How to Eliminate Mold – A Step By Step Guide
Mold infestations can be devastating. Not only can they ruin parts of your home, they can also destroy your clothes and furniture. If left unchecked, they can even spread to other parts of your house, causing more problems.
Fortunately, mold removal, for a small surface is not as difficult as many people think. It requires a bit of work and preparation but most people can do it on their own. So if you want to learn how to remove mold then the following guide will show you what you need to do.
What Causes Mold Growth?
Mold growth are typically associated with moist places but this is a misconception. Mold spores can thrive in any area or material where they have ample access to heat, oxygen, moisture and food. These include:
- Cotton
- Drywalls
- Wood
- Old Clothes
- Wet or Moist Areas
- Dirty Floors
- Dust Covered Furniture
- Moist Walls
- Flooded Areas
Additionally, mold spores can lay dormant in dark, dirty parts of your home. They can also get stuck in your ventilation ducts and furnaces. Fortunately, you can get rid of them by disinfecting the affected areas and cleaning them thoroughly.
How Do You Get Rid of Mold Growth?
If your home is suffering from a mold infestation, don’t panic. Minor mold growth may be removed using common household items and cleaning agents. You won’t even need to hire a team of professionals if you act fast. Here’s how you do it.
Locate the Problem
Before you do anything else, be sure to locate all the mold growth in your home. Remember that mold spores spread quickly, and if you don’t remove them all in one go then they will gradually infest those areas that you’ve already cleaned.
Indoors, you can usually find mold colonies in warm or humid areas, particularly bathrooms and showers. You may also find them underneath kitchen sinks, pipes and moist floors.
Outdoors, you can usually find mold growth in damp and shady areas, particularly those which are exposed to a lot of moisture. If you have a lot of leaves and vegetation on your property, you should check them out as well. Certain species of mold can grow in places where there are a lot of decomposing plant life.
Assemble Your Equipment
The next step is to assemble your equipment. For this project, you will need the following:
- Old clothes and shows that you can throw away after work
- Goggles, gloves and facemasks/respirators
- An old box fan that you can throw away after work.
- A garden sprayer
- Heavy duty trash bags.
- Several pieces of old cloth
- Duct tape
- Disinfectant
- A wire brush
Aside from your equipment, you will also need a cleaning agent to remove the mold. Several good options include:
- Bleach
- Vinegar
- Ammonia
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Detergent.
- Baking Soda
You won’t need to get all of these items, but having an extra cleaning agent or two is always better than just having one.
Prepare and Isolate the Area
You will need to prepare and isolate those areas where the mold colonies are located before you can clean them. Start by locking the doors and windows to make sure that the spores can’t get through.
Next, you will need to use duct tape to cover the air ducts, furnaces and air conditioners in the affected areas to prevent the spores from escaping. Remember, mold spores can hide in these items, which is why you will need to seal them off in order to prevent future mold growth.
Thirdly, clean up all the dirt and grime in the area, put them in a bag then dispose of them. You will also need to remove all the mold damaged porous materials, including old clothes and furniture. Put these in a bag and dispose of them as soon as possible.
Clean Up
Now it’s clean up time. Start by putting on your goggles, mask, hand gloves and cleaning clothes. You should also put all of your cleaning equipment in a clear and easy-to-reach place.
Next, take your wire brush and use it on all the moldy surfaces. After you’re done brushing them, pour some of your cleaning agent into an old piece of cloth, and use that to wipe the affected areas. Repeat this process as many times as you have to until the affected areas are thoroughly clean.
Once the mold colonies have been removed, wipe their surfaces with a new damp cloth and some detergent solution until all the mold are gone. When you’re done, rinse the affected surfaces with clean water.
Now take your vacuum and use it to clean the area. Be thorough while you do this, and be sure to get all of the remaining dust as well. Remember that mold spores feed on dust particles, which means that by removing dust particles, you are also removing their food supply.
Take all the dust and mold that you’ve collected and carefully seal them in your trash bags. Wipe the outer surfaces of the bags with some detergent or cleaning agent to disinfect them then set them aside for easy disposal later on.
Drying and Disposal
After you’re done cleaning the affected areas, use your fan or dehumidifier to speed up the drying process. You can also use your heater to raise the indoor air temperature.
Once the area is nice and dry, go dispose of all the trash bags, and you’re done.
What Do You Do If You Can’t Remove The Molds On Your Own?
If you’re having trouble with the mold colonies in your home then go ahead and give us a call. We will take care of the problem for you.
As one of the leading water restoration companies in our community, waterdamagemiami.com offers affordable and high quality mold removal services. Not only will we remove all the mold off your property, we will also clean and disinfect the affected areas.
Furthermore, our team of professionals will also advice you on how you can protect your property from future mold infestations. We will teach you how to identify areas where mold spores may thrive and how you can stop them. So don’t let mold spores ruin your home. Contact waterdamagemiami.com today and we’ll help you deal with the problem.