Does cleaning mold stop it from growing?
[divider] Does cleaning mould stop it? [/divider]
Think of mold like an iceberg. The part you see above the surface is the smallest part. It is because of this that cleaning mold is ineffective. Read more
Why you shouldn’t paint over mold
[divider] Can I paint over mould? [/divider]
Painting over mold is like painting over rust on a car. It will only mask the problem and do so temporarily. Underneath the paint, mold spores continue to grow and in time will show through the new coat of paint. Mold must be properly removed at its root level before new paint can be applied.
Since one of the main ingredients of mold growth is moisture, painting over mold may seal in moisture and make the growth conditions even more favorable. Drying the area before hand will not prevent this as the moisture may be present at a deeper level.
How to kill mold
Before we get into how to kill mold, first we must give our professional disclaimer. Killing mold does not stop its risks, especialliy health related risks. The Mycotoxins that are present in the cell walls of mold will remain as potent whether dead or alive. Killing mold is thus just the start. Once dead, the mold needs to be properly removed.Most products on the market will work well at killing mold but only if they are followed to the letter. When not properly handled, even in the slightest bit, these products will fail and mold will be left behind. From here, it only takes a a few spores of the millions that are present to begin reproduction. Mold has to be killed and removed at the root level otherwise it will continue growing.
- Bleach
- Borax
- Vinegar
- Ammonia
- [one_half]
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- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Detergent
- Baking Soda
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How to remove mold from wood
The best way to remove mold from wood does not involve chemicals of any kind.The only way to effectively remove mold from wood is to physically remove the contaminated area. That is done with good old fashioned elbow grease. What I mean by elbow grease is simple… sand paper, a wire brush or completely remove the affected material all together by cutting it out.
Mold likes to bury itself deep into the pores of wood, drywall and other fibrous materials. Chemicals such as over the counter mold killer or bleach do not reach these “roots” and therefore do an inadequate job at removing the mold. To add injury to insult, you waste your time and hard earned money for nothing. When sanding or cutting away wood, it is a good idea to mask the surrounding area with plastic that can be thrown away easily (think Dexter). This way you can dispose of mold that was made airborne during the process and you will not contaminate other surfaces. The more you can mask off, the better.
Why cleaning products don’t work
Products like mold killer is the worst of all. It does not “remove” the mold but simply kills it when it can. Dead mold is just as harmful as live mold when it comes to causing adverse health effects. Most people think that once they kill the mold in their home, it is safe to clean up…..after-all the mold is dead. When cleaning mold, dead or alive, you often send dangerous mold spores into the air where they can then rest on other untreated surfaces or in your lungs, eyes and other body parts.
Another reason why mold cleaners and killing products do not work is human error. People simply do not read the instructions or follow them correctly. One good example of this is the dwell time required. Dwell time is the amount of time that a chemical is required to site directly on the mold for it to work properly. If there is a layer of dust between the mold and the chemical, the chemical can be less effective which then requires an increase in dwell time. You can begin to see why cleaning products and even household products do not make the grade.
Closing summary
Once again, remove the mold completely by sanding the wood with sand paper or a wire brush or by removing the wood completely and replacing it. When sanding, brushing or cutting wood that is contaminated with mold, always wear a breathing mask and disposable clothing that covers all exposed skin. Goggles are also recommended as well as something to cover your head.
Mold cleaning tips
When it comes to cleaning mold, there is a lot that you should know, how to approach the mold, what to wear, what tools to use and so much more. Hopefully these tips help you in your fight against fungi. For serious mold contamination, please contact a certified mold specialist. Your health is more important than the small costs involved with hiring a professional.
In a patch of mold measuring 12” x 12” there are 144 MILLION to 1.44 BILLION spores waiting to be set free and sent off into the air. If the DIY’er is not adequately protected, they puts themselves at risk of inhaling tens of millions of spores every time they take a breath.
What to Wear
A full face respirator with HEPA rated cartridges are required to prevent inhalation into the lungs, absorption into the mucous linings of the eyes and face and accidental ingestion when touching the mold and/or moldy surfaces. If you do not have access to this type of respirator, please wear a basic breathing mask. Never approach mold with nothing to cover your mouth, nose and eyes.
A full body Tyvek suit with hood, gloves and foot covers are also required for the same reasons as above. Again though, is you do not have access to this type of suit, then be sure to cover your skin with clothes that you can dispose of later. Do not wear lose clothing either so that the mold spores do not come into contact with your skin. This can result in rashes and other health problems.
Approaching the Area
The area to be cleaned should be “contained” to prevent the rest of the building from being contaminated. Just walking by a patch of mold will send millions of spores into the air. This is the reason why containment before cleaning is so crucial. Failure to properly contain the area could result in other persons in the building getting “sick” or other areas becoming contaminated.
If the area to be cleaned is very large, then “Air Scrubbers” may need to be utilized. Air scrubbers clean the air and remove 99.97% of air borne particles at 0.3 microns.
Cleaning the Contamination
Before you start any cleaning, it is good to know what type of mold you are dealing with. Unfortunately, the type cannot be identified by the naked eye. Color of the mold colony does not leave any definitive answers as to what kind of mold you have. It is important to know what you are up against as certain mold types are very harmful to your health while others are less harmful.
It is never recommended that you clean mold yourself but you can take some measures. Household products such as bleach, borax, vinegar and ammonia can be used to clean mold when they are present on smooth surfaces such as tiles. On porous surfaces such as wood, these products will not work as mold will often be found deep in the pores of the surface. Click the following link for details on how to clean mold using bleach.
After the “cleaning” is completed, it is highly recommended that air sampling be done to ensure that the mold issue is mitigated.
