How to Remove Mold
Mold is everywhere, outside and inside. It can grow anywhere it is moist. Many people suffer from health problems when they're exposed to mold, from allergies and cold symptoms to asthma and respiratory problems. Removing mold can be time consuming and difficult, but there are ways to get rid of it.
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Things You'll Need
- Bleach
- Dish soap
- Laundry soap
- Disinfectant
- Gloves
- HEPA filter mask
- HEPA vacuum
- Biocides
- Fans
- Sunshine
- Water
- Stiff brush
- Dehumidifier
Instructions
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Use your nose to smell for a musty odor or the scent of urine. Also watch for stains on the walls and ceilings. Stains from mold are usually black, green, blue, brown or orange. They can also be found around plumbing grout and tiles. Even if you don't see or smell mold, it could be present in carpet pads, bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, kitchens and closets. Clean, disinfect and dry surfaces in your home and reduce moisture levels by running fans and dehumidifiers. Insulate your walls and use storm windows to prevent condensation and increase air circulation by opening closet doors.
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Dry wet or damp materials immediately. Wear a HEPA filter mask and gloves. You can find nitrite gloves and an N95 respirator mask at your hardware store for about $5. Fix water leaks so no water leaks behind your walls. Remove porous flooring such as carpet and remove drywall down to the studs if they're moldy. Vacuum the areas with a HEPA vacuum, removing and sealing the filter in a plastic bag immediately. Use a solution containing 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water to clean the area. Keep rewetting the area with the solution to keep it moist for 15 minutes before rinsing. Fully dry the area quickly.
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Wash cleanable surfaces like hard plastic or tile, concrete, metal and glazed ceramic with dish soap or laundry soap, hot water and a stiff brush. Use the diluted bleach solution to clean these surfaces and dry them completely. Throw away mattresses, carpet and padding, stuffed animals, paper and other uncleanable items that have mold on them. If you have wood with visible mold, you should discard it or hire a professional to sand it down.
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Use biocides found in hardware and home improvement stores that are approved for use indoors. Read instructions carefully as biocides are considered pesticides that could put your health at risk. Biocides that can kill mold have Environmental Protection Agency registration numbers on the bottle.
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Disinfect moldy surfaces with mold and mildew cleaners available at supermarkets and some department stores. Keep the surface wet with the cleaner for 15 minutes, then let it dry for 8 hours to kill the mold.
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Remove dead mold as well as live mold. Dead mold contains spores that can spread throughout your home. Clean the area from which you removed the mold with the bleach solution and let it dry completely. Throw away everything you used to remove and clean the mold. Hang clothes and blankets in the sun and let them air dry, then wash them with laundry soap and bleach and dry them completely.
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Tips & Warnings
Never mix products containing bleach with products containing ammonia. The fumes are toxic.
