5 IMPORTANT TIPS ON HOW TO CLEAN MOLD

So you've decided to clean up the mold on your own.

This is a challenging job because you have to be thorough in your cleaning. (After all, people do make a career out of this.)

But if you take your time and follow the proper procedures, then you can eliminate mold just as well as a professional contractor.

Consider five tips to remember.

1. Scrub mold off of hard surfaces using water and detergent.

Terminating mold can be just as easy as a good wash and scrub. Use an adequate detergent and wash the affected area like you were preparing dinner for a king. After washing be sure to dry the surface completely! All it takes for mold to form again is the residue of the soap and just a little moisture.

2. Don't try to cheat.

Don't try and paint or seal moldy surfaces. Make sure and completely clean the mold and dry the surface before painting. If you take the easy way out then so will the mold—and it might grow back again. Besides, paint over moldy surfaces usually peels anyway.



3. Sometimes you have to let it die.

Not speaking of the mold here; of course you want the mold to die. Rather, absorbent or porous materials such as ceiling tiles, drywall or even carpet. Mold grows in and around the empty spaces of porous material, which makes it next to impossible to remove all of it completely. If your home furnishings become infested with molds, then it's probably best to discard them.

4. Special items call for special care.

Even if you decide to clean the mold yourself, there may be a need to consult a specialist if you have items of expensive or sentimental value. You wouldn't want to just discard these, but also, they won't be very pleasant to keep and cherish if they are covered in foul smelling mold. There are many specialists who can help clean and restore special items such as furniture, paintings, art, carpet and collectibles.

5. Get rid of the water!

Remember that moisture survives on organic matter and water. Any little bit of moisture is more than enough to sustain an entire mold colony. Therefore if you have a plumbing leak or any other water related problems, it is important to fix them as soon as possible. Even if you kill the mold once, it will come back provided there's enough moisture in the area.

If you want to do a good job in mold clean up then you must concentrate like a professional. While there are many different ways to clean up mold, it's the same principle: wash, rinse and dry and do so thoroughly.