How to Kill Mold
68In any age home, keeping the home free from mold is always a key. The presence of mold is never a good sign for anything. Mold will grow anywhere there is food and moisture. The only problem is that left unattended mold will destroy whatever it is growing on. Anything that is porous will be damaged more quickly than hard surfaces.
If you are anything like my wife, mold is a personal affront to her ability to keep the house clean. Due to the fact that you can never eliminate mold from indoor spaces, if the conditions that allowed the first mold infestation are not mitigated, mold will reappear periodically.
Find out how to kill mold. You can go the Environmental Protection Agency and view all of the articles about mold, conditions it grows in, ways to treat mold infestations and recommendations on how to avoid additional allergic reactions when treating a mold infestation.
While mold is not a particularly hardy organism, due to the microscopic nature of its method of reproduction (spores), it is rather difficult to eradicate. Many household cleaners as well as specific cleaners touting their ability to kill mold are effective in eliminating mold from where it has been observed.
More difficult is eliminating the root cause or causes of the mold problem. Depending on the age of your house mold can be an inherent problem due to prior problems with moisture in basements, attics and closed in spaces between walls. Any cleaner with a disinfectant or bleach solution will eliminate mold colonies rather effectively in a short period of time.
If the affected area is porous or easily absorbs liquid (drywall) the mold probably has eaten its way into the item and to prevent further outbreaks you will need to replace whatever was affected by the mold.
A thorough survey of your home by an expert in mold remediation is an excellent way to get to the root cause of any mold infestations. Mold will grow wherever it is moist and a ready food source. A small drip from any leaky pipe, dampness from drainage issues around your foundation or high humidity in bathrooms, kitchens or duct work will be superb breeding grounds for all kinds of mold.
Once you have determined what is causing the excess moisture you need to remedy the situation accordingly. If the problem is any kind of leak in your home’s water system, securing the services of a plumber to properly repair such leak or leaks is tantamount to mitigating the resulting mold situation.
If the problem is a damp or wet foundation causing mold in your basement, there could be several solutions you would need to take. If the problem is a grading problem with your yard you will need the services of a landscape architect to direct any excess water from rain or snow melt to flow away from your foundation.
Some companies will offer to come in and give you solutions to prevent water from getting into your basement by channeling it away or waterproofing the inside of the basement. This does not address the root problem of water pooling around the foundation. Directing the water away and then waterproofing the basis is the best overall solution to stop the moisture and learning how to kill mold.
If the situation is merely one of high humid conditions in your bathrooms, you can replace your existing exhaust fans with higher efficiency ratings that move more air and have additional filtration so as to not just move mold spores around the house.
If you live in an area that is subject to high humidity, you will need to increase your use of air conditioning and invest in a dehumidifier for the most susceptible areas. You can now find dehumidifiers with HEPA filtration that will assist in eliminating mold spores from your air.
A necessary step in your how to kill mold instructions should be how to protect yourself while eliminating mold. Always wet the mold first so as to not release dry spores into the air when you first wipe it. Use a filter mask (painter’s paper masks work well); cleaners with disinfectants and wipe the area down with clean water and then dry thoroughly. This is how to kill mold in your home.
