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How to Banish Black Mold From Your Home for Good

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Black mold can be unhealthy and dangerous if left untreated in your home. It can cause health problems as well as lead to more costly damage. Removal of black mold is not as easy as it sounds. If not done properly, mold will just keep coming back again and again. Follow these steps to banish black mold from your home for good.

Locate and Eliminate the Source of Moisture

The first step in removing mold from your home is to eliminate the source of moisture. If you had a leak in the roof or have water dripping through a crack in a window, be sure to make these repairs first. Use a dehumidifier to reduce humidity and dry out a room. If you don't effectively remove all of the moisture, the mold will likely come back even after you've cleaned it all up.

Prepare Your Home for Mold Removal

If the mold is in one area of the house, seal it off from the rest of the house with heavy plastic. As you're cleaning, you'll likely kick up a few mold spores and make them airborne. They can travel to other areas of the house and cause an infestation elsewhere. Cover vents and use exhaust fans in the windows to blow mold spores out of the house.

Wear Protective Gear

Black mold can trigger allergies and asthma attacks among other health concerns. Before you start the cleaning process, make sure you have the necessary protective gear. Purchase a respirator or facemask that's rated to block out mold spores. Cover your arms and legs, and wear gloves to keep the black mold spores from coming in contact with your skin.

Kill Mold With Household Cleaners

There are a few household cleaners that you can use for black mold on non-porous surfaces. Bleach, ammonia and Borax all remove mold and clean the surface. It's important not to mix these chemicals. Dilute one cup of bleach with one gallon of water and spray the affected area. It does produce harsh fumes, so be sure to ventilate the area while cleaning. For Borax, dilute one cup of Borax with one cup of water and apply it to the affected area. To prevent mold growth in the future, don't wipe away bleach or Borax solutions.

If you are using ammonia, mix equal parts of ammonia and water in a spray bottle. Spray the area and let it set for a few hours before wiping it away. Ventilate the area to avoid inhaling toxic fumes.

Opt for Commercial Mold Killers

Commercial black mold killers are readily available at any home improvement or hardware store. These cleaners kill the mold spores and prevent them from growing back. Find different formulas to work on porous and non-porous surfaces. Before applying the mold killer, wash the area with warm soapy water and a scrub brush. Spray the commercial mold killer over the entire affected area to kill the mold. While these products are effective in killing mold, they don't remove discoloration. It may be necessary to use bleach or another cleaner to remove the appearance of mold.

Remove the Infestation Completely

Cleaning up an area with black mold isn't always possible. For example, if there's black mold growing from a leak behind drywall or if it's spread to the carpet, the situation is more difficult. Your best option for removing mold inside walls is to remove those materials completely. Next, use a Shop-Vac to clean up any affected debris. Clean the area using the methods listed above. Install new drywall and carpeting to the area. Handle discarded materials with care. Seal them tightly in trash bags and remove them from the home rather than storing them in the garage until trash day.

Hire a Professional

If your home has suffered extensive damage from a flood or major storm, you might have mold growing in several areas of your home. In these instances, it's a good idea to hire a professional. Black mold remediation specialists know what to look for and how to remove black mold from even the toughest surfaces and hard-to-reach places.