Mold and mildew can be unsightly and also unhealthy. Mold is a major household pollutant that can cause serious health risks. Mold releases spores into the air that float around the house and cause severe allergic reactions and illnesses. Mold is usually a problem in humid climates but can be a problem anywhere. Mold can leave black stains on just about everything from carpet, walls, wood, countertops and caulking. Keeping your home mold free is best done by preventing its growth, but if mold is already growing in your home this article will help you get rid of it and the stains that are left behind.
Molds can cause serious illnesses or minor allergies. Molds that grow mycotoxins can be the blame for many unexplained illnesses. The worst indoor mold is black mold which can cause fever, chronic sinus infection, fatigue, shortness of breath, brain damage, infections in the lungs and more. If a person is continuing to have one of the above problems or a stuffy nose, skin rash, eye itchiness, throat or nose itchiness, wheezing or asthma it might be because of mold growth in your home. Go to the doctor and let the doctor know of the mold in your home. Mold is a serious problem and needs to be taken care of immediately. You may consider getting the mold examined and tested before you clean it up to see what type of mold it is and whether it can cause serious health risks for your family.
Any room that has high humidity is susceptible to molds like kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms and basements. Rooms that have had water damage such as flooding or water leaks can have a mold problem. The first step in mold removal and clean-up is eliminating the moisture. Find the leak or water source and fix it. The humidity level in any room of your home should be about 50 percent. Using an air conditioner or de-humidifier can lower the humidity in your home. Open the window every day in your home to let in fresh air.
You can clean up minor mold problems on sinks, countertops, grout, showers and tubs with a cup of bleach mixed into a gallon of water. First, brush the mold off of the surface using a scrub brush, then scrub clean with the bleach and water mixture. An old toothbrush will make it easier to clean grout and corners. Make sure you wear gloves and a mask and that there is plenty of ventilation. You will not want to breathe in the mold spores during the clean up process. You can wear a respirator mask that costs about $15.00; these masks have a respirator nozzle cartridge on the front and will filter the spores out of the air. Wear rubber gloves and goggles while cleaning up severe mold. If you have mildew underneath the caulking in your shower you will most likely need to peel it up and replace it. You can bleach the caulk but the mildew will grow back eventually.
If you have mold on fabric such as shower curtains, draperies or clothing you can have the items dry cleaned or wash them yourself in your washing machine. Put a stain remover on the spot of mold or mildew and rub together. You can use a toothbrush to loosen the mold stain out of the fibers. If the fabric is white you can dab bleach on the spot. After the item has gone thought the wash and rinse cycle, set it to dry in the sun. If your plastic shower curtain has mold stains on it soak it in a solution of water and bleach and then take in the sun to dry.
Cleaning mold off of walls is more of a problem as the mold will likely bleed back through it you try to wash it our paint it. You will need to remove that section of the drywall and replace it. While the wall is open you can fix the leak or the problem causing the mold. Do not just paint over a moldy wall because the mold will seep back through or the paint will peel off. The next time you paint use a high gloss paint with an anti-mildew protection added to it.
If you have mold or mildew on your carpet you will probably need to replace it. But, if you want to try and clean it first, you will need to be able to lift the carpet and allow it to dry or take it out in the sun. The stain can be removed with a bleach solution but this might also bleach out the carpet so most likely you will not want to use bleach on carpet. Using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter can loosen up and pull up some of the mold and mildew out of the carpet fibers. Shampoo the area with a carpet shampoo and very little water. Take the carpet out to dry in the sun or lift it off of the floor and bring in large fans to dry it out. It is a good idea to spray the area with a fungicide spray to prevent any further mold growth.
If you have upholstery or a mattress that has mold stains you can try cleaning it your self by first brushing it off with a medium to soft brush. Shampoo the area of upholstery with a safe soap that won’t bleach it out. You can use a little bleach on a mattress if you don’t care about the color. Take the furniture or mattress into the sun to dry. Spray the item with a fungicide spray to prevent any future mold growth.
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