How To: Get Rid of Mold in the Home

How Can I Get Rid of Mold in My Home?

By Gary Kent Hamilton

Uck! There is nothing quite as gross as slimy black or green mold hiding behind a toilet or under a sink. And, mold can sometimes cause respiratory problems and other health risks. But how can you get rid of it for good?

The first thing you will need to do is to get rid of moisture. Mold only grows in moist areas. If you clean up mold in your home, but you do not fix the source of the moisture, then it is very likely that the mold will come back, no matter how well you clean. But if there is no moisture anymore, the mold will have nowhere to grow. So you will need to take care of whatever is causing the problem, whether it is leaky pipes, a bathroom fan that does not work, or overflow from the sink.

Once you have gotten rid of the source of moisture, dry the area out as much as you can. Before you start cleaning, you will want to put on some protective clothing such as eye goggles, rubber gloves, plastic clothing such as a lab coat that you can throw away later, and a filter dust mask. If you are cleaning surfaces such as plastic, tile, solid wood, glass or metal that is non-porous, you can actually just scrub off the mold using detergent and water.

After the area is dried completely, you will want to disinfect the area to make sure that the mold cannot return. To disinfect the area, you just mix anywhere from a fourth to half a cup of bleach with a gallon of water. Before you apply the disinfectant, make sure an open a window so that you have good ventilation. You do not want to inhale the bleach fumes. Then, soak the area in the bleach mixture, and let the solution dry on its own; don’t wipe the mixture off. This is the most effective way to keep mold from returning.

If you need to get mold out of something that is porous, such as ceiling tiles or carpet, it is much harder. Most of the time, it is best to just throw these items away. Sometimes, though, if the mold damage is not severe, you can salvage the item by sponging the item with detergent suds and then wiping it clean. If it was an item you were particularly fond of, you can also hire mold removal professionals.

Gary Kent Hamilton is the SEO Expert for Right Way Restoration – a leading nationwide 24/7 emergency service water restoration company, water damage repair, fire damage restoration and crime scene clean up company.

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