Remove and Control Mold in Your Homes

This informative article discusses how to remove and control mold formation in your homes.  These are tips and techniques we have collated for your easy reference.  The tips and techniques presented in this article will help you clean up your mold problem.  However, professional cleaners or remediates may use several industrial methods that are not thoroughly covered in this article.

For instance, please note that mold may cause staining and cosmetic damage. In this case, it may not be possible to clean an item to restore its original appearance. Other such cases include mold growing on the underside of a plastic lawn chair in an area where rainwater drips through and deposits organic material. Such other cases like mold growing on a piece of a ceiling tile. But nonetheless, it can be cleaned and removed.

The important tips and techniques in controlling and removing mold growth:

• If water plumbing leaks are causing mold formation, fix plumbing leaks and other water problems as soon as possible. Then dry all wet items completely.

• Remove mold in contaminated areas by scrubbing with a brush the mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely. If mold has sat on leaks on your surfaces, use muriatic acid to remove them. Be careful with the acid, it might hurt you skin too.

• Porous and absorbent materials, such as carpet and ceiling tiles, will have to be disposed and replaced with new items if they become moldy. It is mold’s nature to grow on and fill the crevices and empty spaces of porous and absorbent materials, making it difficult and even impossible to totally remove them completely. Make sure your home is mold free.

• While cleaning your mold infected area, avoid being exposed or others to mold infection. (See discussions: What to Wear When Cleaning Moldy Areas and Hidden Mold).

• Do not paint, caulk or fill in cracks or gaps of moldy surfaces. Clean up the mold first using muriatic acid if necessary and then dry the surfaces before applying paint. However, paint that is applied over moldy surfaces is only more likely to peel off.

• Now, when a mold contaminated item is expensive or has some sentimental value to you and your family, you may consult a specialist to restore its original state. There are several specialists in furniture restoration, painting and repair, and specialist for art restoration and conservation, specialist in carpet and rug cleaning, specialist in water damage correction, and fire or water restoration listed in phone books or even on the internet. It would be best to ask for references. Choose specialists who are affiliated with professional organizations.

• Bathroom tips: For places that are always damp and often wet can be hard to maintain completely mold free. If mold in the shower or elsewhere in the bathroom continue to reappear, simply increase the room’s ventilation (adding a fan or opening a window).  Clean more frequently to remove and control mold from recurring and maintain a cleaner environment in your home.