Mold in your home can be detrimental to not only your property but also to your family. Hence why many people are frantically trying to get rid of it as we speak.
Thankfully, you’ve come to us first before trying to scrub away at dangerous spores. Once you are finished here, you will be armed with all the information you need to tackle your home’s mold problem safely.
But first, we must tell you about the risks.
Mold In Your House: The Risks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sets out an extensive list of the detrimental factors mold can have on you, your loved ones, and even your pets. This includes the following symptoms:
- Itchy eyes
- Burning eyes
- Skin rashes
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Sore throat
- Swollen glands
- Blocked nose
It’s important to understand that sometimes, it doesn’t stop there. The negative effects of mold can be disastrous — especially if you have people with chronic lung disease and other respiratory problems living with you. Not healthy.
So, how do you remove it? We’ll get to that. But first, it’s important to know where it comes from in the first place. Otherwise, it will probably just grow back.
Mold in Your Home: Why Is It There?
Mold comes in all shapes, colors, and smells. A lot of people smell it before they find out exactly where it’s coming from. Plus, it loves moisture. If there are damp spots in your house, we can almost guarantee that mold will grow. In this case, not only should you remove the mold, but you should look at damp proofing and fixing any leaks. Contractors are the way to go for this side of things — just make sure they have the relevant experience before you choose them.
We should note here that, if the mold in your home covers over 10 square feet, you must follow the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Guide to Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings. This way, you can be sure you’re following the country’s legislation and safety precautions.
The best way to tackle the huge mold growth is to hire a professional mold remediation company. They have all the knowledge and equipment to safely and truly remove the problematic mold growth issue in your home. Here is a recommendation from our side if you are located in Canada. If you are from the States, you can take a look at their website and seek for something similar.
Our DIY mold removal won’t help with huge expanses, but it is going to help you with small- to medium-sized spotting on hard surfaces like walls, inside cupboards, and on floorboards.
We won’t keep you waiting any longer. Here is the extensive DIY step-by-step guide to removing that ugly-looking, harmful mold in your home.
Removing Mold in Your Home: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step One: Solve the Leaks and/or the Damp Problem
As stated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, you need to fix any household leaks or damp issue immediately, or as soon as practicable. Your mold removal efforts might be rendered completely useless if you skip this step or consistently put it off.
Once they are fixed, ensure you let everything fully dry, before trying to rid its surroundings of the mold. Adding more moisture to an already wet surface won’t do you any favors.
Step Two: Acquire the Necessary Tools
To get rid of the mold properly, you need detergent, water, and a scrubbing brush. Some people prefer to use bleach but this brings so many other complications that it isn’t worth it in our opinion.
So, grab your detergent and water. Then, mix it. You don’t need to be specific with the measurements.
Step Three: Don the Right PPE
Before you start scrubbing, you need to put the right personal protective equipment on. Why? Because you will expose yourself to the free-flowing mold spores if you forget!
We suggest (as does the EPA) that you wear the following:
- An N-95 respirator — this will stop you from inhaling the spores. The good news is that they are relatively cheap and you can pick them up on Amazon. Just ensure it fits properly once it arrives.
- Long gloves — ideally, they should cover your forearms (up to your elbow). Rubber gloves are acceptable since you’re just using detergent and water with our removal method. Never touch the mold with bare hands.
- Goggles — if you don’t already have some, choose the ones that seal around your eyes. This way, no spores will be able to travel into your eyes from the sides of the lenses.
Step Four: Scrub
If you are working on a hard surface, you can simply scrub the mold off now! Yep, it’s that easy. For those of you who have followed closely, you should find that adding elbow grease is the only thing you need.
Sometimes mold will spread to porous or absorbent materials. In these cases, you are better off throwing them away. It’s incredibly unlikely that you’ll be able to get all the mold or moisture out of them.
Step Five: Let the Area Dry
Once you’ve scrubbed the mold off, you might want to think about repainting. That’s great! But don’t jump the gun. Ensure the area is completely dry before painting. Otherwise, you’ll end up trapping the moisture under the new layer and creating a bigger problem for yourself!
Preventing Mold in Your Home
The final part of mold removal is preventing it from coming back. We’ve got a few tips that will help you mold-proof your house once and for all:
- Clean up spills as quickly as you can — the longer you wait, the more chance you have of mold multiplying in the area.
- Run a dehumidifier every once in a while — try to keep the humidity levels down as much as possible. Aim for lower than 60%. In some climates, this is extremely hard to do but try your best!
- Wipe condensation — we always see mold growing on window sills. This is due to the build-up of condensation. As long as you wipe it away every morning, your windows should survive any potential mold onslaught.
See Below for the CDC and EPA Guidance (which we follow to the letter):
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
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