By Jon Arnett
Co-Author: Randy Hough
Every homeowner needs to be aware of how to remove mold and mildew from their home. These fungi can do considerable damage to the atmosphere in the house, affect the health of the family and decrease the value of the home.
It would be possible to use chlorine bleach to get rid of the mold, but this is unsafe and impractical. It is dangerous to your health to use and also damages the carpet, floor or wood that has the mildew growing.
Before attempting to clean up the black mold spots that grow in the moist, warm and dark areas of the house, you need to get rid of the infected items. If you do not, the spores will just spread and begin growing again.
Often, it is wet carpeting, wood floors, water damaged ceiling tiles, old books and clothing that has the mold growing. It is very difficult to salvage most items, but it can be done in some cases, otherwise you must throw them out to be buried or burned.
You also must find the source of the moisture and get rid of it. Mold and mildew require the moisture to grow and flourish, when you remove the nice habitat, it will be much easier to get rid of it. If the infected area is warm, as a bathroom tends to be, you must find a way to ventilate and cool it off. Ceiling fans work wonders, and are not difficult to install.
The simplest green cleaning product of all is vinegar and baking soda. I have used this many times to clean up all kinds of stains and odors. One time my house was sprayed by a skunk and we had to scrub the entire house with vinegar and baking soda to get rid of the skunk odor. It was a lot of work, but the results were astonishing.
My method is to pour straight vinegar into a bowl or bucket, and pour the baking soda into another, smaller bucket or bowl. You can use a sponge or cloth rag to scrub with. Soak the sponge in the vinegar, wring it out a bit and dip it in the baking soda. Then just scrub the black mold spots or whatever else you are cleaning, with the loaded sponge.
If you use a criss-cross motion your cleaning will go much faster. This solution will leave a dusty residue on the surface, just wipe it off with another damp sponge and towel to dry.
There are also numerous quality spray on cleaners that are made of plant substances and are completely safe for you children and pets. These are quite effective and easy to use, but cost much more than the vinegar and baking soda.
You can also use a combination of cleaners to do the job. Some areas, such as a wall or door jamb, lend themselves to the inexpensive solution, while others, are better left for the commercial cleaners. This is a much better method for removing mold and mildew than harsh, toxic chemical cleaners.
Randy Hough and Jon Arnett have a website: http://www.fixyourwaterdamage.com, that talks about how to get rid of mildew.
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