Home Remedies: Removing Mold
[ad_1]
Mold is responsible for some of the best cheese. But when you find mold growing in your house it is gross and not a little embarrassing. But it’s also almost inevitable. Mold is a type of fungus; it grows from spores that are nearly ubiquitous and can sprout in any moist environment. Left alone, mold can damage the surface it grows on, trigger allergies, and even make you sick. But that’s also true of many of the commercial fungicides available for removing mold. How can you keep your home free of both mold and chemical toxins?
This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we receive a small commission that helps fund our Recycling Directory.
Household Mold
Household mold is mentally associated with filthy, neglected homes. But spores are literally everywhere, and mold can begin to grow in even the cleanest homes. There’s no need to be ashamed if you find mold growing in your bathroom or behind a houseplant, but you can’t afford to be complacent, either. Mold spores are common allergens and can trigger asthma. Some types of mold release toxins that can cause serious illness. If left to grow on walls, mold can cause structural damage. Once it gets established, mold can be nearly impossible to eliminate. Many people are forced to resort to professional cleaners, and even to replace carpets and drywall.
Prevention
It may be impossible to prevent all mold growth in your home, especially if you live in a damp climate or an older house. But you can do a lot to discourage it. The key to mold control is moisture control. Fix any and all leaks (roof, pipes, and windows are common culprits) as soon as they are discovered. Remove carpeting and other absorbent materials and thoroughly dry any areas that have been affected by leaks. Use exhaust fans or at least open a window in the bathroom and kitchen. If your house is generally damp (humidity levels above 50% throughout the day), use an air conditioner or dehumidifier.
Finding Mold
The CDC does not recommend mold testing. If you find mold, it needs to be removed regardless of any information a test may provide. People talk about “black mold” because it is the most common appearance of household mold. But mold can be any color and color is no indication of its potential danger. If you need to clean more than 10 square feet, check the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guide titled Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings; you may need professional help. Once mold starts to grow in carpet, insulation, ceiling tiles, drywall, or wallboard, the only way to deal with it is by removal and replacement.
Removing Mold
Whatever cleaner you use to remove mold, be sure to work with good ventilation and all necessary protective equipment – masks, gloves, and goggles will protect you from both the cleaner and the spores that you will stir up. Do not mix products to avoid the risk of generating toxic gasses. Always use commercial products according to the instructions on the package. For all homemade solutions, the recommendation is to saturate the moldy area using a spray bottle, wait between a few minutes to an hour, and scrub the mold off with a brush.
According to the CDC, mold can be removed from hard surfaces with household products. Let’s look at those household products more closely.
Fungicidal Cleaners
Commercial mold removers all contain some sort of biocide. Some, like the popular RMR-141 RTU or the concentrated Wet & Forget contain a proprietary broad-spectrum biocide formula. The most common biocide in commercial products is sodium hypochlorite, also known as bleach. You can make your own bleach solution of no more than a cup of household laundry bleach in a gallon of water. However, the EPA does not recommend biocides (chemicals such as chlorine bleach) for routine mold control. This is partly due to the products’ toxicity. It is also related to the fact that people who believe they have killed mold are less likely to eliminate the conditions that allow it to thrive.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil extracted from the species Melaleuca alternifolia is widely touted as a natural fungicide for use in a solution of 1 teaspoon per cup of water. Although tea tree oil is generally considered much more pleasant smelling than most commercial cleaners, the odor of this solution is very strong, requiring good ventilation. Although some people must have found success with this method, when we tried it at Earth911, tea tree oil had no visible effect on the presence of mold.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Thanks to its high concentration of citric acid, grapefruit seed extract is considered a powerful disinfectant that is nevertheless safe for human consumption. As such, it is recommended across the internet for everything from water purification to mold cleanup. In a solution of 10 drops per cup of water, the extract is odorless. When we tried it, grapefruit seed extract was somewhat more effective than tea tree oil, visibly removing some of the mold, but leaving most of it untouched.
Vinegar
Vinegar, a mild acid that is both safe for consumption and popular as a nontoxic household cleaner is another popular DIY mold solution. Undiluted white vinegar is the most popular vinegar for cleaning, and the one recommended for treating mold. Vinegar was the most effective natural mold cleaner we tried, surprisingly removing mold slightly better than a bleach-based commercial fungicide.
Other Natural Cleaners
Lemon juice, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide are a few more natural solutions that we’ve seen recommended for treating mold. But we haven’t tried these ourselves. Once we tried vinegar, there didn’t seem to be a need. What natural mold cleaners have you tried? How well did they work?
[ad_2]
Original Post
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was curious what all is required to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100 sure. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks
you have a great blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?
great post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector do not notice this. You should continue your writing. I am confident, you have a great readers’ base already!
Wow! Thank you! I constantly wanted to write on my blog something like that. Can I implement a part of your post to my site?
My developer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on a variety of websites for about a year and am worried about switching to another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it? Any help would be really appreciated!
It’s hard to find knowledgeable people on this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here. The sketch is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an shakiness over that you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come further formerly again since exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this hike.
There is clearly a bunch to realize about this. I believe you made some nice points in features also.
great points altogether, you just gained a new reader. What would you recommend in regards to your post that you made a few days ago? Any positive?
I really like your writing style, fantastic info , thanks for putting up : D.
We’re a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community. Your site offered us with valuable info to work on. You have done an impressive job and our entire community will be grateful to you.
Greetings! Very helpful advice on this article! It is the little changes that make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Hello. fantastic job. I did not anticipate this. This is a fantastic story. Thanks!
I conceive this internet site has got some real superb info for everyone :D. “I like work it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.” by Jerome K. Jerome.
I am not real excellent with English but I line up this rattling leisurely to translate.
Hi there! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers? I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any suggestions?
Usually I don’t learn post on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to take a look at and do so! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thanks, quite great article.
I have not checked in here for some time since I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
Currently it appears like Drupal is the preferred blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
naturally like your website however you have to test the spelling on several of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very troublesome to inform the truth on the other hand I will surely come again again.
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Chrome. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know. The layout look great though! Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Cheers