Mold Can Be Tricky To Just Wipe Away (Tips for Mold Removal)

Posted in Air Quality, on August 17, 2015

Are you wondering why you're still experiencing mold issues despite wiping the affected area? Perhaps you need to do more.

You probably don't know that mold is growing in your home. Mold thrives in dark, humid places such as your bathroom and basement. Mold can develop within 24-48 hours under the right conditions and can potentially cause health problems or affect your home's air quality if untreated. Once faced with this issue, you must recognize how to eliminate it. If you're wondering how to perform mold cleanup, here's how.

Eliminating Mold

It is virtually impossible to eliminate all molds and spores indoors. This is because some spores float in house dust and through the air. However, the mold spores won't grow in the absence of moisture. You can and should prevent or control mold growth indoors through moisture control. Although eliminating mold completely in a household setting is almost impossible, you can reduce an existing infestation to a point where it's no longer harmful.

How to Remove Mold from Different Areas

Non-Porous Areas

You can simply scrub and wipe non-porous areas with detergent solution, sponge the affected area, and dry it fast. This method is ideal for areas with small quantities of mold. An unscented detergent will enable you to smell residual moldy spots. Drying fast eliminates moisture that would allow recurring mold growth. Avoid bleach because it won't disinfect the area properly and emits air toxins.

Porous Areas

If you discover mold on a porous area for instance, an unpainted drywall, you'll typically need to cut the wall where there's mold growth. For such an area, you can't merely wipe it because mold growth occurs inside the material rather than on the surface. There's no practical way to eliminate mold from drywall completely, so you must dispose and replace any drywall with mold on it.

Wood Surfaces

Use an externally vented or HEPA vacuum cleaner for wood surfaces. Scrub using an unscented detergent solution, rinse and dry fast. You may have to sand and refinish the surface if the stain does not come off. You should perform sanding with a sander/vacuum combination, allowing the vacuum to pick up the spores emitted by sanding.

Windows

Discovering mold on your windows isn't uncommon if condensation is an issue. Condensation often forms on windows because of cold external air on the reverse side of the window, which causes cooling of the glass. Condensation can yield mold growth around the frames due to moisture condensing on the glass. Ensure you identify the affected area to facilitate mold removal. After removing excess mold, you'll be in a better position to establish the full extent of the issue. If you discover a relatively minor problem, spray some white vinegar on the windows and then combine with some baking soda. You can prevent mold from recurring by keeping your windows free from condensation. Wherever possible, ensure window ventilation to allow air circulation and prevent dampness.

Products for Mold Removal

Bleach

Bleach can kill nearly every indoor mold species together with its spores, leaving your surface sanitized and resistant to mold growth in the future. Unfortunately, bleach is only efficient if mold growth occurs on non-porous materials for instance tiles, glass, and bathtubs. Bleach can't penetrate into porous materials such as drywall and wood. Using bleach on porous materials will merely kill surface mold.

Borax

There are numerous benefits to killing mold with borax. The natural cleaning product doesn't emit dangerous fumes or chemicals like other mold killers. The product commonly functions as a deodorizer and you can use it to clean drains and toilets. Furthermore, you can mix it with water solution to remove and kill mold because it inhibits mold naturally.

If you're wondering how to remove mold from different areas effectively, this guide will prove invaluable. If you're experiencing air quality issues at your workplace or in your home, kindly contact us so we can help (416) 414-5690