Mold Remediation: Types of Mold and How to Get Rid of It
You have got mold. Now what? What options are available to get it remedies faster so that it doesn’t ruin the structure.
Experts always say that there are two things you should always remember about mold.
- Don’t let mold appear at any place within the house
- If it appears, take care of it immediately
Now considering that the mold infestation has already successfully occurred, you only have one option available. Get rid of mold fast.
In this article, we will discuss mold remediation techniques; types of molds that can appear in your house; ways to get rid of the mold faster.
That said, let’s learn different methods of mold remediation available to us.
Why Mold Occurs? Controlling Moisture
Mold can occur in many places if the conditions are right. It usually takes less than 24 hours to grow mold, and it can be really damaging to your health. It can even cause allergies and lung conditions like asthma. Since mold is dangerous and causes negative effects on the health of all living in an area, you have to get it fixed immediately.
The first thing you can do to control mold manifestation is to keep an eye out.
Since mold grows in damp areas with little to no sunlight, your basement, bathroom, kitchen, and other areas that are not hit directly by the sunlight are at risk of mold manifestation. These are the areas where moisture can easily accumulate. Since they are not getting sunlight, moisture can cause mold bacteria to thrive easily. It will only take a few days for mold to grow, and people usually don’t notice it until it is in front of their eyes.
How to Stop Mold from Growing?
Check for leaking pipes in the area with water seeping through them. If there are any damp places with a direct or indirect connection to water, find them and properly insulate them. If water seeps through a wall due to a loose or broken pipe, fix it on an immediate basis. Use cement or other chemicals within your pipes to keep them clean and fixed so that water doesn’t pour out.
Types of Mold That Can Appear
Here is a list of molds that can appear in your home. All these molds are of different types, and they usually appear in houses at damp places. Let’s go through them one by one and understand how and why they appear.
ACREMONIUM
Acremonium mold, a toxigenic mold, can change its appearance over time. It starts as a small moist black powdery mold. But with time, the Acremonium mold can change its color to pink, orange, and even white depending on the environment. It can occur in cold areas within houses, such as near drain pipes, windows sealants, under and around humidifiers, in garages, basements, and any other areas where you have less heat and sunlight. Acremonium mold most occurs due to a lack of ventilation and can be cleaned at home. Don’t go looking for mold remediation near you because you can clean it yourself.
ALTERNARIA
Alternaria, a form of allergenic mold, has a velvet-textured appearance, with dark green or brown strands appearing from its sides. Alternaria mold usually appears at damp places, mostly in homes and around shower bathtubs. It can also appear around leaking sinks, broken pipes, and seep through walls. It is a common mold type and can appear anywhere in the house where the water damage has occurred. Alternaria can cause lung problems, breathing problems in small kids, and even asthma. It should be treated immediately. It also has a rotten smell that one can easily realize if they are present in the area with Alternaria mold growing around.
ASPERGILLUS
Aspergillus is a common household mold also called the American mold. It appears around walls, forming layers in a flask-shaped spore. Aspergillus has 185 subcategories that are part of different parts of the world. Aspergillus usually forms long chains if mold grows around the surface. It can appear in many colors and is mostly found in green, black, and orange colors around houses. After coming in direct contact with sunlight, Aspergillus can change color to orange from black or green. This shows that the mold has started to die down.
Methods to Gettingt\ Rid of Mold
While many prefer to get rid of mold infestation with the help of chemicals, they are not the only way of treating mold. In fact, organic ways of mold treatment are recommended worldwide, especially in the house, because they are acceptable and not harmful to individuals.
It is always better to treat mold with organic methods before you decide to use toxins to clean the mold in your area.
- Mold Treatment and Removal with Vinegar
Spraying vinegar on the mold-infested areas can also clean the mold off the surface. If you have an infected wall in your area with mold appearing on it, spray it with vinegar and let it dry down for a few hours. Vinegar will directly react with the infested area and clean it immediately. Since vinegar has acetic acid, it can directly react with mold and remove it while also cleaning the area of any other residue bacteria.
- Mold Treatment and Removal with Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is another chemical that you can use to clean mold from your house. Hydrogen peroxide with a 3% concentration should be poured into a spray bottle and sprayed on the infected area. But before doing that, find out if there is any discoloration occurring on the wall. Since hydrogen peroxide can cause discoloration and damage, it shouldn’t be sprayed anywhere else on the wall.
After spraying on the infected wall, leave it to dry for at least 10 minutes. Now scrub the area and remove black mold and stains from it. You can get it free from residual mold and stains once the mold is scraped off.
- Mold Removal with Baking Soda
Baking soda is a great way to remove any impurities, and it also works like a charm on mold. Add one-quarter of a tablespoon of baking soda to a spray bottle full of water. Shake it until the whole mixture is completely mixed. Now spray the mold area with baking soda and water solution. You will need a scrub brush to remove mold from the surface. Rinse the surface with water and remove any leftover residue of the baking soda.
Spray again and scrub the mold. Do it repeatedly until the mold has disappeared from the wall completely. Make sure not to use a hard scrubber or remove the paint off the wall.
- Mold Removal with Essential Oils
Oils can also help remove mold from your area. You can use any essential oil of your choice and mix it with water. Put it in a water bottle and shake it vigorously to mix and settle the whole mixture. Spray this mixture over the moldy area and leave it to dry for a few hours. Since oils don’t react directly with mold, they make the moldy fibers easier to get off the wall.
You will need a scrubber to remove the mold condition once you have the area sprayed. Use protective gloves when scrubbing mold to ensure no skin allergies occur.
- Lemons for Removing Mold
Lemons also have acid in them, which makes them a natural bleach and stain remover. You can also use lemons to remove mold infestation in your house. To begin with, squish three to five lemons in a spray bottle and shake it vigorously.
Now spray the mixture on the infected area. Let it dry for a couple of minutes, and you will see that the mold has started to rub off the wall. Use a scrubber or a damp towel to clean the surface. Repeat the process a few times to get rid of any tough stains.
Bottom-line
These are some of the best ways to get rid of mold in your house. We hope that you now have enough methods at hand to clean even the toughest mold stains with ease.
Author bio
About Ashley Rosa: Ashley Rosa is a freelance writer and blogger. As writing is her passion that why she loves to write articles related to the latest trends in technology and sometimes on health-tech as well. She is crazy about chocolates. You can find her at twitter: @ashrosa2.
