How to Kill Mold in Walls
Long-term mold exposure can pose a serious health hazard. Professional mold remediation can cost thousands of dollars and be a major inconvenience with workers trudging through your home. Fortunately, a way exists to easily and cheaply kill mold. The following steps detail how to kill mold in wall voids and will save you time and money. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Clean towels
- Household plastic scrub brush
- Plastic utility spray bottle
- 1:1 mix of water to bleach
- Safety glasses
- Plastic gloves
- Respirator
- Fans
Instructions
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1
Put safety equipment on, including safety glasses, plastic gloves and respirator.
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2
Wipe down the affected areas of the wall void where the mold is growing. Use a clean, dry towel to wipe the wall firmly and remove visible mold. Switch to a new towel when necessary to avoid smearing mold from areas of heavy growth to those areas with less growth. Throw each towel away after use to avoid cross contaminating other surfaces and spreading mold.
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3
Scrub the moldy areas of the wall using a household plastic scrub brush. The scrub brush will loosen the mold and roughen the surface it's growing on to help expose the roots. When mold grows on hard, water-resistant surfaces, scrub it away with hot, soapy water and commercial grade detergent. When treating porous walls such as drywall, scrub with the brush using no soap or water.
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4
Spray the affected areas of the wall using the bleach solution. Make sure to coat the entire moldy area of the wall. Avoid over application. The solution should not run down the wall in streams or saturate the wall and cause water damage.
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5
Dry the treated area immediately after spraying the bleach solution. Use fans to circulate the air. Allow walls to dry thoroughly before closing back up and repairing.
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Tips & Warnings
A strong solution of bleach can kill mold, but it will not prevent future outbreaks. Use one of the many anti-mold paints and coatings sold in retail outlets following the bleach treatment in order to prevent mold from growing back.
Be careful when opening up wall voids that are moldy and when using bleach; breathing spores and fumes can pose a health hazard. Always use fans and open any nearby windows.
