Five Common Mistakes To Avoid While Cleaning Mold

Mold is a major health hazard for many people. Whether it is the slimy black spots on your shower curtain, the fuzzy white patches on your basement floor, or the slick orange film that develops on your kitchen drain, household, mold in any form is harmful.

Also, some people tend to feel sick due to the presence of mold in their homes. Usually, mold exposure can irritate your eyes, skin, throat, nose and lungs. Mold can be hazardous for you if you have allergies as it can lead to severe reactions, including shortness of breath. People having asthma who are allergic to mold, breathing in spores can cause asthma attacks.

In small amounts, mold spores are harmless but when they develop a spot in your home, they begin to grow.

Below are five common mistakes to avoid while cleaning mold:

1) Never use bleach for mold cleanup: Many people believe that providing bleach treatment to the mold removes mold permanently. But in reality, bleach will only change the colour of your mold to clear or white shade, it just covers the mold and does not remove it permanently.

Bleach does not kill mold and it only creates an environment for mold’s continued growth. Even you may also have possibly ingested bleach fumes and airborne mold spores which is not at all healthy.

2) Do not use DIY mold cleaning products: The only cleanser that is recommended is Borax, which is a white powder easily available at most groceries in the laundry/detergent section.

To clean mold mix one cup of Borax with one gallon of hot water and apply the Borax solution to the area. Never apply the solution to a porous material because these types of surfaces absorb water easily, which will only worsen the mold problem by keeping the area moist.

Also, after you apply the Borax solution always scrub the area with a rag or a wire brush until the mold is gone ,also wipe the area and make sure it dries thoroughly. Borax has the ability to prevent new mold from growing, so do not create your own DIY solutions and use the known ones.

3) Do not use mold resistant paint: People usually think that painting the area with mold resistant paint will solve the problem. No doubt it is a quick fix but it is not the permanent solution of eradicating mold.

But if the mold is still present, it will continue to grow beneath the paint and soon it will make itself visible again. Surely the area you paint will look better on a temporary basis but it can make mold removal a difficult task.

4) Proper containment: In order to avoid spreading spores, it is advised to set up proper containment and negative airflow environment, and dispose of materials accurately to assure that the mold problem will not spread further.

Homeowners usually do not realize the importance of setting up the proper containment to prevent spores from spreading. But it is essential to provide proper containment so as to block spore from developing.