For small infestations, a mixture of home detergent and water combined with a sponge or brush might be all that is required to eliminate mold from the timber in your house. In certain more demanding cases, careful sanding or perhaps replacement is called for. But remember that mold spores can be harmful, so lots of infestations must be assessed by professionals with suitable mold removal and training procedures.
Here are some things to consider when attempting to eliminate mold from wood surfaces:
- Drizzle a soft sponge or brush into the mixture and wash off the mold from the wood surfaces. As soon as you’ve eliminated signs of this mold, you may be tempted to provide the wood a last rinse. Do not do this. The added water can trigger fresh mold growth on the timber, negating your attempts. You aim to wash the area and make it less inclined to encourage mold growth when possible.
- Don’t use bleach. Porous surfaces like wood and shingles give the mold lots of nooks and crannies to hide in carrying mold spores from the reach of even the most attentive bleach scrub. The mold will just re-grow from inside these micro-crevices soon after you complete them. Additionally, bleach loses its capacity to kill mold rapidly after it’s produced. Last, bleach is a powerful compound, posing dangers to your own eyes, skin, and kids.
- If cleaning the mold from the timber has left spots behind, you might want to sand away the stains. Utilize the best sandpaper you can that gets the work done. Some hardware stores sell a little number of packs of distinct self. Make sure you wear protective equipment as mold spores can be released through sanding and these could make you sick. Cheap, flexible N95 masks are available in the hardware store.
- Another choice would be to get the timber removed, replaced, and lost. Frequently wood replacement requires less time and effort than you may expect about the labor intensiveness of cleaning big or hard wooden surfaces.
- As soon as you’ve eliminated the mold from the wooden things, use a HEPA vacuum cleaner to trap mold spores from the atmosphere. Most store vacuums don’t have a filter capable of freezing mold spores. Some home cleansers, like the ones from Dyson, have assembled in HEPA filtering, but you need to use caution when draining the debris into the garbage.
- If you are unsure how to move and particularly for regions larger than 10 square feet, then speak to a professional mold remediation business. They can help you determine if cleaning the mold is achievable or when replacement is more preferable. They can also offer you tips on products and techniques to use — or simply deal with the cleanup for you. The right strategy may save your premises, but it may also help you prevent becoming sick from the spores.
If it comes to mold development issues, prevention is your best medicine. Maintain the indoor humidity to a minimum and repair water leaks. For almost any mold issue that covers more than 10 square feet, or that you aren’t comfortable cleaning yourself, please contact your regional PuroClean office. Click here to find out more.
