How to clean and control mold

Almost every house has a little mold in it somewhere. Mold grows when you mix moisture and darkness. Mold actually uses your home’s plaster, drywall or wood as it’s food. And it destroys its food source as it grows. Address mold early, when tiny spots just appear, and remove it as soon as you find it so it doesn’t create a larger problem and potential damage your home.

Removing mold from your home

Before trying to remove mold from your home, make sure no one in your family has an allergy to mold. Some molds can be highly toxic and can cause a severe reaction. If you have any reservations about removing the mold in your home, consider calling a professional mold expert to handle the job.
Look for mold in damp, wet or steamy areas. This areas can include bathrooms, kitchens, flooded areas, basements, cabinets with plumbing leaks, garages or outdoor areas in humid climates.
Remove all the contents of the affected area and place them in sunlight to dry up the mold spores that may be on the items.
Mix up a bucket or spray bottle of oxygen bleach and water. Oxygen bleach will kill mold and bacteria just as well as chlorine bleach. Plus, it’s safer to use and won’t affect your respiratory system. Mix a few tablespoons of oxygen bleach in hot water until it’s dissolved.
Using a microfiber cloth, wipe all the items that were in the moldy area with the oxygen bleach solution. Place the item back into the sunlight to dry. If there are a lot of mold spores on some of the items, use a mask to protect yourself from the moldy dust.
Once the area is emptied and any affected items are clean and dry, use the oxygen bleach solution to wipe the visible mold off of any hard surfaces in the room. If it’s easier, you can put the oxygen bleach solution into a spray bottle and spray the areas. Let the oxygen bleach solution sit on the areas for 10-15 minutes. Then wipe the areas with a clean damp microfiber cloth. Once wiped clean the area needs to dry completely. Use a hair dryer for small, tight areas or use a room fan for larger areas. You also want to keep a window or door open to the outside to let fresh air into the area.
When the area is completely dry, spray the surfaces that were affected with mold with a mixture of witch hazel and 15 drops of Tea Tree oil. Tea tree oil is a natural essential oil that not only kills mold but also kills the mold spores that may be left in the surface. If the spores are not terminated, the mold will reappear. Tea Tree oil is a great option for removing the spores from the area naturally. Let the Tea Tree solution dry completely on the surface. It does not need to be wiped off after spraying.
If you have a severe mold problem in a bathroom or kitchen area, consider using a mold inhibiting paint primer on the surface. There are a number of primers that are available on the market. Some manufactures say that you can paint right over the mold, but most recommend removing the mold before painting the affected area. Painting the primer on the cleaned surface will prevent the mold from returning. These primers contain an EPA recommended antimicrobial ingredient that prevents the growth of mold, mildew and other fungal organisms. These primers can be found at your local hardware or paint store and can even be tinted to match your existing paint.

For more information on how to clean and control mold, see these posts:

Battling mold in your bathroom

Natural ways to kill off mold and mildew

For more information on green cleaning, visit Leslie Reichert's site: Green Clean Coach.

This time of year is when we start battling mold in our bathrooms. Mold loves dark, moist areas and a bathroom is its perfect home. Mold is a living fungus that reproduces when it has enough water and food. Mold is not related to cleanliness but to moisture, therefore even the cleanest bathroom can have an ongoing mold issue.

Some mold is more dangerous than others, but most molds are just growing organisms that damage walls and tile grout. Mold growing on porous drywall is actually using the drywall for food and destroying it in the process.

Bleach will not kill mold. It will change its appearance but the mold will grow back. And, bleach is unhealthy and damaging to the environment. To kill mold you must use an anti-microbial.

This year, wage a different battle against mold. Use these few simple tricks and a green DIY recipe to keep mold from growing in your bathroom.

Run the fan as much as possible – mold can’t grow without moisture. Run your ceiling fan for at least 10 minutes AFTER the steam has disappeared from the bathroom mirror. Moisture stays in the air long after you can see it, so let the fan run the entire time you are getting ready in the morning.
Open the window even slightly so you have continual fresh air - Fresh air helps damp surfaces dry faster.

Use a squeegee to remove water on the shower walls and glass doors - This will not only stop the mold but keep your shower clean. If you squeegee your shower, you’ll almost never have to clean it.
Wipe down surfaces with a microfiber cloth – if you wipe down damp surfaces in your shower and sink with a microfiber cloth, everything will dry faster and you will stop mold in its tracks. Make sure to take the damp microfiber cloth out of the bathroom when you are done.

Hang wet towels outside of the bathroom -Wet towels can take up to 24 hours to dry and create unwanted extra moisture.
Hang wet bath mats outside of the shower area – Shower mats collect a ton of water. These carpets can take days to completely dry. Hang mats and throw rugs outside so that they can dry completely.

Shake out your shower curtain- Shower curtains are a breeding ground for mold. Moisture gets into the pleats which are perfect a perfect breeding ground for mold. By shaking out the curtain you remove the excess water and help it to dry faster. Remember to keep the curtain completely drawn.
Spray this DIY mix daily on dry tile grout and drywall –
- Vodka or witch hazel
- 20 drops of tea tree essential oil

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and spray the mixture on dry tile grout and drywall daily (it's important the grout is dry, so that the mixture will penetrate the grout pores to kill mold beneath the surface). The alcohol in the vodka will evaporate very quickly and the anti-microbial properties of the tea tree oil will work to kill the mold and mold spores in your shower area. This mix is great to use on ceilings too, especially textured ceilings that are difficult to wipe down.

Clean your bathroom regularly or hire a cleaning service. Mold needs a food source to survive. It eats dead skin cells trapped in soap scum residue. Eliminating mold requires removing its food source. So a frequent, thorough shower cleaning will go a long way toward reducing your problem long term.

A bathroom is a very hospitable environment for mold, so the battle against it will be ongoing, but with these tips you can be more effective, safely.

Tag: mold

How to clean and control mold

Battling Mold in Your Bathroom