How to Treat & Kill Mold

There are many different types -- and colors -- of mold. Attention is often focused on black mold because there is one variety that produces mycotoxins, a poisonous type of fungus. Like most brown, green, white and yellow mold, some black molds are non toxic. Nonetheless, most people do not want the ugly, unwelcome substance in their home and, therefore, seek ways to treat or kill it.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water
• Non-ammonia cleaner
• Bleach
• Sponge
• Cleaning pad
• Small stiff brush
• Protective gloves
• Mask
• Vacuum
• Steam cleaner
• Wet/Dry vacuum

Cleaning Techniques for Mold Relief

1. Empty and ventilate the room where the mold is located. Using strong cleanerscan make some people sick.

2. Apply protective gloves and a mask.

3. Wash mold from hard surfaces like counter tops, glass, plastic and wood with a good non-ammonia detergent. If that is not sufficient, continue with the following steps.

4. Put one of the following into a spray bottle: Full strength white vinegar; 1 tsp., or tea tree oil mixed with 1 cup of water or 10 to 20 drops of grapefruit seed extract mixed with 1 cup of water. Spray the mixture over the mold and let dry. If it does not kill all of the mold, continue to Step 5.

5. Mix 2 TBS of baking soda with one cup of vinegar to create a thick cleansing paste. Apply to the surface and let dry. Follow-up with the steps below.

6. Add 1 ½ cups of bleach to 1 gallon of water in a bucket. Mix well.

7. Test the surface where mold is located to make sure bleach will not harm it. If not, move on to the next step.

8. Scrub the ares with a sponge or cleaning pad. Use a small, stiff brush to get into corners and grooves.

9. Let it sit if place for at least 30 minutes.

10. Rinse with clean water. If necessary, repeat the top two steps until the mold can no longer been seen.

11. Dry the area with absorbent cloths or by using a hair dryer or sun lamp. Do not set the hair dryer to low air dry as this could let the mold regain a foothold.

Dispose of Moldy Materials

12. Put on protective gloves and a mask.

13. Remove materials that you could not clean using acceptable removal techniques for the surface in question. These typically include materials like carpet, ceiling tiles, dry wall as well as some woods and floor tiles

14. Place the materials into a heavyweight or double bagged plastic trash bag. Seal shut.

15. Check the surface where the materials were removed. If mold still exists, try cleaning the new exposed using the techniques outline in Section 1. If not, move on to the next step.

16. Dry the area thoroughly before attempting to apply new materials. Two to 7 days is the recommended drying time.

Tips & Warnings

• Work on small surfaces at a time. Between each section, take one or more breaks to get fresh air.
• Add some grease breaking detergent to the bleach water if the surface being treated has a lot of grease and grime to cut through.
• Sunlight is a natural mold killer. Therefore exposing the cleaned area to the sun or a sun lamp may help kill the mold root permanently.
• While bleach doesn't actually kill mold at its roots, it can treat it at the upper level, which is sufficient for some purposes.
• Always thoroughly dry water drenched surfaces like carpeting as quickly as possible to keep mold frrom taking hold.
• Do not make the bleach cleanser too strong and never use bleach full-strength bleach. The fumes can be toxic.
• Always dispose of mold materials like debris, leaves, paper, and rags. Porous materials trap molds in and pass them on to connecting surfaces.

References

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Household Mold Guide

Resources

• How to Get Rid of Mold
• Cleaning Up Mold
• Eco Village Green