How is mold removed from a home?

This post is provided by Jesse Hughes.

Finding out that you have a mold problem in your home can be upsetting, and your first thought is going to be "how do I get rid of it"?

Whether you want to tackle the job yourself, or choose a professional mold specialist like Edmonton Remediation Pros, there are a few things to consider in dealing with the problem. Materials or surfaces covered in mold can either be cleaned or removed outright. Knowing which is the right solution can save you a lot of unnecessary work.

Cleaning

Let us look at the easier approach first. You do not necessarily have to start tearing out walls as soon as you see a patch of mold. There are many situations where a good cleaning is enough.

Non-porous surfaces like tile, stone, glass, plastic or metal can usually be cleaned. Use a bleach solution of roughly 1 part bleach to 8-10 parts water. Give the area a good scrubbing with this solution, and let it thoroughly air dry. Do not rinse, as the bleach residue helps keep future mold blooms at bay. You can also purchase mold cleansers that are formulated for this job if you want.

If you have a small mold colony, you can also try a more natural cleaning approach to avoid the bleach. Straight vinegar or a mixture of tea tree oil and water (1 tsp to a cup of water) can also work to sanitize a surface and kill mold. It is not recommended for large patches though.

When mold has established itself on structural wood that can not be removed, you will have to clean it even though the porous texture is not ideal. You do not have much choice though. Use the same solution, just use a lot more of it so that it soaks in as deep as you can manage.

Removal

If cleaning just is not going to be suitable, then you do have to resort to pulling things apart to remove the mold contamination. This goes for paper, fabrics, upholstery, drywall and wood. Loose items should be removed and disposed of (wear gloves and a mask!). Everything should be tightly sealed in garbage bags immediately. Do not just pile everything in a corner and hope to get to it later. Spores will quickly spread once you start pulling things apart.

Patches of infected drywall should be cut away cleanly, and also disposed of carefully. After that, it is just a matter of doing a little work to replace the drywall.

Why Bother?

If it is tucked away behind an appliance or piece of basement furniture, why bother cleaning away mold? Even if it does not seem to be doing much harm, there are serious health risks involved with unchecked mold colonies.

Afterwards

Whether you have cleaned or removed the entire mold, you need to be diligent and prevent any reappearance. Damp conditions lead to mold, so improve ventilation where you can, fix water leaks and add a dehumidifier to help dry out the damp spots of your house. Do spot checks after your finished to make sure nothing is growing back. If more mold shows up, give it another cleaning immediately.