You’ve gone on vacation for a while and when you come back home you are confronted with something you didn’t expect to see. You’ve got mold all over the place.
It doesn’t take a lot of moisture to allow mold to take hold. But, when it does, it can spread faster than you realize.
Most of the time it is just unsightly but doesn’t pose a health risk. Others are more serious and can cause respiratory illnesses. Most of the time it’s just mildew that needs to be cleaned off and nothing to worry about.
If it smells really musty in your house, then that is a sure sign it is mold.
Read on to find out what you need to do to get rid of it.
Hire a professional
Before you go out and get some disinfectant and rubber gloves, take stock of the amount of mold you have. You may need Fire, Mold, Smoke & Water Restoration professionals.
Many people assume that there needs to be a fire or a natural disaster to call in a team, but really even smaller jobs are best suited to the pros.
They have the right chemicals, tools and expertise to get it under control efficiently. Then, they have the means to dispose of it safely whereas you may need to take some extra steps to dispose of the materials you’ve used to clean it with.
What chemicals clean mold?
If you plan to tackle the problem yourself, then get yourself some good rubber gloves. You’ll need to scrub down the area with some chemicals.
Chlorine bleach is very effective at getting rid of mold. It will remove the mold and any discoloration it made to the surface it infected. However, you do have to be careful that the bleach doesn’t discolor it permanently. Be cautious about where you use the bleach.
Hydrogen peroxide can also be used. Some people may prefer it to bleach as it is less harsh and doesn’t discolor the surface as much as bleach. Though it can remove paint and some other colors so you’ll need to be cautious here as well. Just keep in mind that it works slower than bleach.
If you don’t like using harsh chemicals or have an allergy then try using distilled white vinegar. It does smell but it isn’t dangerous to use. It will remove the mold effectively, but if the mold has discolored the wall or surface, the vinegar may not remove the stain.
Baking soda and borax are other products that gently remove the mold. They are very effective though even though they do require more elbow grease to get rid of it. Another benefit from using baking soda is it leaves a high pH in the area and actually helps keep mold from coming back.
One word of advice is to never mix ammonia and bleach together to clean anything. You are creating an incredibly dangerous chemical that can send you to the hospital.
