Can I Just Get Into The Wall And Use Bleach To Clean It
It may be tempting to get into the wall and spray everything with bleach by yourself. However, if you have never done this before, it is better to call someone licensed to deal with mold. This is especially true if you have never gone into the wall and dont know how to detect how extensive the mold damage is. Leaving the eradication of mold to professionals will save not only your health but also your sanity. A professional team will have all the protective gear, detection tools and methods necessary to get rid of all the mold in your home.
Preventing Mold In Your Home
The best way to keep your family safe from black mold is to prevent it from growing. Since mold grows in damp, dark places, you should aim to improve ventilation and reduce humidity in areas that are prone to mold.
In your bathrooms, for example, you can use a shower squeegee to remove excess water from shower walls and bathroom mirrors. You can also install a vent fan or open a window when showering to allow humidity to leave the room. These steps help reduce the moisture in your bathroom and make it more difficult for black mold to grow.
Make searching for black mold or potential growth areas a part of your spring cleaning routine. The sooner you catch a mold growth, the better chance you have to get rid of it before it causes health problems.
| Get an Auto Quote |
|---|
Mold Growth On Shower Surround / Tile
Showers can fail in 3 ways: supply line, vapor drive or a failure of the shower surround. Supply line issues are relatively uncommon, because they are noticed before major damage can occur. They tend to cause major, catastrophic leaks or none at all. Drain line leaks are slow enough to avoid detection, but substantial enough to cause rot and mold growth.
This is compounded by the fact shower surrounds are made of durable materials such as tile and fiberglass. Quite a bit of damage can lurk behind the tile before youll see an outward indication.
Nearly every home will experience mold & mildew in the shower at some point. Thankfully, mold growth on the bathroom shower tiles does not typically indicate a major health or structural problem. Weve conducted many air quality tests within bathrooms suffering from shower tile mold and never found an effect on the IAQ. Prevention, of course, is the best remedy. Weve found 3 methods that dramatically reduce mold growth on shower tiles. Squeegee after each shower use, run the bath fan for 1 hour and properly seal the grout.
You May Like: How To Clean Mold From Boat Seats
Removing Mold In The Kitchen
Spotted mold in your kitchen? Scrub any hard surfaces with one of the solutions mentioned above, taking care to thoroughly rinse any food prep areas after. You may need to replace porous surfaces, such as wooden cabinets, that are contaminated.
To prevent mold and practice adequate kitchen maintenance, open your windows to improve ventilation and run the hood vent when cooking and cleaning. Wipe water from hard surfaces, and fix leaky faucets as soon as possible. Always make sure your tableware and serving dishes are dry before storing them to keep mold from proliferating in cabinets. Scrub mold from surfaces as soon as it appears, then be sure to dry the area to prevent it from spreading.
What To Do If You Find Black Mold In Your Home
Experts weigh-in on removal and safety tips.
Mold isn’t always a bad thingbut it’s still not an organism you want growing unchecked in your home. “Some molds are very benign,” says Leslie Andersen, vice president of training and launch at restoration company Paul Davis. “And some are really good: Think about bleu cheese, or penicillin, or mushrooms, or beerall of those have molds in them.” But if you find a musty smell in your basement or see a patch of fungal growth in a water-prone area of your home, that indicates a mold you’ll want to removeespecially if it’s hazardous black mold.
“When people use the term black mold, they’re often identifying a type of mold called stachybotrys,” says Andersen. While many types of mold grow in circular patterns and boast a shiny finish, black mold differs in a few key ways: It grows in a patchier shape and has a much lighter tone. “It’s a dull, kind of chalky mold, reminiscent of if you looked inside your fireplacethat kind of a sooty look,” says Andersen. When disturbed, it releases mycotoxins which can cause irritation in the nose, eyes, and lungs. “People wipe it or they touch it, and they start sneezing, they cough, they get runny eyesit’s because the mold spores are off-gassing to make you stop bothering it,” Andersen says. “What makes it more dangerous to humans is how it affects our respiratory system. We breathe it in, it goes into our lungs, and folks get very, very serious lung conditions from that type of mold spore.”
Read Also: How To Stop Mold From Growing On Wood
Mold Growth On The Wall Behind The Toilet
The same interactions that cause moisture and mold growth on toilets can also lead to mold growth on the adjacent wall. Typically this occurs when the cold surface temperature of the toilet cools the temperature of the wall directly behind the toilet. Once the wall temperature drops below the dew point, moisture condenses and mold growth ensues.
Cleanup?
Not easy. If mold growth occurs on the wall, it is because the distance between the wall and the toilet is very small. Often the distance is less than 1, leaving little room to insert a scrub brush, rag or other cleaning utensil. A tooth brush can work well, but as one can imagine, the work is tedious. In cases with severe mold, the toilet must be removed to provide access.
Five Most Common Causes Of Growth
Don’t Miss: What To Do If You Find Mold In Your Bathroom
Other Places In The Kitchen
Wooden cutting boards, trash cans, behind the stove and windows and window sills in the kitchen are like heaven for mold spores. They feed off of these places, so keeping them clean and dry is critical for keeping mold at bay.
To keep your kitchen mold free, be sure to:
- Ventilate when cooking and doing dishes by opening a window, using a fan, or both
- Wash the dishes every day, so they dont pile up in the sink
- Clean and dry the stove top, microwave, counters, cabinets, and window sills regularly
- Clean out the inside of your fridge and your fridge drip tray often
- Take the trash out every day
Can I Remove Black Mold Myself
If the black mold growth in your home is small enough for you to treat alone, a simple mixture of bleach and water can help. Add one cup of bleach to one gallon of water and apply it to the moldy spots. Apply the cleaner to the mold spot and scrub away the growth. Be sure to dry the area thoroughly when youre done.
Recommended Reading: How To Kill Mold In My Basement
Most Common Places To Check For Mold In Your Home
If you have allergies or a chronic lung disease like asthma, youre probably very aware of the effect mold can have on your health. But even if you have a healthy immune system and no allergies, mold can cause a variety of health problems coughing, wheezing, and throat, skin, and eye irritation, to name a few. Mold is everywhere and, though you cant fully control your exposure to it outdoors or in public spaces, you can check for mold in common places around your home and take measures to prevent and remove it.
How To Detect Mold In Walls
Cleaning mold on visible surfaces may not be easy but it is very much possible even without the of mold remediation experts. Of course, it is more advisable to seek professional when treating mold on walls but if theres a minor build-up on your walls, floors, or ceilings, you can get rid of it using common tools and cleaning supplies that you may already have at home.
But what if the infestation is inside your walls? How do you even know its happening?
Before you learn how to remove mold inside walls, you must learn how to detect it. Take note that mold spores are super tiny and not visible to the human eyes so they can spread throughout your house discreetly. And until you know the signs of mold build-up, the black mold could already be damaging your property and you are still clueless.
Alright. So how can you tell if the black mold is hiding inside your walls?
If youre like most homeowners whose walls are made of gypsum walls, also called drywall, you might be curious to know whether theres mold build-up inside. Experts recommend several ways:
Cut a large hole on your wall. This is perhaps the most definitive way of determining whether theres mold inside your walls. If there is, you will be tearing them down anywhere. However, there are drawbacks to this approach. First is that using a drywall saw can damage any electrical or plumbing systems if you unknowingly drill them. Be sure to have some plastic sheathing ready to cover that hole afterward.
Don’t Miss: How Many Parts Bleach To Water To Kill Mold
Signs Of Mold On Walls
Mold can grow anywhere along an interior wall. But youre likely to see it near the ceiling or floor, or along the edges of the baseboard trim. Its most common in bathrooms, although it can also affect kitchens, laundry rooms, basements, and other poorly ventilated rooms.
Obvious signs that you have a mold problem in your home include:
- A musty or damp smell.
- Cracked and peeling paint.
- Visible mold growth on your walls or ceiling.
- Allergy symptoms worsened by being indoors.
If you see mold growth on the walls within your home even if its only a small patch you should take action immediately. If you dont remove the mold quickly, it will spread and it can become potentially dangerous to your property and your health.
Studies have shown that exposure to mold can cause allergic reactions and poor health. You may experience symptoms such as a runny nose, irritated eyes, and breathing difficulties . Therefore, its essential to take action as soon as you notice any signs of mold.
How To Remove Mold From Painted Walls
If the mold is on the surface of painted walls, it is generally easier to clean. Follow these steps to remove mold off your painted wall:
You May Like: Is Mold Harmful To Your Health
How To Tell If There Is Mold Behind Shower Tiles
The problem related to mold can take a serious toll on your daily life. Your shower stall or your bathroom is the most common place where you can find molds every now and then. The major reason behind this is the level of humidity of the place.
Molds usually thrive in places which have moisture and a shower stall is a perfect place for them. How to tell if there is mold behind the shower tiles? This is a common question asked by people owning a property. There are certain ways which will help you in finding the answer for how to tell if there is mold behind shower tiles.
How to Tell if there is Mold behind Shower Tiles: An Observation
Preventing Mold in Bathroom
Now you need to find ways of preventing mold in bathroom.
What Do You Do If You Find Mold On Interior Walls Or Other Places
So, hopefully we have convinced you by now that you dont want to live with mold! Now that youve found it, what do you do?
Removing mold can be a DIY project, but its a good idea to know when to call the pros. Our tips for mold removal help you know what to use, and what not to use. We can help you remove the mold safely, whether you choose to DIY or call the professionals. We want to help you get back to living your best life in a healthy, mold-free home!
Also Check: How To Rid Of Mold In Shower
What Am I Dealing With
So, how can you be sure youre dealing with a mold problem? In some cases, there are visual signs of mold or clues that youre at risk for mold. For example, water stains on drywall arent a 100% indicator that you have mold, but theres obviously water getting there from some sort of source. With this in mind, chances are that youre going to get mold in time if you dont find and address the source. This is part of the reason many experts recommend doing home examinations during periods of the year when theres a lot of humidity or rain.
Other visual indicators of moisture include peeling wallpaper or condensation on the wall or ceiling. Be careful if you think theres mold under your wallpaper, though. Peeling it off yourself to see may end up exposing you to a cloud of spores! If youre willing to do a more intensive test, consider trying to probe the wall in question with a screwdriver. If things are soft or crumbling, you may already have rot taking hold because of mold.
Since mold is usually caused by water damage, it can be helpful to understand the different classes of water damage that can occur in the home. This will help to identify how serious the problem is and how it can be fixed.
Water Damage Classes
Cleaning Up Small And Medium Mould Problems
Bleach is not necessary to clean up mould.
You can clean up small areas of mould if you follow the proper procedures and use the right protective equipment. Unless the mould growth is on smooth surfaces such as bathroom tiles, surface cleaning will not eliminate the problem.
In most cases you can clean up medium areas of mould if you follow the proper procedures and use the right protective equipment. Materials damaged by mould must be physically removed and disposed of under safe conditions. However, it is important to seek professional assistance if there is a large mould problem or if mould comes back after cleaning.
Susceptible individuals such as pregnant women, infants, children, the elderly, and occupants with asthma, allergies or other health problems should not be in or near the area where the mould is being cleaned up.
Minimum protective gear needed:
- a disposable N95 mask and
- household disposable gloves.
You can purchase an N95 mask from a hardware store. Make sure that the label says “N95”. Other masks are designed to provide limited protection against dust and are not suitable for protecting against mould exposure. Make sure that the mask is properly fitted and you can breathe through the mask.
Read Also: What Kills Mold Spores On Wood
What Is Mold Where Did It Come From
What is mold anyway? Where did it come from? Why do I have mold in my home? Of course the most important question is How do I get rid of it!?
What is mold? Molds are fungi, and grow from microscopic spores that are everywhere in the air. From the arctic to equator and all the places in between, mold lives literally everywhere. Molds are important for recycling organic matter . The recycling process they perform returns nutrients to the soil, and is important for plants to grow.
Fungi eat things that are dead like leaves, wood, grass clippings, drywall, carpet, basically all the things from which your home is made. Of course you dont want molds to eat your home!
There is a way to stop mold from growing in the first place. In order to grow, molds need four things: oxygen, moisture, a food source, and the right temperature range . It is difficult to impossible to control the temperature and amount of oxygen in the unconditioned spaces in your home So, lets think about the things you can control when it comes to mold.
How Does Mold Get Into Our Homes
The more people who live in a home, the more likely it is that molds will grow inside it. This is because we release a lot of moisture in the air when we breathe. When we take long hot showers, cook with uncovered pots, dry clothes on an indoor clothesline, or use humidifiers, we also make more moisture for molds to grow. Storing wet firewood, watering many plants, and storing many vegetables like potatoes and squash can make a mold problem more likely, too.
Recommended Reading: How To Install Vinyl Stair Nose Molding
