The presence of mold or mildew in the form of black (or green, or white) patches can be quite unsavory for the overall ambiance of the indoor atmosphere and environment. Growth of such elements within your house can also be an alert towards the deteriorating air quality and down-falling curb appeal. As per researches, indoor air quality can be upto 2 to 5 times poorer compared to the air quality outdoors and having mold spores can be even more dangerous in such a case.[1]
However, getting them cleaned off isn’t going to be a challenge as long as the spread is within your limits to be contained, which is usually considered 10 square feet. Any more beyond that, and you may need professional assistance to completely eliminate the issue, which often requires extensive checks and efforts. Still, if the patches are small and within range, you can straight ahead go with some easy-going DIY solutions to remove mold that’s growing. Here are a handful of tips that will definitely come in handy in helping you remove mold and mildew stains from painted walls.
Understanding About the Mold – Types & Signs of Growth
Mold growth can occur in various places within the house. These include the basement walls, bathroom area (around showers, caulks, and tile grouts), or even painted/unpainted/wallpapered walls.
Mold can be varying in terms of colors, shape, and size with the black mold being the most common in terms of growth and appearance over damp and moisture surfaces, and is often known to occur in geographic locations with moderate climate conditions. Blue and green mold can appear at places with excessive dampness (especially around the bathing room tiles and wall surfaces) where enhanced moisture and excessive presence of humidity factors often results in their growth.
While mold is another common form of mold which is well-known to grow in places with cold climatic conditions. However, it is often confused with efflorescence mineral deposit, ignorance of which can often result in increasing the toxicity of the environment indoors and should be dealt with at the earliest.
Mold growth can often stay out of sight as it takes longer before showing its appearance over the walls and damp corners. In many cases, this can also be a sign of water seepage, leaks, and other water damage issues. In such cases, to deal with the task removing the mold, it is crucial to address the water damages to prevent any further growth of mold at the affected area, ignorance of which would undoubtedly result in regrowth of mold at the affected area with the cleaning efforts all going in vain.
The best is to follow a timely inspection of certain damp and moist areas of the house along with the walls to see if there are any signs of mold growth. Here are a few things that can help you in detecting such:
- Change in color of painted walls over specific patches
- Peeling and cracking of paint over walls (which is often the primary sign of moisture present within the wall and an early sign of mold growth)
- Presence of foul and obnoxious smell around some regions of the house at some of the inaccessible corners, including places adjacent to furniture and such which often tend to stay ignored for regular clean-ups and checks.
Using the Mold Spray Remover of Appropriate Strength
There are two of the most common ingredients that come in handy when proceeding with mold removal, and they are vinegar and bleach.
Vinegar is considered an easy-going element of the two. Depending on the amount of mold spread, you may use a more potent (bleach-based) mold remover to get the range contained. However, stronger mold spray can be harmful as the resulting fumes can trigger respiratory issues specifically if you are allergic to either of them that is mold and/or bleach. Besides, this also is not recommended as long as you are up for the task of repainting the walls as a higher concentration of bleaching elements within the spray, while eliminating the mold spores, will also hurt the overall paint color and its integrity, in return.
Equipment That Can Help To Remove Mold
You don’t need any fancy set of tools and pieces of equipment to get rid of mold spores and growth. However, having a proper vacuum cleaner in possession does help reduce the outspread of mold spores during cleaning. Still, if not having one, you can always use a rough and heavy-duty sponge, some water, mold remover spray of appropriate strength, and elbow grease!
Take Proper Safety Measures to Avoid Any Side-Effects
Inhaling the flowing mold spores while cleaning apart from the toxic chemical fumes (from mold removal spray) can be severe for your respiratory health and even more if you are allergic to these two. So its best suggested to always stay equipped with proper protective measures such as an appropriate respirator or a face mask, along with proper protective clothing to keep spores and fumes in minimal contact with the body. Besides, remember to keep the cleaning space ventilated at all times to let the dusted-off mold spores and chemical fumes to properly exit and let fresh air in at all times while working in the area.
As long as the spread is looking containable, you can proceed with DIY measures, however, if the impact is high and if a more significant part of the area is affected, it is best suggested to do some in-depth research of the cause of the growth and eliminate it by taking care of the root cause- and its best to call proper professional services for that in such scenarios. Still, as long as its within your reach, use these helpful tips to remove mold and mildew growth effectively and maintain a healthy air-quality and environment within!
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