Mold is one of the troubling problems that is often found at home. The growth of mold may lead to health problems and harm the structure of your home especially if you have kids or pets.
Before the mold spreads quickly, you need to get rid of it. Here are 9 effective steps on how to kill black mold and prevent it from reappearing.
1. Locate the Mold
The first step before you remove black mold is by locating the source. You can figure out the mold by identifying the color, texture, and patches in the certain locations. The mold comes in black/ dark-greenish color, slimy texture, and patches or spots shape. Those spots patches will spread over time.
Some sources of black mold can be found in corners, under cupboards, baseboards, and any room with high-level moisture. Another way to locate the mold is by using the sensitivity of your nose; it will be more sensitive when smelling the musty scent of black mold. Don’t forget to use a flashlight to help you locate crannies, nooks, and dark corners.
Read also: How to Spot Signs of Mold
2. Seal the Mold Areas
After finding out the location of the black mold, another step on how to kill mold is to seal the contaminated areas. The purpose is to prevent mold spores from spreading throughout your house.
Cover the doors and vent of the room with sheets of plastic. Use construction tape to glue the plastic.
3. Prepare Materials and Tools
After you locate and seal the contaminated area, you can get rid of the mold. There are some materials and tools you need to provide:
- Grapefruit seed extract
- Tea tree oil
- Airtight safety goggles
- Spray bottle
- Old rags
- Disposable coveralls
- Rubber gloves
- Face mask or respirator
- Nylon scrubbing brush
- Plastic garbage bag
- Flashlight (optional)
- Paper towels (optional)
4. Whip Up a Mold-fighting Solution
After preparing the materials and tools, you need to whip up a mold-fighting solution. Use tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extract as a disinfectant for treating black mold.
Tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extract contain a substance that can disinfect and remove the unpleasant smell in the contaminated areas. Also, they are completely safe and non-toxic.
It is easy to gets tea tree oil. You can buy it in health stores or online. Before that, make sure that the oil is from Melaleuca alternifolia (an Australian tree). An Australian tea tree contains active ingredients: 30 percent terpinent 4-ol and about 10 to 15 percent cineole. You can buy grapefruit seed extract in sorts of retailers.
Add a teaspoon of tea tree oil or grapefruit seed extract to one cup of water then put it in the spray bottle to produce the solution. Both tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extract have a long shelf life, so you can keep the solution for at least a year.
Read also: The Best Essential Oils for Mold
5. Gear Up the Safety Tools
Besides providing the materials to kill the mold, you need to put on some tools: airtight safety goggles, a face mask/respirator, disposable coveralls, and a pair of rubber gloves. These safety tools are important to help you treating black mold.
In addition, these safety tools can help you reduce the risk health issues, such as allergic reactions, joint inflammation, respiratory infections, and rashes.
6. Spray the Problem Areas
The next step is spraying the problem areas. What to use to clean mold is the mold-mitigating solution. Before spraying it, make sure you shake the solution first. The purpose is to keep the solution well-saturated. Keep on shaking the bottle spray during the process so that the solution always stays mixed.
Spray the solution and let the liquid to sit on the mold for about 5 to 10 minutes. The purpose is to let the antibacterial properties work through the grime well. Don’t scrape dried mold because the toxic spore may spread into the air and cause health problems.
Use a nylon bristle brush to scrub the surface area. While scrubbing the surface, make sure you unsettle and lift the dampened mold. Move the brush repeatedly in careful, strong strokes. Avoid splashing the mold on the surrounding area. After finishing scrubbing, use old rags or paper towels to clean up the area.
7. Redo the Scrub
The next step to do is to redo scrubbing. If the black mold had stains so long, remove black mold can be difficult. In that case, you need to keep on spraying and redo the scrub. A light stain is remarkably easy to clean up. Meanwhile, a heavy stain needs a thorough cleanup.
Spray the solution and clean the surface carefully. Treating black mold will be easier, and the mold will be properly killed.
8. Avoid Rinsing the Problem Area
Avoid rinsing the mold area with water. Tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extracts do well as mold-fighting agents; both materials will prevent the mold’s return. Maximize the use of the mold-fighting solution. Give the final light spray and let the solution sits on the mold. Allow it to air-dry. You will be able to treat the black mold properly by following this step.
9. Dispose of the Coveralls
The last step in treating black mold is to dispose of the coveralls. Put all the coveralls and paper towel in a plastic bag. Make sure you seal the plastic bag tightly before disposing and taking them out to the trash can.
Soak the soiled rags and the nylon scrubber in hot water before washing them. Another option is by throwing them away.
In conclusion, these 9 effective steps of how to kill mold will help you to free your house from the mold. Make sure you do the black mold cleanup regularly so that the mold would not return to your house and spread out.
