What is The Best Way to Remove Mold in Your Home or Office?

Discovering mold in your Spokane home or office can be unsettling. You probably have many questions like:

• How long have I been exposed to mold?
• How am I going to clean mold out of my home/office?
• What is the best way to remove mold?

We’ve spoken at length about do-it-yourself mold removal. In general, we don’t recommend that you attempt to remove mold yourself. Using the methods described in this and other articles will only remove surface mold. It will not reduce the “mold load” in your home or office. For that you’ll need to call in the professionals.

That being said, there are ways to clean surface mold from your home or office. You should not attempt this if you have severe mold growth. Anything more than a small patch of mold will need to be handled by a professional mold removal company. You’ll also need to take steps to protect yourself against mold exposure. Goggles, a facemask, and rubber gloves are a must when interacting with indoor mold and especially dangerous black mold.

What’s the best way to clean mold?

The best way to remove mold is to call a professional mold remediation service and have them remove it for you. A botched mold removal job can result in expensive, and unnecessary repairs. You also run the risk of spreading mold to other parts of the house, further increasing the cost and adding unnecessary risk to your health and safety.

We don’t ever recommend dealing with mold issues yourself. That being said, here are a few key steps you can take:

1. Remove moldy items from the room

The first thing you need to do is remove any items that may have been exposed to mold in the affected room. Fabrics, like clothes or stuffed animals are highly likely to have come in contact with spores. Place items inside trash bags in the contaminated room before bringing them outside. The goal of this first step is to prevent the infestation from spreading to other parts of the house.

2. Lower the humidity level

The primary factor in indoor mold growth is humidity. Run a dehumidifier in the room and try to get the room as dry as possible. This is also a good time to look for the source of the moisture and remove it. It could be a leaky roof, condensation from an air conditioner, or a corroded waterline. The best way to get rid of mold and make sure it stays gone, is to remove the source of moisture. Until you address that, you’ll be stuck dealing with mold issues.

3. Isolate the mold infestation

Seal off the room with plastic sheeting. Cover air vents and cold air returns with plastic. Seal around doors to other rooms and leave just one way in and out of the mold infested room. If there’s a window to the exterior of the home, you can place a box fan in the window, blowing air to the outdoors. You’ll need to dispose of the fan after you’ve finished removing the mold, as they’re nearly impossible to completely clean.

The idea here is to isolate the mold infestation and prevent it from spreading to other parts of your home while you work to remove the mold.

4. Use mold cleaning supplies

There are a variety of off the shelf products that can be used to remove mold. Find the best one that works for you.

You can also use common household ingredients to make a solution that removes mold. The best one (in our opinion) is a mixture a more natural approach. White vinegar makes an excellent mold cleaner. It’s cheap, easily attainable, and won’t damage your walls or floor. If you have pets, or small children in your home, it’s the superior alternative to harsh chemical cleaners. Just pour it in a spray bottle and spray on the affected area. Let it sit for half an hour and rinse it off with water.

You may want a good stiff bristle brush that you don’t mind throwing away after you’re done cleaning up the mold. It’ll help loosen any stuck-on spores.

5. Protect yourself from exposure to mold

N-95 masks are recommended when dealing with mold. You should also wear goggles, and clothes that can be disposed of after you’ve finished cleaning up. Long rubber gloves are also a must when dealing with a mold infestation.

The health hazards of mold exposure are well documented. It’s one of the leading causes of asthmatic events in adults and can even cause asthma in children who are subject to prolonged exposure to mold.

6. Clean and remove mold from the infested area

Spray on the mold cleaning solution of your choice, and let it sit for a few minutes. Scrub it with a stiff bristle brush if it can’t just be wiped away with a cloth towel. Be sure to never use a brush to scrub mold that has not first been moistened by either mold cleaner, or water. Disturbing a dry patch of mold will cause it to spread. Dampening the mold first will help prevent the spores from going airborne. Run a floor dryer, fan, or dehumidifier in the area to ensure any excess moisture is removed.

7. Dispose of moldy clothing or equipment

The clothes and protective equipment you wore to clean the mold infestation need to be discarded. This step also applies to the items you removed from the room in step one. Ideally they should be disposed of, but, if there are items of sentimental value they should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before being re-introduced to the home.

8. Call a specialist to take an air sample

Even after all that, you haven’t done anything to solve your mold problem. You need to call a professional to do a mold inspection and remediation. Left unchecked, even a small amount of mold can cause major problems. In the end, the best way to remove mold, the only way to remove mold, is to call a professional mold removal company.

Years of experience and knowledge ensure that potential future issues are identified, and the mold is completely eradicated, protecting you and your family from the hazardous side effects of living with a mold infestation.

Professional Mold Inspection and Mold Remediation in Spokane, WA

Does mold removal sound daunting? We’re here to help! Our trained technicians at My Pure Environment want to make things easy for you. Our location in Spokane, Washington provides all the same services as our east coast locations.

Our expert team knows exactly what removes mold and the best way to remove mold so that it doesn’t come back or pose a health threat to you and your family. Contact us today for a free consultation!

Image used under creative commons license CC BY-SA 4.0 – (1/25/2021) Alexander_Davronov (WikiMedia Commons)