Have you spotted some signs of mold growth in your home? Did you know mold can affect the health of you and your family? Are you wondering how to remove mold and get your home back to being spot-free?
Here, you can learn everything you need to know about mold removal. These mold removal tips will also help you prevent future mold growth, so you can keep your home clean as a whistle.
Mold Is Hazardous to Your Health
You might think mold isn’t a big problem. It’s common enough that people get used to it and don’t take it seriously. However, you should never underestimate the dangers of mold growth, especially in your home.
Mold thrives in damp indoor environments, but it can also grow inside walls and under floorboards. If you smell something musty but can’t target where it’s coming from, the culprit may be hidden mold. If left unchecked, mold can spread quickly and release mold spores into the air.
The real danger exists in these spores. The spores are a form of air pollutants that can cause a variety of respiratory issues. These issues can include everything from trouble breathing to stuffy noses and wheezing.
If you have asthma or bad allergies, mold can magnify reactions. You may also experience red or itchy eyes and skin if exposed to moldy environments. For these reasons, you don’t want to live with mold in your home, especially if you or your family have respiratory issues.
Aside from health-related issues, mold can also affect the structural integrity of your home. If allowed to grow on wood surfaces, it can rot the wood and put your home at risk of some serious damage. If you ever catch sight of mold, you should do something about it as soon as possible.
How to Get Rid of Mold on Your Own
For small areas, removing mold on your own is doable without too much effort. Wet surfaces attract mold, so if you have a particularly damp area in your home, look for green, yellow, brown, or white specks of mold growth. Before you start cleaning it, make sure you ventilate the area.
Open windows, turn on a fan, and put on a mask to avoid breathing in any harmful pollutants. Soak up any wetness with a towel, and make sure the area is completely dry. You should also wear a pair of gloves and eyewear before you start the removal.
Once you’re ready, you can use a basic solution of soap and water to clean away mold. If you want something heavy-duty, you can use bleach, but soap and water or any type of commercial cleaner should do the job well enough. Never mix any cleaners together.
Then, you can use a brush and start scrubbing away at the mold with the cleaner applied. Don’t let the cleaning solution sit for too long. Dry it up as soon as the mold has loosened.
If you’re worried about staining, you can reapply the cleaning solution after the area has dried. The most important thing is to get the mold gone first.
To remove black mold, you can use the same process. If you’re worried, you can apply a disinfectant after the mold has been scrubbed away.
Hire a Professional Mold Removal Service
Cleaning up mold on your own is simple enough for a small area, but you may need professional mold removal services for larger areas. You may also want to turn to a professional cleaning service if you find mold growing in carpeting. Professionals know how to eliminate mold quickly and easily, and you won’t have to worry about any of the risks of cleaning it yourself.
A professional service will offer you a remediation plan. This plan lays out everything the team will do to remove mold, customized to your exact needs. They may also use air scrubbers to remove mold spores from the air, so you won’t have to worry about any lingering spores after removal.
That said, you should take the time to find the right professional service for you. Look for a licensed team and ask about the extent of their services to understand what they’ll do. Mold can take a long time to remove, so you want a good partner on your side.
How to Prevent Mold Growth
Once you remove mold from your home, you have to stay proactive to keep it from coming back. To do so, you’ll need to monitor the humidity levels within your home. You should also dry any damp or wet areas as soon as you find them.
For help, you should invest in a dehumidifier if you don’t own one. Place the dehumidifier in especially damp areas to help absorb moisture. Doing so will keep the moisture from becoming a breeding ground for mold.
If you need extra help, set up a few fans to get rid of wet areas. Watch out for leaks and spills, and clean or mop them up as soon as possible. You may also want to buy an air purifier and put it in areas where mold has grown recently.
If you notice mold growing, don’t let it sit. Once it starts growing, it can prove difficult to stop it from spreading. Apply the previously mentioned cleaning tips to get rid of mold, and keep the area spotless.
If you follow these tips, you’ll find yourself well on the way to a home free from mold in no time.
Eliminating Mold Is Key to Having a Happy, Healthy Home
With these mold removal tips, you can do your best to eradicate mold and keep it out of the home for good. If you get professional help, they can field any questions you may have and provide additional advice to prevent future mold growth.
Once you’re clear, you can stop worrying about the harmful effects of mold on you and your family and start focusing on enjoying your home life.
Looking for more tips and tricks about taking care of your home? Check out some of our other posts.
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