How To Clean Mold Off Concrete
This article was co-authored by Mike Kapur. Mike Kapur is a home inspector and the owner of Sonic Home Inspections, a home inspection company in Westchester, New York. With over 15 years of experience in pre-inspecting properties, Mike specializes in mold, radon, asbestos, lead, water, and air quality testing as well as hazardous materials, pest, infrared, and general home inspections. Prior to founding Sonic Home Inspections, Mike worked pre-inspecting apartments. Mike holds a BS in Accounting from Queens College and is a Certified Mold Assessor in the state of New York.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 68,454 times.
Choose from several cleaning agents to remove mold from concrete. Spot test a small area with your chosen cleaning agent to make sure no damage occurs. Youll need to wear protective gear and scrub the moldy areas vigorously. Rinse exterior concrete afterwards with a power washer. Interior concrete can be wiped dry. Merely killing mold wont prevent it from returning, so make sure to address the water source that is causing the mold.
Does Vinegar Kill Mold On Concrete
Yes, it does. You can use vinegar to kill mold because it is acidic. White vinegar is recommended for killing mold because scientific studies have shown that it can eliminate up to 82 % of mold spores. It is also advantageous to use vinegar because it is known to have disinfecting properties that will kill the viruses or bacteria on surfaces. You can use vinegar to do away with mold on hard nonporous and porous surfaces since it can seep into surfaces. When dealing with vinegar, be sure to use personal protective gear to prevent it from getting into contact with your body because it irritates. Use a liquid sprayer for a smoother application on the affected area and dry it before cleaning it.
My House Was Flooded From A Broken Water Pipe Resulting From A Freeze Is The White Snow Like Substance On Concrete Mold Or The Beginning Of Mold And I’ve Been Putting Rubber Mats On The Floor So That I Don’t Have To Walk On The Huge Amounts Of Dust From Replacing Drywall Please Tell Me How I Should Be Handling This Situation Ive Also Been Rnning Fans Thinking I Was Drying Out The Surface Of Concrete But I Turned Off The Fans After Reading The Fema Pamphlet
White growth on concrete is nearly always efflorescence, not mold growth. You can verify this by spraying a bit of water on the suspected growth. If its efflorescence, it will disappear as the crystals are dissolved by the water. If its mold, it will flatten, but remain visible.
I recommend removing the rubber mats for now. The impervious nature of the mats will prevent the concrete from releasing the moisture. After a week or so, put a couple of mats back down. Peel them back a few days later and look for signs of moisture on the underside of the rubber. If you see moisture, pull them off and allow the concrete more time to dry.
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How To Remove Mold On Concrete
The answer to this question is straightforward. It would be best if you did not touch mold growing in your home by yourself. It needs to be remediated by a professional, who are appropriately trained and certified to inspect and remediate any mold in your home.
To properly remove mold, you need to have a full containment created so that the spores do not travel to other home areas. Furthermore, it would be best if you had complete personal protective equipment as well. Failure to do either of these will compromise the health of your home, as well as yourself.
Leave it to the professionals at Mold Busters, and feel safe that your home is in the right hands to diagnose and remediate the mold growing in your home.
How To Get Rid Of Mold On Concrete Basement Walls And Floor
When mold is found in the interior of a home, its a much bigger deal because of the serious health hazards of black mold. For more extensive interior mold problems, it may be best to hire a professional mold mitigation service for removal.
If thats not in the budget or youve discovered the problem while its still relatively small, you can do it yourself.
Begin by protecting yourself. Because mold can affect the respiratory system, its best to use a high-quality respirator to block out mold spores. Also, use rubber gloves and goggles for eye protection.
Create either a bleach solution or a solution of detergent and water. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests the latter as detergent can better penetrate concretes porous surface than bleach.
For thorough cleaning, use trisodium phosphate, an industrial-grade detergent that will kill mold and remove grease and grime. Apply the cleaner with a brush and scrub thoroughly to remove the mold and engage the roots. Wipe clean.
Once clean, use a bleach or vinegar solution and allow the solution to dry on the wall or floor. This will serve as a preventative to keep the mold from returning.
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Spray Basement Walls With Cleaning Solution
Pour your solution of choice into a spray bottle. To remove mold from basement, heavily spritz the surface with the solution. Be sure to let the solution soak in for a while before scrubbing to help get rid of mold youll want to ensure all spores are killed off before taking a bristle brush to the concrete wall. After waiting for about 30 minutes, scrub vigorously with the scrub brush.
Removing Mold From Cinder Block Walls With Borax
Borax is a trustworthy and effective cleaner thats well-known for its cleansing and deodorizing properties. Since Borax inhibits mold growth, its an excellent cleaning solution for removing mold from cinder block walls and other large areas. You dont even need to clean it off when youre finished.
- Scrub brush or bristle brush
Before you use one of our ways to clean cement of mold or mildew, vacuum all your moldy surfaces with a HEPA-certified vacuum minimize the number of spores that end up airborne. Mix the Borax and water in a bucket to create your cleaning solution.
Scrub any moldy surfaces thoroughly and remove visible mold particles. Let the Borax solution sit on the surface for a little while if you dont wash it off, it will inhibit future mold growth. Use this solution to stop moss from growing on bricks outside, too.
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How To Remove Mold From A Concrete Patio
- Written by Cameron Sherber on Jun 29, 2010To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by
If your concrete patio has recently fallen victim to mold, it is important to take steps to get rid of it. Mold growth is unsanitary and it destroys the look of an otherwise beautiful patio. Follow the few simple steps below to quickly get yours mold-free.
Step 1 – Clean First
You will need to give your patio a thorough cleaning before proceeding to remove the mold. Begin by using a vacuum cleaner to remove any caked-on dust deposits, making sure to use a mini vac or feather duster to remove any from crevices or difficult-to-reach areas. You can also use a wet/dry vac in lieu of a vacuum cleaner, as these devices typically work well with concrete surfaces.
Once the dust has been purged from your patio, produce a homemade cleaning solution of mild liquid soap and warm water. Apply it and allow it to set in for several minutes before you give the patio a vigorous scrubbing with a hard-bristled scrub brush. Should you encounter any exceptionally stubborn stains, try using a wire brush instead. Follow up the cleaning by using a garden hose to rinse away any remaining traces of your homemade solution.
Step 2 – Apply Your Bleach Solution
Step 3 – Apply Your Finishing Touches
How To Get Rid Of Mold On Concrete Block Walls
According to the 2021 Old Farmers Almanac, this winter is going to be warmer and wetter than usual. Perhaps thats what brought you here today. Is your basement collecting more moisture this winter? Have you noticed a musty smell or discoloration on your basement walls? If so, then the most-likely culprit is mold. Its time to figure out how to get rid of mold on concrete block wallsand fast!
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How To Clean Mold On Outdoor Concrete
Cleaning and disinfecting mold-covered concrete is a fairly simple process and there are a few ways to do it. Cleaning outdoor concrete is the simplest because you can use a garden hose to finish the job. Create a cleaning solutions and pour it on the surface. Scrub and clean in a circular motion to clean like an expert. Spray down to finish the job. Voilà, all mold removed. Follow our detailed 4 steps removal guide below for the best result and lasting effect.
- Step 1: Create a cleaning solutionTo begin youll need to create a cleaning solution thats effective at black mold removal. Use a bucket to mix one-half cup of bleach diluted with one gallon on water. This amount of solution can treat an area about five square feet. If you need to clean a larger area simply double the solution.
- Step 2: Pour and waitSimply pour the bleach solution onto the entire affected area and allow it to set for about fifteen minutes. This gives the bleach time to kill the black mould completely.
- Step 3: Tedious for the bestNow make a more concentrated solution with one cup of bleach with one gallon of water. Use a wire scrub brush to scrub the concrete in a circular motion. Although a bit tedious, this will make sure the mildew is completely removed from the surface of the concrete.
- Step 4: Spray down to finish the jobFrom here you simply use a hose to spray down the affected area, removing the cleaning solution from the surface.
How To Clean Patios And Outdoor Surfaces
- Working Time: 2 – 4 hrs
If you have greenish-black stuff on your concrete patio, it’s probably mold, mildew, or moss. Damp or moist conditions from rain or humidity can encourage mold and mildew to grow in those nooks and cracks of concrete pavers or bricks. It’s important to find a sure way to remove it that won’t destroy nearby landscaping and harm the environment with a blast of harsh chemicals. This method uses natural, super-versatile ingredients in most homes, such as vinegar and Borax. These cleaners should be able to tackle most cases of mold or mildew.
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Is Bleach Baking Soda Or Vinegar Better To Kill Mold On A Wall
Lets look at each individually.
Bleach
Most homeowners believe that using bleach on walls, will kill mold and solve their problem.
But thats far from the truth.
Even the EPA recommends against using bleach for routine removal of mold from walls and other porous surfaces.
Bleach can remove mold found on hard plastic, metal, and another non-porous surface.
But you should always be cautious when using bleach or other biocides because they can be worse than the mold itself.
Using bleach on walls is ineffective.
This is because the chemical makeup of bleach prevents it from penetrating below the surface of the wall where the roots of the molds are located.
When you apply bleach directly to mold on a wall, it may kill the spores and growth on the surface.
However, it will have little to no effect on killing the root system growing below the surface of the wall.
Spraying bleach on a wall with mold will be like watering your grass.
Remember this, whenever you see mold growing on an item, the roots have already been established deep below the surface of the material.
I can tell you first hand what will happen when you try to use bleach to clean mold from the surface of a wall- a porous material.
What happens?
It comes right back every time if you dont fix the problem in the first place.
So, to sum it all up Dont try to use bleach to clean mold from your walls.
Vinegar
There is some good science behind this claim.
The key is the contact time and using a little elbow grease.
Tools And Protective Gear
Black mold removal requires a few household tools and some more advanced protective gear. Youll need a bucket, bleach, disposable rags, rubber gloves, heavy-duty garbage bags to dispose of contaminated material, and a wire scrub brush. Its also necessary to use good protective gear. For black mold, an N-95 respirator is the minimum advised. Youll also need goggles to protect your eyes from spores in the air.
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S To Clean Mold On Basement Walls
When it comes to cleaning mold on basement walls, scrubbing with detergent and water is the first step. Vacuum or sweep down the walls to remove as much dry material as possible. After that, washing down the walls with soap and water will help remove most of the remaining dust and dirt that has accumulated. Many so-called experts will tell you that a bleach and water solution will work. The thing is, we want to remove the mold, not just kill it. Remember, extreme caution must be taken when using chlorine bleach in an enclosed, poorly ventilated area. The fumes from bleach can easily overwhelm if you dont take the proper measures to protect yourself. Opening windows and wearing a respirator is highly recommended.
Because of the chemical nature of bleach, it is hard to work it into the concretes pores. In addition, bleach manufacturers only recommend using bleach on non-porous surfaces. Rub your hand over a concrete wall. It is definitely porous. Also bleach can be corrosive and can cause further damage. Yet another reason to avoid using chlorine bleach is that when bleach comes into contact with organic materials, the organics tend to render the disinfectant qualities of the bleach ineffective. Bleach always works best on clean, non-porous surfaces.
Our Basement Cellar Has A Substance Growing On It Is This Mold
Yes, this looks like mold growth. It is quite common for cellars to suffer from mold growth. This is due to the cool temperatures and high humidity. Regularly cleaning the concrete can help . Also, painting the concrete with semi-gloss, mold resistant paint will make it easier to clean. Depending on your climate, a long term solution might involve a dehumidifier or increased ventilation.
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Signs Of Mold On Concrete
To know if you have mold growth on your concrete, you can first see what the growth looks like. Sometimes, a reaction with water and concrete creates the mineral growth called efflorescence. This can look like a white mold type growth coming out of your concrete structures.
If you see any growth happening on your concrete, contact Mold Busters to have a professional inspector visit your location and test the affected area to see if you have mold or not.
If the growth is brown, green, or black, the chances are that it is some mold colony growing on your concrete surfaces. At this point, you should not touch the affected area as mold spores are highly transportable via air currents. If you even walk by a mold colony, you could spread it to other areas of your home.
My Basement Wall Has Developed This In Recent Months This Is A Shared Wall Of A Twin Home But This Part Of The Wall Extends Past The Neighbor’s House And I Believe There Is Water Sitting On The Side Of The House Is This Mold
This is likely a combination of mold and efflorescence. Efflorescence occurs when moisture migrates through the concrete, picking up minerals along the way. Once the moisture reaches the surface, the water evaporates, leaving behind the mineral deposits. Because this is a product of water movement, often a small amount of mold growth is present as well. If the concrete wall is unfinished/uncovered, it will typically dry out on its own. However, youll need to fix the issue if you plan on finishing out this wall with framing, insulation, etc. The wall will inhibit dry out and lead to mold and rot damage to the framing.
Preventing moisture migration through a concrete foundation wall is accomplished by a combination of the following. 1.) redirecting downspouts away from the home. 2.) Installing a waterproof membrane on the interior side of the foundation wall. 3.) Installing an interior footing drain and sump pump at the base of the foundation wall.
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S To Remove The Mold:
