Mold And Mildew RemovalMany home owners want to know how to remove mold and mildew effectively. Apart from being extremely ungainly, household mold and mildew can be very problematic to your health too. If you have allergies, probably mold is the culprit. Mold is the collective name for the different species of fungi that grow within a household environment, mostly facilitated by a damp and dank environment. These molds can be quite toxic, since some varieties of them, such as the black molds can emanate some gases which can cause a host of health problems in both humans and pets. Mildew is the name to the powdery residue that these molds cause, which can become black over time. When mildew turns black, the stains are almost impossible to remove. While molds can play havoc with health, mildew can seriously damage the prospects of the house if it is being put up for sale. But the good news is that timely action can protect your home from an attack of both molds and mildew. You will not need a lot of equipment also. Here are some of the steps you can undertake to ensure mold and mildew removal from your home:- - Use an antifungal spray over the mold. This will help in killing mold. If you cannot get at an antifungal spray, paste cellophane paper over the mold. They will die because of the depletion of air supply. - Using a firm bristled brush, brush off the dead mold and mildew from the material. If the spot is too tiny, then you can use a toothbrush to remove the mold. Make sure that you remove as much of the fungus as possible. - After the brushing is done, take a newspaper and rub over the affected area vigorously. You will see more of the dead molds sticking to the newspaper. Crumple the paper to a ball and discard it, or burn it. - Prepare a solution of water and lemon juice in equal proportions to make a cupful. Add a teaspoonful of salt to it. Then wash the entire surface with this solution. The acid content in the solution will kill any leftover molds. - If possible, allow sunlight to dry this surface. That will be the finishing shot in killing mold completely from the surface. - Now that the molds have been removed, you can begin your steps to remove the mildew stains. Try a bleaching solution to wash the surface. In most cases, the mildew stains will begin to wear off since they are organic stains. If you are using fabrics, then you can use a non-chlorine bleach, depending on the washing instructions of the fabric. Otherwise, try the lemon juice solution as before with salt in it to remove the mildew stain. - After you have bleached and the mildew stain has been removed, you will have to dry the area completely to eradicate it completely. There is no use drying it in a machine, since mildew stains will not go that way. The best thing to do is to expose the surface to the sun (if you can), since sunlight is the best enemy of mold and mildew. You can take some of the ways you can prevent mold and mildew from occurring in your house. Keep your house well-ventilated and provide good entry to sunlight. Do not keep your room curtained and closed all the time. Let the outside environment pass in through it freely. Also do not allow any water to collect anywhere within your house. Fix up plumbing leaks instantly. This takes care of most household mold and mildew. If possible, invest in an air filter adjustment for your home, which will automatically remove the spores of molds from air. As in everything else, it is better to prevent mold and mildew rather than spending so much time and effort to remove them later on. Mold mildew removal is never quite efficient, so it is better to prevent them from occurring. Now that you know how to clean mold and mildew, you have no excuses. If you are still unsure, ask for a professional inspection of your house and then do the control and remediation yourself. There are many mold remover products that can help you here. But prevention is better than remediation in any case. Go for it! |