How do you remove mold?

There is no easy way. The first step is always:

Isolate the area to don’t spread the mold spores further than they already are throughout your home. If inside, start by shutting off any air conditioning or heating as these typically provide enough ventilation to keep spores settling and growing on surfaces such as walls and ceilings. Then shut down all fans that may stir up those spores into the air, such as bathroom exhaust fans and range hoods. Finally, we need to contain the area by covering it with a sheet that you don’t mind throwing away later. This will prevent any spores that are disturbed into the air from spreading more spores around your home.

Once this is done, I suggest using one of these two methods for both safety and effectiveness:

Bleach Method

Mix a solution of 1 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water. You need enough to fill up a large container such as a bucket or even the tub if it’s small enough. Don’t worry about being exact on measurements. It’s not rocket science! But make sure you mix in lots of extra bleach so that when you pour it over surfaces, they will be wet all over. You can use a sprayer, but it’ll just take longer and won’t be as thorough.

Now, you can pour this solution on any surfaces that have mold growth, such as walls and carpets, etc., or if it’s awful, like with black mold, you may want to soak the areas such as carpets in the bleach water for most effective removal of these stubborn stains. If you think about it, though, the most common mold problems are probably under sinks where pipes come up through floors and walls, etc. So if we’re going to treat our home like a science experiment (and we are), then let’s see what happens when we apply bleach directly to these specific problem areas.

Vinegar Method

Mix a solution of 1 cup vinegar and 2 cups water. Again, mix it until it’s well diluted to cover all surfaces with the vinegar spray.

Now the big difference is that instead of pouring this mixture on our moldy areas, we’re going to use a little handheld sprayer because these vinegar mixtures cannot be used in large open containers such as buckets. If you pour them in there, they will eat away at your plastic container, so don’t do it! We want here for the acidic properties of the vinegar (yes, I know it’s acetic acid but saying that makes me feel like a science nerd) to dissolve and remove mold and other stains from our affected areas. This works great when dealing with any mildew, mold, and most stains.

You can also use a cloth to wipe off walls, under sinks, etc. Just be sure the area is dry before spraying with either of these mixtures, or you may dissolve some of your paint! In most cases, though, this will not happen, but be careful if you have anything painted on the surfaces you’re working with. Also, don’t forget to clean any surface where water from pipes comes up through, such as under sink cabinets.

In most cases, one application should be enough to deal with your mold problems, but there are instances where it could take more than one tries due to a horrible problem or if your house is already very fungus infested (yes, I said fungus). If it will take more than one application, make sure you let the first application dry completely before applying another.

Hiring a Professional

If you don’t feel like doing any of this yourself and would instead hire someone to fix your mold problem for you, a mold remediation specialist is what you need.

Mold remediation

Mold remediation requires the removal of all affected material down to the studs and sub-flooring/sub-decking depending on the extent of the damage. If you are selling your property, the mold must be removed entirely before putting the house back on the market.

Mold removal can take several days to complete depending on quantity and type of growth. Still, once completed, the space will likely need time for ventilation before being fully reoccupied by humans or animals. The air needs time to clear out all spores to prevent a relapse of mold growth. You should consider hiring a company that has been doing this type of work for some time and is well versed in proper mold remediation practices.

Many companies have the equipment and processes necessary to get rid of your mold problem quickly while being careful not to damage the property further or create more dangerous conditions.