CATEGORY:
Mold Removal
Summary:
Mold remediation in the home is crucial for preventing health hazards caused by mold exposure. To get rid of mold on walls, you need to assess the damage, prepare the area and yourself with personal protection equipment, and remove the mold using appropriate solutions. Personal protection equipment includes gloves, safety glasses or goggles, a respirator or filtered mask, plastic sheeting, and garbage bags. Cleaning supplies include sponge scrubbers, spray bottles, and towels or clean old rags. Bleach and vinegar and baking soda solutions can be used to remove mold, but precautions must be taken when using bleach. Natural solutions such as vinegar and baking soda are non-toxic, pet-friendly, eco-friendly, and effective chemical alternatives. It's important to follow the right steps and use appropriate solutions to ensure effective mold remediation.
Musty smells, discoloration, paint peeling or cracking, and the telltale black-colored stuff creeping up your wall. The dangers that can come with different types of mold that grow in your house are well known. Respiratory issues, allergies, and sometimes worse reactions can come from mold exposure.
Now you’re on a hunt to see if it’s anywhere else in the house. You check the drywall and the tile in the kitchen and bathroom, and you even brave the basement. Your assessment is that you have a mold issue. Don’t panic, but don’t wait. You need to treat this mold on your walls ASAP! But how?
Here’s how to get rid of mold on walls.
Knowing how to get rid of mold on walls means having the right equipment to keep you safe and effectively get rid of mold:
Personal Protection Equipment / PPE:
Cleaning Supplies:
The places you will need to look might not be the most obvious at first glance, but here is a quick list of some of the places you should look to assess the damage or the extent of the mold problem you have.
Determining the extent of the mold and assessing what needs to be done is a crucial step in mitigating and remedying the mold issue for good. Bear in mind that mold spores can also be airborne. If a mold infestation is larger than a 3ft x 3 ft square, you can consider that a MAJOR mold issue, and it would be highly advised that you seek out a professional service to mitigate and remove all the mold on the surfaces and in the air.
Certain types of mold should not be DIY’d, and the only way to be sure is to have a professional analyze it and identify the type of mold you are dealing with.
Because of the way it can spread and its airborne capabilities, plus the way it can spread through contact, make the prepping phase before removing the mold very important. You may spread it through the entire house if you don’t follow the prep steps.
First, you must take down the curtains, photos, decor, or anything the mold spores can land on once the work begins. If there’s furniture that can be moved, move it out, and if you’re unable to move it out, you should use plastic sheeting to cover and wrap the furniture up and seal it with painter’s tape.
Next, you want to lay plastic on the floor and tape it down. This will ensure you catch any water drips and cleaning solutions that may get dropped.
Shut the doors to the room you’re working in if possible. If not, it’s best to plastic the section that has mold. This will keep any airborne spores from floating through the house.
Mold is not to be taken lightly. The mold can cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, and, in some instances cause, severe respiratory symptoms. The PPE or Personal Protection Equipment you wear will protect you from spores and possible contamination.
Here is a quick list of what you should wear.
Here are a few solutions you can use to get rid of mold on walls:
Even though bleach can be found in most homes, it’s important to remember it is a chemical and can be dangerous. There are a few precautions that you should take when using bleach to remove mold.
Keep the room you’re working in well-ventilated. Toxic fumes from the bleach can be dangerous.
Never mix bleach with other cleaners.
Although it kills mold, it only works on the surface, and using bleach on porous materials such as wood or drywall will worsen the mold. The bleaching chemical doesn’t penetrate the surface, but the water in the bleach does. And as we know, water is one of the main causes of mold.
The time it will take to kill the mold will vary. It will start to kill on contact, but completely killing the surface mold may take up to a few hours for the mold to disappear. It may take a few applications.
Choosing to use natural ways instead of chemicals is a popular option for removing mold. Vinegar and baking soda are non-toxic, pet-friendly, eco-friendly, and effective chemical alternatives.
Understanding what each component of this mixture does is important. Vinegar is slightly acidic and will go after the deeper-rooted mold spores. While the baking soda is going to go after the moisture and help remove it as well as kill the surface mold.
While borax is a low-level toxin, it is still toxic if swallowed, and it will irritate your skin if directly exposed due to its high alkalinity. By raising the alkaline levels of the surface, borax kills and prevents mold from returning.
Once applied, the borax needs to be left for up to 24 hours to completely kill the mold.
Tea tree oil is a natural and powerful way to kill mold on walls. Tea tree oil can be applied by spray, towel, or sponge. The most practical application is to leave the oil on for at least an hour.
Be careful with tea tree oil; even though it is natural, it’s a strong essential oil and can irritate the skin.
It is possible to mix tea tree essential oil and vinegar to create a preventive solution you can use every day in the shower.
Tea tree oil will kill black mold.
Tip: When in doubt, leave it to the pros. Mold can be very dangerous and spread easily if all the correct procedures are not followed. Protect yourself and your family and make the right decision regarding mold removal. If it’s a mold spot bigger than 3ft x 3 ft, you should call in a professional service.
Mold needs the perfect conditions to grow and requires dead organic material (nutrients), water, oxygen, and the right temperature, which is a pretty wide range from 40℉ to 100℉. Nothing above 100℉ and nothing below 40℉, but it’s still a pretty wide temperature range.
Heat and humidity combined invite mold growth.
Walls, in particular, can be susceptible to many different types of mold. Condensation from air conditioners can cause walls to mold. When the air on the inside is cooler than the air outside, moisture can build up on walls. Poorly built or older structures can have poor or deteriorating barriers between the exterior and interior, allowing rain to seep through and providing a moisture source.
You came here because you wanted a solution to get rid of mold on walls. We gave you a simple three-step process and four chemical solutions (one of which is natural) to get the job done.
But sometimes, removing mold on walls is a bit more complex than a three-step DIY solution can handle. When that happens, you need a team that you can call to eliminate mold at a moment’s notice. If you need a mold removal service, contact us today. At Spaulding Decon, we have the knowledge and expertise to help solve all your mold needs.
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