Did you know that roughly 70% of homes are estimated to harbor mold?
Is your Akron home one of these? If so, it’s time to take action. Not only can mold damage your health, but it can also wreak havoc on your home.
Mold is a tenacious fungus that is not easily killed. However, if you’re wondering how to kill mold, there are ways to get rid of it.
Don’t let the mold grow under your feet (or in your walls and ceilings)—keep reading as we share with you what to do.
Vinegar
Vinegar is non-toxic and thanks to its low PH (typically 2.5), it makes for an effective mold killer.
If you are experiencing a very minor case of mold, you may be able to eradicate it by scrubbing it aggressively with vinegar. Take note, however, that if the mold has entered a porous material, such as drywall, the vinegar might not be able to penetrate deep enough to kill it.
Bicarbonate of Soda
The opposite of vinegar, bicarbonate of soda has a very high (alkaline) PH of around 8.4. This makes it another relatively good mold cleaning option, as mold typically can only survive at a PH of between 3-7.
To clean an area with bicarbonate of soda, you will need to create a slurry of it with a little water. Apply this to the moldy area and let it sit for up to an hour. Then scrub it off thoroughly.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide can also be effective for mold removal, provided that if it can reach the whole fungus. It kills mold by oxygenating and rapidly decomposing it.
For the best results, you will need to apply a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide to affected areas. Let the hydrogen peroxide sit for a half-hour and then wash the area thoroughly to remove the dead mold.
A Professional Remediation Service
Although things like vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, and hydrogen peroxide can work on the odd mold spot—they should not be treated as large-scale solutions.
If you have a lot of mold in your home, you need to get into contact with a mold company.
Widespread mold growth is dangerous and difficult to treat with non-professional methods. It can grow into places you don’t even know about, such as within drywall, in ceilings, behind baseboards, and more. High rainfall climate here in Akron makes this even more of a possibility.
Additionally, cleaning it by yourself can be hazardous at this scale. When cleaning mold, you will likely dislodge mold spores. Big areas of mold can release huge amounts of spores. These can be toxic.
They can also land in other areas of your home, sparking off new areas of mold growth.
This means that doing DIY mold removal can be risky for your health, and make the problem worse.
Although the cost of mold remediation is higher than a bottle of vinegar—mold remediation companies are the only option when it comes to bad mold infections. What’s more, they may be able to save your health, your house, and on-going mold cleaning.
Now You Know How to Kill Mold
Now that you know how to kill mold that hasn’t gotten out of control, it’s time to get it sorted out.
Be aware that visible signs of mold can indicate an already present infestation in your home. Therefore, if you live in Akron, Ohio, we advise you to take advantage of the testing we at RFD offer as part of our mold remediation services.
If you contact us, we will send out a professional from our team to test your home for mold spores. From the results, you can then determine whether you need to have your home professionally treated.