If you care about hygiene and health, maintaining a clean home is likely high on your list of priorities. However, there’s more to this task than just sweeping floors and cleaning windows. Some parts of our homes require special attention, especially if they’re prone to growing mold. Luckily, although mold is unappealing and often smelly, it’s not necessarily too difficult to get rid of – if you know what to do. So how do you get rid of mold in your house properly?
What Causes Mold in the House and How to Prevent It?
Mold is a type of fungus that tends to grow in moist areas. In nature, this is a very commonly found organism that plays an important role in the ecosystem. However, when it enters our homes, it can cause an array of issues. Not only does it ruin the appearance of your home, but it also emits an unpleasant odor. What’s more, in some cases, large quantities of mold in a home can cause health problems.
The easiest way to deal with mold is to prevent it from growing in the first place. Since all molds depend on moisture for survival, all you need to do is make sure there are no permanently damp areas in your home. Dab dry your kitchen counters, sinks, window sills, and any other areas that come in contact with water daily. This also includes flower pots!
However, even if you don’t manage to keep mold away, don’t despair. There are easy and efficient ways to deal with this issue in your home. Here’s how.
How to Get Rid of Mold in the Shower?
The shower is the most common place you’ll find mold in a household. It usually accumulates in corners and around the rims of the shower, especially if they’re hard to reach when cleaning. Luckily, getting rid of mold in the shower is no rocket science, but it is important to know that some of the following solutions, such as Clorox and bleach, aren’t really green. That being said, in some rare cases we may be forced to choose our own health first, so without further ado, here is how to get rid of mold in the shower:
- Use store-bought mold cleaners-There are many brands of cleaning chemicals designed to deal with mold, Clorox being one of them. You should be able to find them in any larger convenience store. Simply follow the instructions listed on the package and make sure to wear gloves to protect your hands.
- Apply bleach-After cleaning the shower with the store-bought cleaner, mix equal parts of water and bleach. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and apply it to all areas where there is any mold left. Let it soak, and then scrub it away after a few minutes.
- Distilled vinegar-The next step in this process includes applying vinegar to the surfaces you just cleaned. Sure, it doesn’t smell great, but it will kill off any remaining spores and prevent reoccurrence. After applying, don’t wash or wipe it off – let it dry on its own.
- Wash off-Once the vinegar has dried, wash the surface with warm water, dry them completely with a clean cloth, and open a window in the bathroom if possible.
If you’re not too sure about using chemicals to treat mold, you’ll be happy to know that there are also homemade, natural solutions you can turn to. For example, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are both great for getting rid of mildew and other types of mold. However, make sure to only use one of these substances – don’t mix them together!
Getting Rid of Mold in the Rest of the Bathroom
The shower is not the only place in the bathroom prone to mold growth. Basically any surface has potential since bathrooms tend to contain a lot of moisture in every nook and cranny. Luckily, you can apply the same techniques you used for the shower to the rest of your bathroom. Just make sure to use sturdy sponges and brushes of different sizes to reach every corner and crevice.
How to Get Rid of Mold on Walls?
Most bathroom tiles can endure treatment with a wide range of chemicals without sustaining any damage. However, this isn’t true for all surfaces. For example, you might find mold growing on the interior walls – especially in areas that aren’t exposed. However, drywall and painted walls can get damaged way more easily if you use products not appropriate for this type of surface.
To remove mold from the walls in your home, do the following:
- Prepare the area- Protect the floor around the moldy part of the wall by covering it with a few sheets of plastic and fixing them with tape. It would also be a good idea to have some old towels or rags on hand.
- Use a baking soda mixture-Unlike what you did for bathroom tiles, you will want to mix one part of baking soda with three parts of water. Spray the mixture and scrub away using a sponge or rag. Of course, don’t forget to wear rubber gloves for protection.
- Repaint- Depending on the location and amount of damage, you might end up having to repaint the part of the wall you treated. Stain-blocking primers and paints are your best bet.
Bonus tip: If the damage to the wall is so extensive that it is beginning to crumble and fall apart, it’s best to leave the job to professionals. Such high quantities of mold (especially indoors) can cause an array of health problems.
Get Professional Cleaning Services to Get Rid of Mold
As we said, removing mold in your home is not difficult. Preventing it from coming back, however, is a different story. It is all too easy to fail to remove mold spores – after all, they’re everywhere, and they’re invisible to the human eye. More importantly, however, coming in contact with large amounts of mold can put your health in danger and cause skin, respiratory, and other infections. So if you’re having second thoughts about whether you should tackle this task on your own, it’s probably smarter to go with the fool-proof options – getting in touch with professional cleaning service providers who can remove the mold in your home for you.
