Killing Mold

Killing mold on household or other surfaces can be a difficult task. It’s made much easier when the proper tools, chemicals and processes are used, though. It’s also helpful to remember that mold needs water and oxygen to grow. Prevent if from getting either, and you’ll have an advantage on it.

How Mold Appears

Mold spores get into homes and other buildings through the air or on people and other objects. Its tiny spores are the byproducts of the mold itself, and serve to carry it to other sites. Stopping the mold in its tracks, and preventing the spread of spores, is our ultimate aim when it comes to killing mold.

Preparing to Kill Mold

Make sure you’ve prepared the area to be cleaned. It’s recommended you also use basic protective equipment such as gloves and goggles, and maybe an N-95 type respirator if you’re worried about any fumes. These are available at any home improvement store.

Pretreating the Mold: Check to make sure the area isn’t too large (no greater than 10 square feet). If it isn’t, then wash the area down with a solution made up of chlorine bleach and water (8 ounces of bleach to 64 ounces of water) or with plain soapy water. Allow the area to completely dry before moving on. Make sure you’ve assembled enough solution to thoroughly cover the affected area at least twice over.

Eliminating the Mold

There are many good products for killing mold out on store shelves. They can all do a very good job of ridding surfaces of the mold. Look for one that kills what’s called the “mold root.” This means it’ll go after not only the mold, but any spores the mold may have created. Once the surface area is prepped with that soapy water or chlorine/water solution, make sure to dry it well. After that, use the spray product as directed. Dry it down again. Retreat as often as necessary to get rid of all mold.

Ensuring Mold Stays Gone: After cleaning, check all areas to make sure no more mold is visible. Check the area for any remaining dust or dirt, and clean it up thoroughly. This will help to ensure any spores in the dust are disposed of. Check periodically to make sure it hasn’t returned.

Prevent Moisture in the First Place: All molds need water moisture to grow. Work to eliminate the chance of moisture buildup or excess humidity in a home or building. This will deprive mold of the foothold it needs to grow.