation around doors, windows, concrete floors, and cold pipes
- Flooding
- Poor ventilation and HVAC
- Leaky roofs or walls
If these caused significant mold infestation in your home, hire professionals that offer disaster cleanup in St. Augustine, FL, to take care of the situation.
3. Address Unresolved Water Damage
Repairing the water problem that created the mold is a crucial part of removing these pesky fungi and ensuring they don’t persist. Moisture provides mold spores a place to thrive, so repair any roof or pipe leaks. Since roofs and pipes have layers of insulation and drywall, they’re ideal places for molds to grow.
As the mold spreads, you’ll see them growing on your ceilings and walls. When this happens, you’ll have to employ PuroClean emergency restoration services to prevent further damage and excess moisture from occurring.
4. Use the Right Cleaning Product
Many house owners may assume bleach is the most effective mold treatment. However, it isn’t. Bleach might contain strong chemicals, but it doesn’t get rid of mold. It only changes the mold’s color from black to gray or white, and there’s a chance that it might return after a few weeks of bleaching. Mold experts recommend borax instead.
Follow the steps below to address molds using borax:
- Mix the powder in a gallon of hot water.
- Apply the mixture on a mold-affected surface.
- Scrub using a brush or rug until the mold disappears.
Avoid using this cleaner on drywall, as this material soaks up water quickly. Instead, try safe alternative products like vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and tea tree oil.
5. Remove Damaged Materials
Any porous or wet surface that contains mold should be removed from your home to prevent spores from spreading in another area. Depending on the extent of the mold problem, this could mean replacing or removing carpets, insulation, or drywall.
6. Dry the Surface
The last and most crucial part of mold removal is drying the surface. Remember, moisture is the primary culprit of mold buildup. Since water is a part of the mold cleaning process, the surface will be wet for several hours. Open doors and windows to speed up the drying process and ventilate the area. You can also run a dehumidifier or air movers to quickly dry the surface.
Conclusion
The internet is an abundant source of information for getting rid of household molds. You might find references suggesting cleaning materials and methods applicable to minor mold situations. But worse cases of mold infestations are best delegated to remediation professionals. Not only will you save time by doing so, but you’re also saving yourself and your household from exposure to mold spores and respiratory problems if you handle the job yourself.