How to Clean Up Mold Damage
Excess moisture in your home can lead to mold damage that needs to be removed. Dangerous mold can form, so it is important to take action to make repairs to leaky pipes or roofs. In addition, if you see mold in your home that is black, do not disturb it until you find out what kind of mold it is.
- Check to see where the moisture is
coming from. For instance, if you have pipes leaking, you need to
have these repaired before you can fix mold damage. If your roof is
leaky, you need to have it repaired. Removing mold damage without
fixing the root of the moisture problem is not going to fix mold
long-term. - After the moisture issue has been
discovered and fixed, the excess moisture in the air needs to be
removed. Purchase dehumidifiers as these will help to remove excess
moisture. Make sure you buy dehumidifiers that are large enough to
take care of the area or buy more than one to ensure it can handle
the amount of space in your home. If you live in a humid climate,
you may need to keep the dehumidifiers running on low speed after
the initial treatment. - Never touch mold with your hands,
always put on a thick pair of rubber gloves before you begin
cleaning. Put on a pair of safety goggles, and a mask whenever you
are disturbing any kind of mold. If the mold is in your bathroom,
close that room off to the rest of your home. Close off and cover
the air-conditioning and heating ducts in the room. - Use a plastic bag and place
anything that has mold on it into the bag, be sure to tie the bag
tightly after you have all the mold inside and throw in the dumpster
or trash bin outside. Laundry detergent mixed with water normally
works well for cleaning mold, scrub the area that had the mold. You
can also use bleach mixed with water and wipe it on the area. Wipe a
solution of borate detergent (such as dishwasher soap, but check
ingredients) and water on the mold area and allow to dry and don't
rinse off. The borate helps resist future mold.