How to Kill Mold

Any home that has ever suffered from water damage knows the problem with mold. However, even if you haven’t had a recent flood or broken pipe, mold can still be a major problem. Mold exists anywhere that there is moisture. Bathrooms with improper ventilation and homes without dehumidifiers can quickly grow a mold problem.

Mold is alive, take away its source of food or water and it goes away!

Mold is a living thing. Is needs water and food to exist and it is always trying to grow more mold by releasing spores. These spores are the primary culprit of the respiratory and other health issues that are associated with mold. Anyone with a compromised immune system of who is prone to allergies should address any mold problems immediately. Black mold is especially dangerous and should be dealt with by professionals. Black mold removal is dangerous because it is extremely toxic. If you even try to remove black mold you will need to wear a respirator and wear full body and eye protection.

Mold Removal Products

There are several commercially available mold removal products. You need to be very cautious when using these as they can often be more toxic then the mold you are trying to remove. I have found that white vinegar or bleach (never mix bleach and vinegar) mixed with water are pretty good mold cleaners.

When removing mold always wear a mask or respirator. No matter how careful you are, when you disturb the mold, spores will be released. To reduce the number of released spores and to begin the cleaning process, wet down the area that you are going to scrub with a spray bottle filled with equal parts of water and white vinegar. Scrub the pre-soaked area with pure white vinegar and a scrub brush or sponge, depending on the surface that you are trying to clean. I admit, the white vinegar smell is strong, but it does dissipate very quickly. Test a small area of your surface before you start cleaning to make sure that is doesn’t discolor. Do not use bleach to kill mold in any living areas! Bleach, even diluted, will harm the surface that you are trying to clean and it will harm your family.

If you find mold on any of your drywall, make sure that you kill it immediately and solve your moisture problem. Once mold gets into drywall, you have to remove all of the drywall and replace it to kill the mold. Drywall is a perfect incubator for mold. It spreads across the paper and exists off of the moisture stored within the drywall. There is no mold cleaner for drywall mold. Always use waterproof drywall in bathrooms when remodeling!

Remember; until you address the moisture issue you will always have mold. If the mold is in your basement, you may have to install a sump pump and seal your walls. Also, look for any other sources of water or moisture. Mold doesn’t require much water so even the smallest leak or source of dampness is enough to sustain the mold. Adding a dehumidifier will also help. If you are getting mold in bathrooms or other interior rooms, look into installing an exhaust fan. Many different makes and models exist and some can be incorporated into light fixtures so that the fan turns on with the light. Remove the moisture, remove the mold!

Protect Your Investment In a Front Loading Washing Machine

Front loading washing machines are becoming more popular. They are very energy efficient and allow for large loads. They do require a little more maintenance than your grandma's washer.

The most common compliant with front loaders is that they start to smell. This is usually due to standing water in the machines. The way they are designed leaves a tiny bit of water left in the wash tub. They also have large seals around the door that can start to get mildew or mold growing on them. The best defense is to leave the door open when you are not using the washing machine. A good second defense is to run an empty load with bleach on the largest capacity setting once a month.

Nobody wants to wash their close in a stinky washer! With a little extra care your front loader with last a long time and alway be fresh and clean.

Visit our Washing Machine section for more tips.

Removing Mold From an Air Mattress

Janet from Cleveland asks:

I just pulled my air mattress out of the garage and found mold on the cloth side of the mattress. How do I safely get rid of it without ruining the bed?

Moisture in your garage most likely causes the mold to grow. So your first step is to try and remove any sources of water in your garage to keep other items from getting ruined. To clean the mold, my first solution would be to wash it with a 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water solution then let it air dry in the sun. Since letting the bed dry outdoors probably isn't practical this time of year in Cleveland you may want to dry the bed with a blow dryer and let it stand in direct sunlight for a day. If that doesn't work you can try 1/2 cup bleach to one gallon of water and rewash and dry. I don't know what your mattress looks like, but the bleach may fade the color, so only use that as a last resort. Bleach kills mold the best but the vinegar will be gentler on the fabric.

What To Do If You Get Egged!

With Halloween approaching, another cleaning tip came to mind. What do you do if your house gets egged? As these attacks always seem to happen after dark, the egg usually has at least overnight to dry so just hosing it off isn’t an option, unless of course you have access to a power washer. If you don’t, just take a bucket of mild soapy water and a soft scrub brush to it. After you’ve gotten it off, fill a spray bottle with water and a few tablespoons of bleach and liberally spray down the egged area. As it’s tough to tell whether or not all the clear egg whites are gone, the bleach will stop any remaining organic matter from growing mold in the coming weeks.

Plumbing Woes! Install Cut-Offs!

Today I had a horrible realization. A cold-water pipe that leads to my upstairs bathroom gave out. My basement was quickly flooding with water. The biggest problem was that there were no cut-off valves installed in my plumbing, I had to shut off the water main to stop the leak. My uncle and I fixed the problem, but this taught me a very valuable lesson that I hope to save you from. Any time that you have any plumbing work done, have the plumber install a cut-off valve at every pipe transition that they install. They are relatively cheap, only take a few more minutes to install, and will save you from having to shut off your home's water just to fix a simple problem like a corroded pipe. Water damage will live with your home for years. It causes mold and invites a number of other problems. Having the ability to shut off water to just certain areas of your home is priceless!

How to Clean Your Brick and Stone

If your home is made of brick or you have a stone foundation like I do, you have probably noticed small patches of lichens and mold growing in the areas that have the most moisture. These little critters will begin to break down your brick and mortar if not taken care of. Wearing a respirator and goggles, attach them with a stiff bristled plastic brush. Make a solution of 1 part bleach and 6 parts water and put in a spray bottle. Spray and scrub all of the areas affected to kill off the spores to prevent a future problem.

Save Your Shower Curtain Liner

Some simple tips to saving your shower curtain liner. First, always keep your shower curtain closed. It makes your bathroom look better and, more importantly, it helps your curtain dry reducing the chances of mold and mildew. Second, keep a spray bottle full of white vinegar in your bathroom and lightly mist your shower curtain liner on occasion to remove any build-up. Rinse well with warm water.

Removing Mold From Bathtubs

If you have mold growing around your bathtub, try cleaning the area with vinegar and a scrub brush. After you have scrubbed the area, rinse with clean water. If the mold is still there or comes back quickly, lay a few cloths soaked in a mixture of 50% water and 50% bleach for around 12 hours. Rinse well with water after the bleach treatment. Never mix bleach with any other chemicals.

Removing Mold from your Home

If you smell musty odors in your home, you may have mold. Mold grows in any area that is damp and dark. Mold presents a serious risk to your families health, especially black mold. Before attacking the mold make sure you put on gloves, use a respirator, and wear protective eye ware. When you remove mold you become more susceptible to the tiny mold particles that will be released into the air. To remove mold from appliances or sealed walls and floors, wash with a mixture of warm water and bleach. Scrub thoroughly and let the bleach work for at least 15-20 minutes before washing off with clean water. If you have mold in your drywall, you must remove all affected sections. To remove the drywall use a drywall knife and cut away the section from mid-point on the studs on each side of the mold. This way you can attach the new sheet directly to the studs.