How To Spot And Treat Mold In Your Home
The first sign of mold you notice may be a musty smell in your home.
After looking around, you spot what looks like mold -- don't panic!
You can remove unhealthy mold from your house without it costing a small fortune.
Check To Be Sure It's Really Mold
Mold can look many different ways, which depends on the type.
Some are grayish-white or black and can look like a dirty smudge.
If you're in doubt that a spot is mold, you can do a test with chlorine bleach.
Simply put a drop on the spot. If the color immediately fades away, you have mold.
Mold Infestation Ususally Means Leaks Too
Mold needs moisture to grow.
If you find mold, you know that you probably also have a water problem in your King of Prussia home.
So first, you'll need to find the source of the leak and repair it.
After that, you can begin getting rid of the mold.
How To Kill Mold
A lot of people think mold clean up has to be expensive.
The truth is that most mold problems can be eliminated with chlorine bleach.
Bleach is a strong chemical, so for safety you'll need to wear gloves, an air filter and goggles while you clean.
Remember, when cleaning with bleach you need to work in a well-ventilated area, and never mix bleach with anything that contains ammonia.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends using bleach to kill mold on hard, non-porous surfaces.
Killing mold with bleach is a simple process:
- Thoroughly soak the area in full strength bleach.
- Let it soak for fifteen minutes.
- Scrub the area with a mixture of one-part chlorine bleach, three-parts water and one teaspoon of dishwashing soap.
Finishing The Clean-up
Once everything has been washed, you'll need to do another inspection of your home.
Look for moldy papers, clothes or anything porous that could be a good home for mold.
These things will need to be bagged and thrown away.
Allow two to three days for the surfaces to dry.
Then, continue to inspect the areas for mold re-growth, and pay attention for any moldy odors.
Congratulations, you have eliminated the mold problem in your home and saved a lot of money by doing it yourself.
If you'd like additional maintenance tips or are looking to buy a new house, contact a licensed real estate professional right away!
For help or questions contact:
Joe Gonzalez
Senior Loan Consultant - NMLS #126036
GMH Mortgage Services, LLC
625 W. Ridge Pike, Building C, Suite 100 | Conshohocken, PA 19428 | Direct: 610-355-8039 | Cell: 610-739-6563
Joe, this is a good educational blog.
Hi Joe,
There are a lot of homes out there with mold as an issue that never gets addressed until a home inspection. It's sad that owners don't have a clue on what to do about mold in the home.
Thanks for the tips.
Best, Clint McKie
Joe, have you seen the pink mold that we have noticed in our bathroom over the past few years? Does that mean that the method of water treatment has changed? We never used to get this. It comes in the bath tub and on the shower curtain. It is easy to clean up, but it can leave a pink stain behind even after bleaching.
I make a great mold dector - not sure what kind of mold however, but the minute I am exposed to it - I cant stop sneezing....I am not the end all tester however, clients still get to use a home inspector - LOL Good post!
@Clint - I was volunteering for disaster relief last week in NJ from Hurricane Sandy. A homeowner who had no flooding in the house, just under spotted a small bit of mold in the kitchen. Ignored for a week & there was more & more & more. After pulling just 1 piece of sheetrock off, well you know the rest of the story. The entire house was affected infected with mold!! Not cool.
@Roger - I'm a mortgage guy & know just enough to spot it.
@Linda - ughhh, that's not good. The problem with mold is that once it pops up it can spread like wildfire.
So truthful. Only one thing to ad.....bleach and 'Dawn' Dishwashing Liquid with Bleach should not be mixed. It says that on the bottle and I had a bad fume experience a long time ago before the company put it on the bottle. Thought you would want to know.