How to Clean Basement Mold in a Cinder Block Foundation

If you've got mold and mildew growing on your cinderblock basement walls, you could have a serious water seepage problem that should be inspected. In the meantime, you should get rid of the mold, which can cause evil smells througout your house and even pose a health hazard. Don't brush it off the wall dry, as mold releases spores when disturbed. You need to first kill it with a bleach agent before removing it.

Things You'll Need

• Household bleach Plastic spray bottle Plastic funnel to fill the spray bottle Heavy rubber gloves 1-gallon bucket Heavy bristle scrub brush

Instructions

1. In the spray bottle, mix a 50-50 solution of bleach and water. Wear your rubber gloves while funneling the bleach into the bottle.

2. Open doors and windows to the basement to ventilate it. With the spray bottle, thoroughly soak the affected area. Just for good measure, spray adjacent areas where you don't see mold. Refill the spray bottle with bleach solution as necessary.

3. Leave the area. Wait an hour, then come back and repeat the process.

4. Wait another hour. In your bucket, mix one gallon of cold water with a half cup of bleach. Wearing your rubber gloves, use the brush to scrub and wash away the dead mold. Don't rinse, but let the solution air-dry on the wall.

Tips & Warnings

• Use cold water, not warm. This may seem counter-intuitive when it comes to cleaning, but warm water provides a better environment for mold and mildew to grow.

• Always wear rubber gloves when coming into contact with bleach. Keep the area well-ventilated when applying the bleach. Don't stay in the area any longer than is necessary while the solution is drying.

References

• More information is available here.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish