Mold is becoming an increasingly big problem in many of our homes. Not all mold is actually dangerous to our health, but as it is hard to know exactly what kind of mold is in your house, it is important to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Getting rid of mold is not as simple as just scrubbing it off, because this just releases the spores into the air. There are certain steps that you need to take. In this article we will explain what you need to do to get rid of mold whenever it appears.
1. Find Out What Kind of Mold You Have
The first thing you need to do is identify exactly what kind of mold you have and how bad the situation is. It is possible for you to deal with relatively small amounts of mold yourself, but for bigger areas of mold, the best course of action is to call in a professional mold cleaning company. Mold testing is a professional procedure that is done to identify what kind of mold you have and you can find more info about its benefits here. The expert mold company conducts a series of tests such as swab tests and air tests in order to accurately assess the situation. As different kinds of mold require different courses of treatment, identification through mold testing is absolutely key.
2. Stop the Area From Getting Moist
Mold is only able to grow in moist environments so you have to clean the affected area in order to permanently eradicate mold growth. Certain areas in your house like your basement are more humid and can be particularly difficult to dry out. Ventilation is one way to dehumidify a room that is affected by mold, but only if the air outside is not also humid. Make sure that when you are ventilating your basement, the air outside is cool and dry.
3. Remove Badly Affected Materials
Whilst there are some materials that lend themselves to treatment but there are many instances where it is far better to just replace large areas of wall, carpet, plasterboard, or ceiling tiles. It is very important to wear the correct personal protective equipment when doing any kind of mold removal. Make sure that your respirator is professionally approved to stop you from breathing in any harmful spores.
4. Dry Out the Surfaces
The only way to stop mold from growing is to thoroughly dry out affected areas. There are various tools available to you in order to achieve this but the most important factors are air circulation, heat and effectively dehumidifying the room. Make sure you keep careful track of humidity levels using a hygrometer.
5. Kill the Mold and Stop it Coming Back
Many people believe that using simple household bleach is the best way to eradicate mold but this is a common misconception. Whilst bleach does indeed kill mold on certain hard surfaces, it is ineffective on porous surfaces. Mold spreads its roots into porous surfaces and once these roots are established, bleaching the surface will only kill the visible mold as the bleach will be unable to reach the mold inside. Fortunately there are many new technologies that are far more effective than bleach for eradicating mold and discouraging it from coming back even if the surface becomes moist again sometimes.
6. Get Rid of Stains
Where bleach is useful in the mold treatment process is that it is excellent for removing stains that have been left by the mold. Even though these stains do not pose any health problems and cannot grow back again into the living mold, they can still look very unattractive. Be careful when using bleach as whilst it will bleach the stains, it can also damage surrounding paintwork and wallpaper.
7. Stop the Mold from Coming Back
If you follow the first six steps, you will be able to eradicate even the most serious mold problems in your home. To stop mold from coming back however, it is so important to take the right preventative measures. It is all about maintaining humidity levels and being proactive about ventilation. Always be aware of any sources of water leaks like broken pipes or guttering, and check-in hard to spot places regularly.
Mold can cause a great many problems to our home and to our health. It is so important to take the right measures when dealing with mold or you can end up exacerbating the problem. If your home’s mold problem has got out of control, the best course of action is often to call in the professionals. Make sure that whoever is in charge of the situation follows this easy guide, and you can get rid of the mold in your home forever.