Month: June 2016

How to Clean Up Mold

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How to Clean Small Mold InfestationsTo start, if you’re dealing with a mold infestation that’s greater than a square foot (a sizeable infestation), you should always call a professional.  Large mold infestations are usually deeper than you realize and can permeate ventilation systems, storage containers, carpet matting, and insulation inside your walls.  But, small infestations of mold and mildew can be cleaned up easily, but it may take a little sacrifice along the way.

Preparation

First, you need to know where the mold is, and make sure that the problem isn’t larger than you expect it to be.  Examine the surrounding area and see if you can figure out why there’s mold growing.  Is there a water source nearby or has it simply been extremely humid due to a rainstorm?  Be sure to take steps to remedy the problem while you’re working on cleaning up.  Fix any leaks or purchase a dehumidifier for when it rains.

You’ll need to get supplies together for dealing with the mold itself.  Always wear a mask and gloves when dealing with mold.  Contact with spores can lead to skin irritation and breathing in mold spores is hazardous to your health.  You’ll also want a bucket of warm, soapy water or some kind of cleaning solution.  Use a dish detergent, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, or baking-soda solution when cleaning up small mold infestations.

Make sure that the infected surface is something that can be cleaned.  Porous surfaces are going to be difficult to clean out.  Sheetrock, wood, and insulation are all going to need to be replaced.  If you are going to clean the surface, make sure it’s a tile surface or a non-porous plastic.

Cleaning

Distilled white vinegar is a great solution for dealing with mold.  Filling a spray bottle with vinegar, a mix of water and 3% hydrogen peroxide, or a mixture of baking soda and water (do not mix all three) will create an effect anti-fungal treatment.  Simply spray the surface thoroughly and wipe away the mold.  After you’ve cleaned the surface, repeat the process to make sure you’ve removed all of the mold.

The process is the same for dish detergents.  Use warm, soapy water to clean away the infected area.  Allow the surface to dry and repeat the process.  Any fabrics or clothes should be washed separately from other clothing.  Use warm water and detergent, then allow the fabric to dry.

Be sure to ventilate any rooms where mold was found and keep the room as dry as possible.  Clean up any water spills and use a desiccant or dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the room.  Monitor the area closely for the next week to make sure that the infestation doesn’t return.  Finally, if an item does not appear salvageable, toss it immediately.  Holding onto a mold-ridden item that you can’t save will only allow more spores to spread.  It’s better to sacrifice one item than to lose everything when the mold infestation spreads to your walls and other belongings.

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What to Look for During a Mold Search

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What to Look for During a Mold SearchIt sounds simple: “I’m looking for mold, so that’s all I need to find.”  But finding mold isn’t just about looking in a corner and spotting mold growth.  It’s about finding the signs of growth, seeking out their source, and looking for possible future problems.  So what should you be looking for?

Musty Smells

Mold spores carried in the air fill a room with a strong, musty odor.  Enclosed and poorly ventilated areas are especially susceptible to this.  In fact, that ‘scent of rain’ that many people enjoy after a rainstorm is actually caused by airborne mold spores and dust spread through the atmosphere by rainfall.  High concentrations of this released by mold growth and mildew in your home generate an earthy-musty odor in rooms.  When you walk into a room or turn on the ventilation, if the air smells musty, take some time to search the room for signs of mold.

Look in cabinets and under furniture for mold growth.  Mold can also hide inside ventilation systems so it’s a good idea to shine a flashlight into the vents and look for signs of mold growth.  This is especially true if the smell only arises when the fan is running.

Watch for Water Damage

Keep an eye out around your home for signs of water intrusion.  Bubbling wallpaper and warped boards are clear signs of wood damage from water leaks.  Puddles and drips from air conditioners, burst pipes, and leaky roofs are clear signs of water intrusion.  If there’s been a recent rainstorm, examine any places where water has pooled around your home.  When water pools near the foundation, it can start leaking into the foundation and eventually work its way into basements and cellars.  Of course, water stains on carpet, ceilings, and walls can all hint at possible places where you’ll find mold.

If water has found its way into your home and you can’t account for it, look around the site of the damage.  You may need to pull up carpet or peel back damaged wallpaper but there’s a better than average chance you have mold hiding in those spaces.

Listen for Drips

This is a little less obvious, but if you hear water dripping take notice.  Not only is dripping water a good way to lose money every month (leaks and drips can add up to hundreds of dollars each year) it’s also a prime way to feed mold and mildew growth.  Always find the source of any drips you can hear and keep an eye on them while you’re waiting to have them fixed.

Honestly, the best times to search for mold are after heavy rainstorms and extended stays away from home.  If you’ve been absent for more than two weeks, it won’t hurt to look around your house and check around appliances.  Refrigerators, freezers, washers, air conditioners, and water heaters are all prime real estate for leaks and condensation spills.  A power loss can lead to excess condensation as temperatures balance out, leading to dripping water that you missed while you were gone.  It’s better to take a look around and catch mold growth while it’s still small.

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Tips for Preventing Mildew

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Tips for Preventing MildewBoth mold and mildew are fungal growths that coat surfaces with a nasty, spore-spewing substance when the humidity and temperature reach the correct levels.  But where mold tends to be black or green and spongy, mildew is often a white, powdery substance that coats multiple objects.  And, unlike the commonly-held belief, mildew doesn’t just rest on organic substances like paper and fabric either.  Glass, tile, and plastics can all become growing spots for mildew, which can allow it to spread to more easily damaged or porous substances.

Primary Locations

So where are you going to be likely to find mildew?  Anywhere you’d likely find mold growing.  Dark corners where high humidity is prevalent.  Mildew grows quickly when the environment is right, which means closed off laundry hampers, basement corners, and cabinets near water sources or leaky plumbing are all prime suspects for mildew.

Any room that suffers from high humidity, either during storms or during use – think basements during a storm or a bathroom during a hot shower – is a hotspot for mildew.  Surfaces that are hidden from the light are perfect as well.  Vinyl wallcoverings and flooring that’s hidden beneath appliances should be checked every quarter to make sure that no mildew has begun growing in these spaces.

Any areas of the home that are poorly ventilated can be a cause for concern as well. Ventilation makes it difficult for mold and mildew to grow because it helps to keep surfaces dry via evaporation.  Once mildew has already begun to grow, a ventilated area (without dehumidification) will only serve to spread spores faster.

Prevention and Control

So now you know where to find mildew, what can you do about preventing its growth in the first place? Unsurprisingly, many of the practices you need to follow for preventing water and mold damage apply here.

Fix Moisture Problems – Leaks, drips, and excess condensation are all sources for mildew.

Increase Air Circulation – Moving air helps to control temperature and dry out surfaces, making things difficult for mildew to develop.  This includes during or after showers or while cooking.  Use the vent fans to circulate humid air away from surfaces and keep humidity levels down.

Remove Wet Items – This isn’t just from water leaks and damage.  Any wet items need to be replaced or dried quickly. That includes laundry in your hamper.  Don’t let them sit and don’t leave water pooling anywhere.

Use a Dehumidifier – Humidity control is key.  If you aren’t planning on running your air conditioner regularly (strange as that may be during the summer), buy a dehumidifier for humid rooms to deal with the excess and keep things at or below 45% humidity.

Keep Your Home Clean – Strange as it may sound, cleaning up your home and general house maintenance are key to preventing mold.  Replacing air filters and dusting help to mitigate dust and mold spores.  General cleaning and maintenance will also force you to check trouble spots and keep them clear of any contaminants or current growth while the infestations are small.

Throw Away the Unsalvageable – Don’t keep moldy items.  If mildew has completely taken over something, it’s often best to simple toss it and replace it.  Porous items such as wood, insulation, or sheetrock should all be replaced quickly.  Favorite clothes and even some heirloom items are often not worth the cost of cleaning.  Irreplaceable memories should be sent for restoration if you really need to keep them.  But never let moldy items just sit around in the hope that drying out the air will fix the problem.

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Mold and your Air Conditioner

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Mold and your Air ConditionerUnknown to most homeowners, your air conditioner is caught in a complicated love-hate relationship with the mold in your home.  It’s a strange fate since your central cooling unit can be both a mold fighter and a source for mold growth at the same time.

Humidity Control

Your air conditioner is a simple de-humidifier.  It’s not directly intended but, due to how refrigeration works, your air conditioner actively dries out the air when it’s running properly.  As the temperature changes around the unit, vents, and evaporator coils, water condenses on their surfaces.  Mold thrives in humidity when it’s great than 45% (if you have a smart thermostat, it should list the average humidity inside your home) and air conditioners will often reduce the humidity inside your home to 45% or less.

Of course, dry air is not all it’s cracked up to be.  Excessively dry homes can leave you with cracked skin, a sore throat in the morning, and will make it harder to stay warm in the winter.  Likewise, keeping the air dry during the summer has the added benefit of making it easier to cool down.  So dry air, mixed with a fan, will decrease how much mold is in your home and help you to keep cool (both are excellent for the DFW Metroplex).

If the humidity in your home isn’t exactly what you’d like (aim for 45%), try using a humidifier or de-humidifier to reach the desired temperature.  This is especially true for rainy seasons like we’ve been experiencing recently.  When it’s cool enough outside to avoid using the air conditioner, it’s usually due to rainstorms.  The high humidity is a breeding ground for mold and mildew.  A dehumidifier is a cheaper alternative to running your AC.  So use a dehumidifier when it’s cool outside instead of cranking up the AC to keep your air dry.

Condensation

While your air conditioner does a good job at controlling the climate, it does have one drawback.  Central cooling pulls water out of the air during the cooling process.  That water has to go somewhere and it usually ends up on the condenser coils and evaporator.  Once water has collected, it drips away into a spill drain or drain pan.  This water is usually led to the outside or evaporates quickly enough that it isn’t a problem.  High humidity in the home, a malfunctioning AC unit, or a clogged condensate drain line can lead to water that leaks out and spills into your home.  Once this water has leaked out, it can damage walls, insulation, and flooring.  As an added ‘bonus,’ the water both inside and out of the drain line can be a safe-haven for mold growth.  If you notice water pooling around your AC unit, we recommend calling a repair man and inspecting the unit and walls for mold growth.

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