All types of mold species, particularly black mold, cherish moisture and feed on organic material. It creeps anywhere in your home, specifically with water damage. You think you have a healthy home, but if you carefully inspect each area of your house, you will notice some mold patches. Black mold is commonly seen in the basement, kitchen, or bathroom.
As soon as you see black mold spots in your home, remove them right away. Black mold exposure causes serious health risks, especially to humans and animals who have a mold allergy or are sensitive to mold. Moreover, it can harm your property if not correctly addressed. That is why medical experts recommend killing all types of mold found indoors.
If the black mold colony is not bigger than 10 square feet, you can get rid of it yourself by following the recommended tips in this article. However, for larger mold problems, it's best to seek help from mold remediation professionals.
What is Black Mold, and How does it Enter Your Home?
Black mold (Stachybotrys Chartarum) is greenish-black in color. The mold itself isn't harmful, but the mycotoxins it produces are toxic. When mold spores with mycotoxins are disturbed, they spread out to other areas in your home where you and your family members can breathe them in.
Toxic black mold spores typically find their way into your home by sticking to clothes and pet fur and through the windows and doors. Once they are indoors, they settle in wet items, damp areas, or water-damaged sites caused by leaky pipes or floods.
Once you are exposed to this type of mold, you will have adverse health effects. The most common symptoms of black mold poisoning include allergic reactions (chronic coughing and sneezing, irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, rashes), vomiting, chronic fatigue, and persistent headaches.
Those who have a delicate immune system will experience more health problems. Seek medical aid immediately to prevent further health injury. Creating an action plan to eliminate black mold from your home is an excellent choice.
What to Do to Eliminate Toxic Black Mold at Home
The first thing you have to do before the black mold removal task is to wear protective equipment such as a dust filter mask, goggles, rubber gloves, and clothing that shields your whole body.
1. Completely Dry the Affected Spots in Your Home
Remember, mold loves moisture. So if you have not properly remediated the moisture issue, black mold will start growing again. Consider doing the following:
Search for cracks in pipes and leaks in damp spots around tubs or sinks and make repairs.
Water may flow into your home through dirty and broken gutters, so make sure to check the condition of your gutters and clean them regularly.
To keep your crawl space and basement dry, ensure the ground around your property slopes away.
Allow the air to circulate freely in your home for more improved ventilation. It keeps the indoor surroundings dry.
2. Close the Room Tightly Where the Black Mold is Expanding
Seal off vents and doorways using plastic sheets or tarp and duct tape. This action stops mold spores from spreading in your home when disturbed during the whole process of mold removal.
3. Check the Affected Areas Carefully
Search for salvageable items in the affected sites and segregate them from severely mold-infested materials. You should discard terrible moldy items.
4. Remove the Black Mold
Here’s what you need to do:
Ensure the whole affected area is dried and sealed off.
Scrub the affected sites with a detergent solution. For tougher moldy parts, wash and scrub them away multiple times.
If you tend to choose natural home remedies that are safe for kids and pets, use one of these simple household-solution options:
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is a natural fungicide. It's less corrosive than bleach or ammonia and effectively eliminates black mold in your home. It has the strength to inhibit mold spores from coming back.
Formulate a mixture by combining one teaspoon of tea tree oil and a cup of water into a spray bottle. Then spray the solution on moldy spots and leave it for several minutes. Wipe the mold away using a disposable towel.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a great removal choice for small mold situations. It's also powerful at absorbing mold and mildew odors.
To form a paste, mix 50% baking soda with 50% water. Apply it to the moldy area and let it dry. Scrub the area thoroughly with a cleaning brush or sponge. Then wipe the excess away using a paper towel.
White-distilled Vinegar
White-distilled vinegar is an inexpensive and uncomplicated solution to eliminating black mold. Also, it is much safer than ammonia or bleach.
Pour enough vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray the solution generously onto the moldy sites. Then scrub down the mold with a brush. Spray on the affected areas again and wipe them down using a damp towel.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
The grapefruit seed extract is a non-toxic solution that effectively kills mold. It's also a natural disinfectant and deodorizer.
Formulate a mixture by combining 10 drops of grapefruit extract with 1 cup of water into a spray bottle. Then spray the solution onto the affected sites and leave it for 10 minutes. Wipe any excess away with a disposable towel.
5. Right after cleaning, dry the affected spots immediately using dehumidifiers and fans. Also, you can use a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner to vacuum the remaining mold spores.
6. An air purifier with a HEPA filter is also effective for the control and prevention of mold growth. Consider having one or two in your home.
Contact Mold Remediation Experts
Seek assistance from an expert if the mold infestation is larger than 10 square feet. Superior Restoration specialists are always ready to help you deal with mold issues. We are available 24/7.
For water damage and mold remediation services, call us today!
