How To Clean Mold Mildew

You may be wondering about the best way to clean mold mildew off your bathroom tile or out of your basement. You can find a large variety of mold and mildew cleaners at most hardware stores and even at department stores like Walmart or Target. As you might imagine, though, some work better to clean mold and mildew than others.

You know you need a mold and mildew cleaner if you see mold growing, of course, but you probably also have a mold or mildew problem if you notice a musty smell. You can’t always see mold because it can grow in all kinds of places where it can’t be seen, like inside your walls, underneath your carpet or in a dark corner of your basement crawlspace.

How to Clean Mold Mildew

First, you need to locate all of the mold and mildew in your home. If you miss even a little while cleaning up the mold and mildew, it will grow and spread and your problems will return or even get worse. If you’re not sure you’ve located all the mold and mildew, you can call a professional to inspect your home for you. He or she will have equipment to help locate hard-to-find mold.

Now, the best mold and mildew cleaner for you to use sometimes depends on the strain of mold you have – there are about 100 different strains commonly found in homes in America. The North Dakota State University says that for many strains, you can use a non-ammonia soap and follow that by cleansing the area thoroughly with a disinfectant.

The problem with the method recommended by the North Dakota State University is that any particular mold and mildew cleaner or disinfectant usually won’t work for all strains of mold. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends not attempting to clean mold mildew on your own unless you have professional training in how to do so effectively and safely if the mold covers an area larger than ten square feet. In that case, they recommend calling a professional.

There are also some materials from which mold often cannot be removed. You cannot clean mold out of the insulation in your walls and you usually cannot get it out of carpet. It’s hard to get mold out of drywall and ceiling tiles, too. Instead, those items usually must be removed and replaced.

Keeping Mold and Mildew from Coming Back

If you develop a mold and mildew problem in your home, it happens for a reason. Mold and mildew typically grow in damp areas. If there’s been flooding in your house, that’s a likely cause. But something as simple as a small leak under the kitchen sink can lead to the development of mold. A poorly-ventilated bathroom is also a common culprit; there’s lots of moisture in the air every time you shower.

After you clean mold mildew, you absolutely have to determine the cause of your mold problem and correct it. Otherwise, you will likely find yourself with another mold problem soon. It doesn’t matter what kind of mold and mildew cleaner you use to clean up your mold; no cleaner is guaranteed to prevent the return of mold.

In addition, you need to make sure that you don’t miss even a little bit of mold when cleaning up mold and mildew. If even a small bit is left behind, it will likely grow and spread. There are tests that can be used to determine if any mold has been left behind. You can have a professional come in and use an air sampler machine to check for any mold you may have left behind.

Why We Suggest Consulting with a Mold Removal Professional

A professional will make sure all the mold in the home has been located, even that in hard-to-see places like inside heating ducts, under floorboards, inside crawl spaces, and inside walls.
A professional will know how to mold-proof the home, making sure the problem does not recur.
A professional will know when materials can be safely and thoroughly cleaned and when they must be replaced due to mold contamination.
A professional will have the right cleaning products for various strains of mold and will know which to use in your home.

Click here to schedule a free consultation with a mold removal professional in your town.

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