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Have you got an issue in your home with mold or mildew? It’s a bit of a constant battle for any home owner, so you’re definitely not alone. Mold is horrible, it spreads, it smells and it’s bad for your health, so it’s best to remedy the situation as soon as you find the issue, typically the quicker you identify the problem the easier it is to get rid of.
Quick Navigation
- What is mold & where is it found?
- How to identify mold
- Tools required to tackle mold issues
- How do I get rid of mold?
- Extra cleanup, repair & prevention
- Get a quote on damp proofing
What is mold & where is it found?
Mold is a nuisance, its an eye sore, but most importantly it can be bad for your health. Mold is a fungus that occurs in almost every home and can be found pretty much everywhere, but the most common areas you are likely to find it is in damp or cold sections of your home. Mold is often found around your shower tiles, next to windows, on window ledges or on the ceiling.
In this guide we cover how you can get rid of the mold & stop it from returning, for smaller mold issues this can be easy to remedy with household cleaning products, however larger infestations may require more intervention.
How to identify mold
Mold can grow almost anywhere in your home and may be especially prominent in damp places. Typically you can easily spot mold as it appears in a close collection of black spots, and often if you get up close there will often be an unpleasant odor. If you are unsure whether an area is effected by mold or if it’s just dirt then you just need to dab a few bits of bleach onto the effected area (or a mold cleaning product), if after a few minutes it clears up then unfortunately you have a mold issue that needs tackling.
Tools required to tackle mold issues
Materials vary dependent upon the severity of the mold issue, however here are some of the tools you may require for the job in hand:
- Bleach, detergent or ammonia
- Dust mask
- Rubber cleaning gloves
- A sponge or scrubbing tool
- Bin bags
If the mold is more severe then you may need tools to do some more labor intensive DIY, like a saw.
How do I get rid of mold?
There are quite a few ways that you can get rid of mold, here are a few of the most common methods:
Remove Mold With Bleach:
Bleach works wonders, amongst those wonders is the removal of mold. It can virtually kill any mold that it comes in contact with, as well as leaving the surface sanitized & protect from future mold issues.
To kill mold with bleach you should:
- Mix 1 cup of bleach with 4 litres of water
- With gloves use a spray bottle or a sponge soaked in the mix and just dab the bleach on the effected area
- You don’t then need to rinse the bleach, you can leave it to do it’s work & prevent future mold growth
Remove Mold With Baking Soda:
The natural & safe method of getting rid of bleach. It’s effective if you are worried about bleach being too harmful or corrosive, if you have pets or young kids. It also does a great job at removing the smell of mold completely.
To kill mold with baking soda you should:
- Add a quarter of a table spoon of baking soda to a spray bottle
- Fill the spray bottle with water & mix it a little
- Spray the walls or effected area with the solution
- Scrub the area after spraying with a sponge
- Once you have got rid of all the mold, rinse the surface with water & dry it
Remove Mold With Detergent & Water:
This simple method is effective, just as it says on the tin all you have to do is mix detergent & water. This method doesn’t kill the mold itself, but if you completely clean it up then it shouldn’t come back, but you have to make sure that you get all of the effective area or it will continue to grow.
Extra cleanup, repair & prevention
You’re always at risk of mold taking hold of your home & returning, however there are a few things that you can try and do to prevent the problem.
Mold loves moisture, so anywhere that is an issue you should aim to fix it, here are some of the common problems & things you can do to prevent further infestations:
- Roof leaks – Regularly check your roof, loft & drainage to ensure that it is preventing water from entering your home, if there is an issue found, fix it straight away.
- Open your windows – Obviously not a popular one in the British winter, but opening your windows to air out your home on a regular basis is a must, it allows condensation to leave, particularly in the bathroom.
- Window condensation – Often you may find that there is condensation around your windows, wipe any condensation away & potentially look at getting a dehumidifier in that area.
- Basement / cellar leaks – Sometimes if your basement / cellar isn’t properly tanked it can lead to mold issues around your house.
Get a quote on damp proofing
If mold keeps re-occurring you may have an issue with damp in your home. This can be a real problem & you should get it looked and see to by a professional.
You can easily compare quotes from local tradesmen and companies by filling out your details below:
