Molds are not a fun surprise to find in your house. Seeing those black mold areas in your shower or basement can be disturbing. While small amounts won’t really make you sick, knowing how to get rid of them immediately can keep the situation from worsening.
If you’re reading this article after seeing mold infestations 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 starting to develop is crucial. When overlooked, molds can ruin valuable household possessions and even trigger allergic reactions and health conditions affecting the respiratory system.
Here are five steps you can follow to solve mold problems before they become worse:
1. Locate All Mold
It’s pointless to only remove some of the molds in your home. It will spread and quickly grow when you miss even a little bit, putting you in a full-blown mold problem. To ensure you address every mold in your home, 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 identifying the sources of moisture is necessary 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 mold cleanup services to address the situation.
3. Address Unresolved Water Damage
Repairing the water problem that created the mold is a vital part of removing these pesky fungi and ensuring they don’t return. Moisture provides mold spores an environment to thrive, so fix any roof or pipe leaks. Since roofs and pipes have layers of drywall and insulation, 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 companies specializing in emergency restoration in St. Augustine, FL, to prevent further damage and excess moisture from occurring.
4. Use the Right Cleaning Product
Many house owners may think bleach is the most effective mold treatment. However, it isn’t. Bleach may contain strong chemicals, but it does not remove mold. It only changes the mold’s color from black to gray or white, and there’s a possibility that it might come back after a couple of weeks of bleaching. Mold professionals 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 rug or brush until the mold disappears.
Avoid using this cleaner on drywall, as this material absorbs water quickly. Instead, try safe alternative products like vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and tea tree oil.
5. Remove Damaged Materials
Any porous or damp surface that contains mold should be removed from your house to prevent spores from spreading in another area. Depending on the extent of the mold issue, 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 quicken 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 removing household molds. You may find references suggesting cleaning materials and procedures applicable to minor mold problems. 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 family from exposure to mold spores and respiratory problems if you handle the job yourself.
