For unwanted mold in the home, Peake Restoration knows what to do.
We’d like for you to know these steps in how to handle and eliminate mold in your home. Our experience over the years has ensured that we know how to perform a mold test and provide complete mold removal services. But before you come to us, here are a few easy do-it-yourself remedies you should try before its time to bring in professionals.
Eliminate Moisture
Mold flourishes in warm, humid areas and you would typically find it growing in the bathroom. The first step in removing and preventing mold is to clean where mold normally shows up in your home, and keep the area dry. It’s important to clean your bathroom and kitchen on a regular basis, but if your home has a basement, keep in mind that there could be crevices in the walls that are letting moisture in.
Cleaning Solutions Are Your Friend
There are many inexpensive and easy to find cleaning solutions out there that eliminate mold.
Bleach is very effective in cleaning moldy surfaces. A good use of bleach is to it mix with water in a spray bottle or bucket to clean surfaces with a sponge. To prevent growth, don’t wipe the area afterwards. This solution does not work well on porous materials like wood and drywall, and also gives off harsh fumes. Also, mixing chlorine bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners can produce toxic gas and is incredibly dangerous—so please be careful!
Vinegar will work on moldy surfaces but isn’t quite as effective as bleach—but since vinegar does not admit toxic fumes, vinegar is the safer option. Undiluted white vinegar or apple cider vinegar work well to clean up a moldy surface. Pour vinegar into a spray bottle, spray the affected area, let it sit for about an hour, and then wipe away the mold. To prevent mold growth, do not wipe afterward, but spray again every few days. Use only on non-porous surfaces.
Borax is an overall safe option that doesn’t release dangerous fumes when cleaning mold-ridden surfaces. Mix one cup of borax for every gallon of water, then scrub. Only apply to non-porous surfaces, and let sit.
Ammonia is similar to bleach. It can be applied to porous surfaces but is also a dangerous chemical. For removing mold, make sure that you only use clear ammonia to create a 50/50 mix with water, and spray the moldy surface, let sit for a few hours, wipe, and rinse.
Baking soda is a very mild and safe option that also acts as a deodorizer. Baking soda is OK to use on porous surfaces—just add two tablespoons of baking soda to eight ounces of water, and mix. Spray the areas affected by mold, then scrub and rinse. Follow-up by spraying a second time, but don’t rinse after.
Hire Professionals
If your home is constantly infested by mold, you’ll need to hire mold remediation specialists. Do your research to find the right team that will provide their services. The specialist will thoroughly inspect your home to determine the extent of the mold infestation, then let you know if you can take care of the problem yourself, or if you’ll need professionals to handle it—just make sure you receive a written report after the procedure.
If the mold is too overwhelming or too big of a mess to take care of yourself, we offer same-day mold testing for your home and provide you with your mold testing results within 24-hours. When you’re requesting our services, you’re talking to Maryland’s leader in residential and commercial mold testing and mold remediation. If you’re in the surrounding areas of Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, Savage, and Glenelg Maryland, we’ll be looking foreword to hearing from you.