How to Clean Mold on the Outside of a House
One of the things that can ruin the appearance of your house is a growth of mold on the exterior walls. Unlike dirt, mold cannot simply be washed off. It is a living thing, so if you scrub it with soap and water or blast it with a pressure washer, it will probably just grow back. Instead, mold requires a disinfecting solution to clean it off walls. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Bleach
- Detergent with trisodium phosphate
- Bucket
- Ladder (optional)
- Long-handed scrub brush
- Pressure washer (optional)
- Tarp
Instructions
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1
Make your mold-killing solution in the bucket. For each gallon of water mix in 2 cups of bleach and 1/2 cup of detergent with trisodium phosphate (TSP) in it.
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2
Lay out a tarp or some other kind of covering around the base of the wall you intend to clean. This will prevent the bleach from dripping down onto any of your plants or grass and possibly killing them.
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3
Dunk a long-handled scrub brush into the bucket and start scrubbing the moldy area. If any of the mold is out of reach, get a ladder and continue scrubbing, but remember to exercise caution whenever you work from a ladder.
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4
Rinse the moldy area with a hose. If you missed any mold, or if patches of mold show signs of being particularly stubborn, repeat Step 3 on that spot.
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5
Use a pressure washer to blast the wall after you disinfect the mold area. This is best for walls that are both dirty and moldy.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose a sunny day (with low humidity if possible) to do your cleaning. Mold is spawned by wet conditions, but cleaning mold from a wall involves rinsing it with water. You want the wall to dry out as quickly as possible after the cleaning. If you cannot find any detergent with TSP or the TSP itself sold separately, then only use bleach.
Always wear safety goggles when cleaning mold off of exterior walls. The work will involve scrubbing with bleach above your head, introducing the risk of bleach getting into your eyes.
