Almost every home or office becomes infested with mold. It accurs due to the water source like a plumbing or roof leak. Mold can easily spread throughout your property in 48-72 hours. It can produce irritants and allergens that can cause other health effects. The mold releases microscopic spores that cause sneezing, runny nose etc. It blackens the lines in the shower, darkens decks, discolors drywall, shows up as black spots on siding and rotting damp wood everywhere. When you suspect your home or business with a mold problem, you can call a professional and use some remedies to get rid of mold. In this article, you will get to know some tips to treat mold infestation.
Microscopic mold exist almost everywhere from indoors to outdoors and float in the air. It can enter your home through doors, windows or AC/heating systems or even on your clothing and on a pet. They thrive in moisture and can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. It produces a strong and musty odor. Mold growth supports higher than normal indoor humidity. When the source of water and the food have been found then it is easy to eliminate the growth of the mold.
Causes of Mold Infestation:
- Moisture
- Oxygen
- Darkness
- Mold spores
- A food source such as drywall, wood, and cotton
- Warmth
- Water
Best Ways to Get Rid of Mold:
1.) Mold Removal with Bleach
Bleach is the good way to kill every species of mold when it comes into contact with, along with its spores. It leaves a surface resistant and sanitized to future mold growth. Using bleach is effective if the mold is growing on non-porous materials such as countertops, glass, bathtubs and tiles. Bleach can’t enter into porous materials and so it doesn’t come into contact with mold growing under the surface of materials such as drywall and wood. If you use bleach on these materials then it will kill the mold above the surface but the mold within the root of the material will remain and the mold will return soon.
Directions to Use Bleach:
- Bleach produces harsh fumes so the area that you treat with bleach should be well ventilated before you begin.
- You should wear gloves to protect your hands.
- For killing mold, take 1 part of bleach and 10 parts of water and mix them well.
- Apply this solution to non-porous surfaces by using a spray bottle and by using a bucket and a cloth or sponge.
- You don’t need to wash the surface afterward because the bleach will inhibit mold growth in the future.
2.) Get Rid of Mold with Borax
There are many advantages of using borax to kill mold. Borax is a natural cleaning product and it is toxic when you swallow it. It doesn’t produce dangerous fumes or chemicals like some other mold killers. Borax is a white mineral powder that contains a pH level of about 9 and a low toxicity.
Borax is commonly used as a deodorizer and also for cleaning drains and toilets. It is also used as a fungicide, insecticide, and herbicide. When it is mixed with water, it can kill and remove mold as it is a natural mold inhibitor. You can purchase borax in supermarkets from the laundry section.
Directions to Use Borax:
- To kill mold, prepare a borax-water solution by mixing 1 cup of borax with 1 gallon of water.
- Vacuum up any mold with a filtered vacuum cleaner to reduce the number of spores present in the air during the cleaning process.
- With the help of scrubbing-brush and borax solution, scrub the mold off the surface.
- Wipe up excess mold particles and extra moisture or dust/debris to prevent them dispersing into the air once the surface has dried.
- You don’t need to wash off the borax as this solution will prevent mold growth on the surface again.
- Let the surface dry completely.
3.) Treat Mold Infestation with Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the best home remedies for killing mold because the mild acid in vinegar can kill 82% of mold species. It is natural and safe because it is non-toxic and doesn’t produce harmful fumes like bleach does.
Directions to Use Vinegar:
- Use white distilled vinegar to kill mold. You can buy it from the supermarket.
- Without using water, pour some vinegar in a spray bottle.
- Spray the vinegar on the infested surface and leave it for an hour.
- Wipe the area with water and let the surface dry.
- The smell of the vinegar will clear within a few hours.
- Repeat it in every few days to ensure that the surface will stay mold-free.
- You can also mop your tiled bathroom floor or other non-porous floors with vinegar if you are worried about mold growing on them.
4.) Get Rid of Mold with Ammonia Fast
Ammonia is also one of the best remedies for killing mold from hard non-porous surfaces such as glass or tiles and countertops. However, it is not effective at killing mold growing in porous material such as drywall or wood.
Ammonia is a harsh toxic chemical. Don’t mix ammonia with bleach because when they are combined they produce the gas which is toxic. You can even use chlorine with ammonia. Ammonia will kill surface mold, dead mold spores and dead mold that are allergenic so you will need to make sure to remove them later.
Directions to Use Ammonia:
- To kill mold with ammonia, prepare a solution of 50% clear ammonia and 50% water.
- Pour this solution to a spray bottle and spray it on infested areas.
- Use only clear ammonia and leave the area for a few hours before rinsing and wiping.
- There are some detergents or mold cleaning products that contain ammonia. In this case, follow the instructions on the label and don’t mix it with bleach.
5.) Remove Mold with Hydrogen Peroxide Fast
Hydrogen peroxide will help to kill mold as it is anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial as well. It is good to use as it is safe and doesn’t damage the environment. It doesn’t leave any toxic residue or produce toxic fumes. You can purchase hydrogen peroxide from any drug stores for around 1 dollar for a bottle of 3% concentration.
It will kill mold effectively on many materials such as floors, walls, clothes, bathroom fixtures and items such as kitchen appliances. It is a bleaching agent so it may also help to fade the stain mold leaves behind.
Directions to Use Hydrogen Peroxide
- To kill mold, take 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide and pour it into a spray bottle.
- Spray the infested surface completely so that the infested areas are saturated with hydrogen peroxide.
- Leave the surface for 10 minutes while the hydrogen peroxide will kill the mold.
- Now, scrub the area to remove all the mold and mold stains.
- Wipe the surface to remove residual spores and mold.
- You can also use vinegar mixed with hydrogen peroxide to clean the area more effectively.
6.) Get Rid of Mold with Baking Soda Fast
Baking soda is one of the best home remedies for killing mold as it works as a natural household cleaner. It is non-toxic and mild and will not harm your family and any pets.
Besides killing mold, it also deodorizes and removes the smell of mold leaves in your home. It also absorbs moisture to keep mold away. You can also use vinegar along with baking soda while treating the mold problem since vinegar will help to kill different species of mold.
Directions to Use Baking Soda:
- Add 1 quarter of a tbsp of baking soda to a spray bottle filled with water.
- Shake the bottle to mix the baking soda into the water.
- Spray the solution in the area that is infested by the molds and let it dry. Use a scrubbing-brush or sponge to clean all the mold from the surface.
- Once you have cleaned the mold, wash the surface with water to remove residual mold on the surface.
- Spray the mold area again and let it dry. It will kill the mold and prevent the mold from returning.
7.) Mold Removal with Tea Tree Oil Naturally and Fast
Like all the natural mold killing solutions, tea tree oil is very effective. It is expensive but a little amount of tea tree oil will do a great job in killing mold. Tea tree oil is an essential oil which is not harmful to people and pets. It is antifungal and antibacterial as well, therefore, it can kill all types of molds.
You can purchase tea tree oil. When you buy it, make sure that it should be derived from the Melaleuca Alternifolia, that is the technical name for tea tree.
Directions to Use Tea Tree Oil:
- To kill mold, prepare a solution by mixing 1 tsp of tea tree oil with a cup of water.
- Fill the spray bottle, with this solution.
- Use this solution and spray it on the moldy surface.
- Don’t rinse because leaving the solution on the surface will kill the mold and prevent it from growing.
- Use a cloth to clean the mold later.
- Tea tree oil has a strong odor but it will go away after some time. You can use it for a long time afterward as it doesn’t lose its potency.
8.) Kill Mold with Grapefruit Seed Extract Fast
Grapefruit seed extract is just like tea tree oil. It is a good substitute of tea tree oil. It has no odor as compared to grapefruit seed extract. You can buy it from the health food stores.
Grapefruit seed extract helps to kill mold naturally as the citric acid in the grapefruit attacks mold. It also helps to disinfect areas and deodorizes them as well. A little amount of grapefruit seed extract will go a long way in killing mold.
Directions to Use Grapefruit Seed Extract:
- To kill mold, prepare a solution of grapefruit seed extract and water by mixing 10 drops of grapefruit seed extract per cup of water.
- Pour it in a spray bottle and shake it well to mix it properly.
- Spray this solution onto the surface where mold is growing.
- Don’t rinse the solution away afterward as you can use a cloth to clean the mold and solution after some minutes.
- It will cut the mold colony and prevent it from growing further.
- Repeat it if needed to remove mold thoroughly from the surface.
- The grapefruit seed extract solution in the spray bottle can remain potent for a long time and you can reuse it again and again.