How To Remove Mold From Drywall
Removing mold from drywall can be tricky because if drywall gets too wet, it is ruined. In fact, its often easier to cut out the infected section of drywall and replace it, rather than trying to treat the mold directly. If the drywall feels soft, its beyond saving. However if you do want to clean the drywall without removing it, heres what to do.
Youll need:
Method:
Step 1: Brush the mold off the drywall using the scrubbing brush. Try to remove as much as possible without getting the wall wet.
Step 2: Make a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Spray it onto the area until it is damp, but not soaked.
Step 3: Wait 10 minutes then use a medium-bristled brush to clean the wall using circular motions. Dont scrub too hard or youll damage the drywall.
Step 4: Wipe down the wall using household disinfectant wipes.
Step 5: Allow the wall to dry. In high-humidity environments, set up a box fan directed toward the wall to dry it as quickly as possible.
If the drywall is stained when dry, use a primer or stain block before repainting. Consider a mold-resistant paint to provide extra protection, and reduce humidity in the room to stop mold from returning.
Pro Tip: Learn How To Remove Humidity from Your Furniture and Textiles for Proper Moisture Control
When To Call A Professional Mold Remediation Company To Get Rid Of Mold
When it comes to non-toxic mold in small areas on non-porous materials there is a fair chance you can remove the mold on your own using one of the products listed above. However, professional mold remediators are recommended when:
- Mold is in your HVAC systems or inside materials and places that are difficult to repair or replace
- The mold infected area is large
- You dont have the appropriate ools or sufficient knowledge to remove the mold on your own
- You are already experiencing mold exposure symptoms
- You prefer not to waste time or nerves on mold removal
Mold remediation specialists have a lot of experience and professional equipment that will completely remove mold. These professionals know what mistakes to avoid, what not to overlook, and how to permanently solve your mold problems.
Hard Surfaces Such As Tile Tubs And Grout
There are a variety of household products that can effectively clean mildew from hard surfaces, as long as you catch it in the early stages.
Chlorine bleach, distilled white vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide are all effective. Sodium bicarbonate and Borax also work.
Whichever you decide to use, soak the area with the product and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Then start scrubbing it off with a sponge.
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How Do I Detect Mold In My Basement
Some signs of mold are easy to spot and some can be more challenging. If you have noticed one or more of the following things in your basement, you should be strongly suspicious of a mold problem.
Discolored blotches on walls and porous materials
- A pervasive Earthy or Musty odor
- Family members coughing & sneezing
- Family members with persistent headaches
- Vulnerable family members having increased health problems
- Noticeable odors when the HVAC system turns onYou might also notice sensitive or vulnerable family members health symptoms going away when they are on vacation, only to have them reoccur shortly after returning home.
Proper Ventilation And Sunlight:
Open all the doors and windows to allow proper air circulation and sunlight to stream in. Sunlight is perhaps one of the best home remedy for getting rid of molds and mildews, it not only destroys molds but even prevents further fungal growth. Also fix the ventilation of the house, build ventilators in every room and get exhaust fans installed to protect your house from molds. Also install air filter and mold and mildew spore catching filters in your air conditioner to clean the air of any fungi or bacteria.
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Dangerous Mold Vs Mildew
The most common type of mold found in homes is mildew. Mildew is a surface mold that grows in warm, damp places like your bathroom and on fabrics and books stored in damp basements. Mildew begins as a gray or white powdery colony. It will turn black or brown if not removed promptly and often looks like soil accumulation. To test if the surface is covered with mildew or just dirt, dab the stain with a cotton swab dipped in household chlorine bleach. If the stain lightens or disappears after two or three minutes, it’s mildew. If not, it’s probably just dirt.
If you detect a musty odor anywhere in your home, then you have a high concentration of mold. It can be coming from a hamper filled with damp towels, from a damp crawlspace under your home, or carpets that have mold growing in the padding. If you smell that odor, it’s definitely time to take action to get rid of the problem.
All mildew is mold, but not all molds are mildew. Mildew can discolor and slowly harm surfaces but there are much more dangerous molds that can damage the structure of your home. If you see a black or green mold that is fuzzy or slimy and the drywall or wood underneath is soft or crumbly, there is irreversible rot, and the mold and the damaged surfaces must be removed immediately.
Mold Spores Do Not Equal New Mold Growth
One of the most intimidating facts you learn about mold is that its basically unstoppable. The spores are everywhere, and at all times there are small, microscopic fungal colonies starting up all over the place.
Its kind of like learning that bacteria are basically everywhere, and theres nothing you can do to truly sterilize your home, your body, or almost any surface.
The upside? Because mold is everywhere, its also not really anywhere. Just because there are spores in the air, landing on surfaces in your home, it doesnt mean that you have to worry about new mold growth popping up all over the place.
You just have to shift your mindset on what causes mold to spring up in your house. Its not necessarily contamination from an outside source. Its that youre providing the ideal environment for mold to grow.
And make no mistake: the conditions that mold needs are quite specific. Consider this study from Dannemiller, et al in the journal Indoor Air. They showed that fungi spores increased with an increase in relative humidity, starting at about the 80% level:
At around 50% relative humidity, the mold spore level was the same as the background tested before the experiment began. As you can see, then, if you are keeping humidity under control, then you wont give the mold a good chance to grow. It really does require some extraordinary moisture to get a mold colony growing!
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Some Precautionary Measures To Prevent Mold Growth
Mold and mildew is found both indoors and outdoors, from the doors, walls, ceiling, cupboards, to the backyard and garden shedit is everywhere! You can adopt these preventive measures to reduce mold growth:
- Open the doors and windows, let the sunlight stream in
- Cover your nose and mouth properly before you begin the cleaning spree.
- Fix the leaking roofs, windows and pipes to prevent mold on walls
- Fix the ventilation issues, add exhaust fans and ventilators in bathroom and kitchen
- Clean the corners thoroughly, especially after floods
- Take steps to control the humidity levels, keep the house warm and dry,
How To Get Rid Of Mold In Walls
If the wall is made from a non-porous surface, such as finished wood or stone, it must be thoroughly dried. A dehumidifier, proper ventilation or a wet vacuum can be used. Then, a damp wipe down of the area should remove most of the mold. Cleaning products designed for mold removal are helpful, however it is not necessary to bleach moldy areas or use other biocides. If the wall is made from a porous material such as gypsum drywall, wallpaper or unfinished wood, it is not possible to remove all of the mold from the tiny nooks and holes in the wall. The affected section of the wall must be cut out and replaced. This can be very expensive. However, the mold will almost certainly come back otherwise.
Finish the mold removal by using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. A non-HEPA vacuum may not contain the mold spores and can actually spread them into the air. Vacuum the entire area and surrounding areas, even if no mold is visible.
Do not just paint or caulk over mold without removing it. According to the EPA, this will cause the paint to flake and peel, and when the paint comes off, you will still have mold on the wall.
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Wipe Down Your Bathroom After A Shower
After showering, youll have water on the tiles and shower curtain. Its important to remove this water as quickly as possible, rather than simply leaving it to drip and dry on its own.
A simple squeegee lets you remove water spots from tiles and shower doors, as well as from windows and mirrors. As well as helping to prevent mold growth in your bathroom, itll help keep your bathroom looking shiny and cleanas you wont have water spots and smears.
Encourage family members or roommates to get into the habit of wiping down tiles and other surfaces after showering, too.
To get rid of mold spores in the air, you need to get rid of the source of the moldyou cant simply treat the air itself. By ensuring that your home is kept dry and that mold is cleaned up quickly, youll soon see a huge improvement in the air quality inside your home.
Article Sources
Healing Daily uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Using Tea Tree Oil To Kill Mold
Tea tree oil is the most effective natural solution to killing mold. While it is a more expensive option, a small amount of tea tree oil goes a long way in removing mold. It is an antifungal that is capable of killing all types of mold. Make sure the tea tree oil you purchase to remove mold is derived from the Melaleuca Alternifolia.
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Look Out For These Symptoms
You must be familiar with the damp, rusty smell and dirty green and black patches usually associated with fungal growth. Not only is this mold ugly and pesky to look at, it poses serious health threats as well. Mentioned below are some signs to know whether your house is infected by mold and mildew:
- A damp musty smell would be present all over the house
- Brown, green or black patches of fungi in the corners, walls etc.
- White and mouldy fungi accumulation on books, clothes, cardboard, and wooden furniture
- It even causes allergies, sneezing and irritation
A Basement In Frequent Use:
Living in a basement apartment is great, but they can sometimes be vulnerable to mold. Maybe you dont live in your basement, but youve converted the space into a playroom for the kids. One thing to remember is that any furniture, play-things or other items could easily become damp and moldy particularly if theyre next to walls.
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How To Effective Remove Mold In Your Home Or Business
There are several products that can be utilized to kill and remove mold. Some effective products that kill mold are:
- Bleach
- Tea tree oil
- Grapefruit seed extract
While these types of products can be effective in killing mold, they are only efficient when you recognize the first signs of mold growth and manage to prevent its development. In addition to eliminating the mold you see, you must also eliminate the source of the moisture that allowed its appearance in the first place. For many people, while doing it yourself may be an option to remove the mold it is often done incompletely providing only a temporary solution to your mold problem.
It is always best to hire a professional mold remediation company when you see mold but, if the mold in your home is not toxic and the area of mold growth is small then you can try to perform the mold remediation on your own.
Best Products For Killing Mold
You might first reach for a bleach-based cleaning solution. Though while bleach will certainly kill surface mold, it works too quickly to kill the deep-down microscopic roots of an active mold colony. To truly kill the mold growing on a porous surface like wood, you need an oxygen-based cleaning solution or a solution that uses a volatile form of oxygen like hydrogen peroxide.
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How To Remove Mold From Wood
In areas like the kitchen, where there’s higher humidity from cooking or running the dishwasher, you may find mold on your wood cabinets if there is poor ventilation. Mold can also grow on wood furniture and paneling if it’s humid and the air circulation is low. To remove mold from wood cabinets, paneling, or furniture, follow the steps below:
- Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter , vacuum the loose spores with the soft brush attachment.
- Then, mix a few drops of dish detergent, like Dawn Platinum, with a gallon of water and use a rag to apply the solution. Wet the surface to remove the mold but do not saturate it.
- Follow-up with a cloth dipped in clear water, wring it out well, and wipe the surface dry. Don’t let the wood stay wet for too long as it could damage the finish.
Do Most Homes Have Mold
Every house, every environment has mold spores. It becomes an issue when the concentration of mold spores in a home is greater than what is found outside. The temperature in most houses is almost always ideal for mold growth. Mold feeds on dust or dirt, which is nearly impossible to eradicate from a home.
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How To Get Rid Of Mold Spores In Your Lungs
If youve only begun to notice the mold growth in your house, then its possible most of the spores have already made their way into your airways!
That sounds like danger, but worry not.
Just like how you evicted those pesky particles from your home, there are a number of things you could do to generally cleanse your lungs.
How To Get Rid Of Mold In Your Home For A Healthier Environment And Better Indoor Air Quality
Mold looks bad and is a potential source of health problems. How can you tackle it in your home and make it a healthier place?
Nobody likes encountering the black stuff that builds up between tiles, dark stains on floors and ceilings, or nasty orange growths around taps or plug-holes. These are the tell-tale signs that your home has indoor mold.
Build-ups of this kind look unsightly, and they can also be a threat to your familys health, particularly if members of your household suffer from asthma or allergies.
But what exactly is mold, what problems can it cause and, most importantly, how can you tackle it and prevent it from returning to your home? We detail some of the key facts about mold removal and mold remediation below, as well at taking a closer look at mold in your home and health.
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An Air Purifier Can Remove Mold Spores But Dont Rely On This Alone
Theres always the possibility that the humidity was allowed to get out of control for a little while, and mold is able to take hold. What do you do about all those spores that get into the dust and in the air?
Your first, best step is going to be to get moisture in the air under control. If there is no good foundation for the mold to grow, then it shouldnt grow. And that can help starve it out and keep it from ever being a problem again.
However, if youre paranoid about the mold spores, or if you or a loved one are particularly sensitive to these allergens, then it may be time to invest in an air purifier with a HEPA filter. These are going to be extremely effective at capturing the mold spores and other microbes out of the air.
Of course, once captured, its unclear what happens to those microbes. Will the mold grow on the HEPA filter? Its not quite clear. However, pilot studies in buildings like daycare centers, where its difficult to regulate humidity, show that combining HEPA filtration and dehumidification can control mold growth.
Now, if you want to pretty much guarantee that youre killing mold and other microbes, then youre going to need something heavier than just HEPA filtration. Recently, photocatalytic purifiers have become popular in the marketplace .
