Useful tips on how to get rid of mold in the apartment

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Black mold is a fungus that can develop at home. Like other types of mold, black mold loves moisture, so it affects those places that are often wet, such as basements, showers, bathrooms, and places where there are leaks. Since some types of black mold can cause allergies, asthma attacks and problems with the respiratory system, when you find mold at home, it will be very important to eliminate it. The key to getting rid of mold is deep processing, which will destroy not only the surface mold, but also its roots, as well as preventive measures that will prevent mold from returning.

What is mold?

Mold is a rather noticeable plaque that molds form. They are literally ubiquitous, grow on almost all materials and in any climatic conditions. The fungus appears not only on the surface of objects or walls, but also penetrates into the surfaces with microscopic threads, therefore it is not always easy to remove mold.

Most often, mold in a house can be divided into several types:

• Green Often it affects food, settling and contaminating food.
• White. You can find in flower pots, on wooden furniture, bread.

• Blue It affects window frames, doors, parquet floors or furniture.
• Black. The most dangerous type of fungus that appears everywhere: tile in the bathroom, wallpaper in the room, walls, ceiling.

Causes of mold

Mold at home begins to actively multiply and grow only when it enters a suitable environment.

• The ideal moisture level is 60-80%. This level can be in the bathroom or shower.
• Plaque survives both at very high temperatures, and at excessively low. The most optimal range is from 4 to 20 ° C.
• Difficulties in air circulation: heaped furniture, heaps of motley things, closed windows - the air is more and more infected with spores, and it becomes much easier for the fungus to multiply.

First signs of occurrence

The first sign of mold is a raw, pungent, specific smell, and after that spots of gray, whitish and black shades appear. If an uninvited guest has appeared in your house, then you must immediately get rid of it without delay.

It is necessary to solve the problem in a complex. It is not enough just to physically remove plaque, you must definitely solve the problem of ventilation and humidity control.

What you need to prepare for a successful fight

Before starting an unequal battle with the ubiquitous fungus, arm yourself with such means:

• For your protection: mittens, glasses, a respirator.
• For mechanical removal: sponge, brush, rag, scraper, sandpaper, water container, detergent or detergent, garbage bag.
• For final processing: varnish for wood, a means of killing spores.
• Before proceeding with processing, put on glasses, gloves, a respirator, and a special suit will not be superfluous.

Important! Remember that inhalation of spores is very unhealthy. Respiratory organs and skin take a major hit. Wash your hands and body after the procedure. At the first sensation of malaise, consult a doctor.

How to get rid of mold

Mold in the apartment is destroyed by the following simple algorithm:

1. Mechanical cleaning of the affected area from the appearance of plaque.
2. Processing from mold with a special tool over the entire surface with the capture of nearby meters.
3. Drying the surface and airing the room.
4. Prevention of re-formation of plaque by controlling humidity and air circulation.

Useful tips for mechanical cleaning

• The most important thing is to carefully remove the visible plaque. If the layer is fresh and has appeared recently, then mold can be eliminated from the walls with a sponge or brush using a normal soap solution.
• It is possible to remove mold from the wallpaper only at first. If the layer is stuck, then you need to remove it, stripping to the plaster.

Important! You can not hesitate, because homemade mold can literally penetrate through plaster to concrete and brick in just a year.

• In the process of removal, wet the wall, this will prevent spores from spreading through the air.
• You can remove the fungus on the wall, bleached with lime, wielding a scraper or sandpaper. Do not forget to moisten the ceiling or wall before starting.
• Mold in the bathroom prefers to settle in the seams between the tiles or at the joints near the plumbing. Scrub the affected area with a scraper, walk along the seams with sandpaper. Dry, apply a disinfectant, re-sew the areas between the tiles and the joints with sealant and grout.

Important! All dirty residues should be immediately packed in a sealed bag, and not scattered on the floor. This will prevent the fungus in the bath from spreading further.

What remedy for fungus to choose?

We turn to the main question: what remedy for mold on the walls is better to choose so that it does not appear again over time? Your attention is a list of the most effective drugs, each of them copes with all types of fungus. Your task is to choose exactly the tool that is right for you.

• Bleach. It will help clean mold from tiles or glass, but is not suitable for all porous materials. Toxic, so use it with extreme caution. It is necessary to dilute the bleach with water in a proportion of 1/10. It is better to apply with a wide brush or spraying with a spray.
• Vinegar. Helps fight against mold on all surfaces and materials. It has a pungent smell, can ruin furniture or wallpaper, affecting the color. Spray vinegar or apply it on the surface with a rag. After a week, for prophylaxis, repeat the manipulation.

• Lemon juice or citric acid. It has the same properties as vinegar, but it also smells good. Any materials can be processed, and the tiles are washed most qualitatively. A glass of water takes 1 tablespoon of juice or acid. After this, a complete surface treatment is performed.

• Hydrogen peroxide. The optimal tool, since it is convenient and safe to remove mold in this way. Peroxide is applied to any surface except actively painted (the color may fade). Use a rag or spray gun. After a week, repeat the procedure.
• Baking soda. Removing mold soda is effective and safe. Dissolve a tablespoon of soda in a glass of water. Spray or rub into the infected area. After an hour, re-wipe the wall with water to avoid streaks.

• Prepare an interesting and very effective solution. Take 100 ml of water, 50 ml of vinegar, 50 ml of hydrogen peroxide, 25 ml of boric acid. Connect these components in a container and heat over a fire to 50-70 degrees. Spray or rub this product over the infected area. Once a couple of days, repeat the manipulation for the purpose of prevention. This method is the most effective for cleaning tile joints.

How to get rid of the smell of mold

If you have successfully dealt with the fungus, and the smell of mold is still felt, use:

• Baking soda. Sprinkle a thin layer of powder in the place where the fungus grew. Leave not 3-4 hours, then sweep or collect with a vacuum cleaner.
• Charcoal. Place several containers with coal around the perimeter of the room. After a couple of days, the unpleasant odor will disappear.
• Improved ventilation, home flavors, aerosols and other incense. These funds will finally ennoble the air in the apartment.

What to do so that the fungus does not appear?

If you have already gotten along with all the traces of a raid, then the next step is to prevent its reappearance. To do this, you should study these tips:

• Get a specialized product. Apply the antimicrobial spray to those places where the fungus was on the wall in the bathroom or any other room. This will prevent the re-settlement of bacteria and spores. Hardware stores sell anti-mold paint.
• If the room is humid, thereby making it the most vulnerable to spores, then take care of buying an electric air dehydrator. This option is ideal for long-term disposal of black plaque.
• Upgrade the thermal insulation system in your home. Often it is poor thermal insulation that becomes the root of the problem. If your walls and floor are prone to condensation, then the problem is in violation of heat transfer.

How to “shut off oxygen” mold

The right solution to the problem is to get rid of the moisture that fungi adore:

• Straighten the shower curtains and hang towels to dry.
• Keep the bathroom, kitchen and other wet rooms clean and dry. Ventilate the room.
• If the riser or drain is covered with “mushrooms”, it means that the pipe is missing somewhere. You need to deal with the flowing communications immediately.

Mold is dangerous only when the situation is running and the path of struggle is long and difficult. Armed with our advice, you will deal with the fungus in two counts.

What is dangerous mold in the apartment?

Many owners, especially those who survived the flooding of the apartment by their neighbors, know firsthand how hard it is to remove a fungus. It is able to spoil not only the appearance of the home, but also negate the repair, spoil the slopes and even furniture. Funds that really help are extremely difficult to find. Why is this so?

Fungus (mold) - what is it?

Many scientists have been studying the vital functions of such fungal organisms for years to find the most effective ways to combat them. After all, mold is really extremely dangerous for health, and the appearance of the room becomes unattractive with dark spots in the corners.

1. Mold is a very small mushroom that lives in the soil. There are many species and genera.
2. They get into the house with dust. If the environment is favorable for them, then they begin to multiply. When building materials are wetted for a long time, the fungus will live safely on them.
3. The fungus sprouts, and gives a mycelium (mycelium). When the environment is wet constantly, the life cycle of the fungus is repeated. And even if you remove the visible mycelia with an antiseptic, the spores still remain. For them, the main thing is moisture, so it is so difficult to get rid of mold.
4. The danger is this: sometimes it is not possible to detect a fungus, and this can cause an allergic reaction, especially in children.
5. If the double-glazed windows on the windows are installed incorrectly, then condensation occurs due to temperature changes, freezing, moisture appears. The fungus multiplies very well and lives in such an environment.
6. Different types of mold react differently to environmental conditions. There are varieties that breed well at low temperatures. For some, a favorable environment is mineral wool and heaters, walls facing the porch or end walls.

What threatens the mold

• If the residents of the premises have immunity weakened, then chronic rhinitis, otitis media and mycosis can occur. Children are especially prone to allergies. Even if indoor flowers are simply watered, then microscopic particles, in which spores of fungi live, rise into the air. And even this can cause diseases.
• It is especially harmful to live in a moldy apartment with bronchial asthma. Attacks can become more frequent, leading to a worsening of the condition, although there are not always visible signs of the presence of a fungus.
• If the dwelling is flooded, but quickly everything has dried out and there is no fungus, then industrial means should not be used to combat it. This can provoke, on the contrary, the appearance of mold, since the concentration of the biocide promotes the development of the fungus, serves as nutrition.
• It is dangerous to process the walls with copper sulphate - such a measure can provoke the appearance of even more mushrooms.

It is advisable to take small areas of mold and take them to the laboratory before processing. So you will know what species the fungus belongs to, and how to work and fight with it better. In addition, store products are often of poor quality and only exacerbate the situation. While tests will be carried out in the laboratory, what can you do yourself?

3 ways to kill mold without chemicals

Firstly, it is necessary to completely overturn clothes, especially children's, bedding and toys. Furniture should also be wiped with a soapy solution, as well as areas affected by the fungus. All must be thoroughly dried. Some things (especially those severely affected by the fungus) simply cannot be packed and discarded;

Preparatory Activities

You can call a special service. But be prepared that afterwards it will be impossible to be in the apartment for several weeks after processing. Yes, and such processing will not be cheap.

If you try to use the drugs purchased in the store, it is not known whether they will help 100%. Often, efforts and resources are spent as a result, but mold remains. Without the results of the tests, it is impossible to choose the right remedy suitable for your particular type of fungus.

1. First you need to understand the reason for the appearance of mold in the apartment. If the pipes do not flow, there is no flooding, cracks in the walls, then perhaps the problem is poor ventilation of the room. Until the cause is eliminated, fighting the fungus is futile. He will reappear.
2. When using purchased drugs or folk remedies, gloves, a respirator (mask) should be used. Prepare a set of clothes in which all areas of the skin will be completely hidden. You also need to wear safety glasses.
3. It is important to remove not only the fungus itself that we see, but also the spores. Only then will the result be fully achieved.
4. Take a spatula and very carefully remove all visible spots. If they are on wallpaper or on other surfaces, then they need to be dismantled.

Soda solution

The method is simple, but will take some time. Getting rid of mold is a long enough business. Take baking soda. Dilute in water.

Next, fill the spray bottle, carefully process all the places with the fungus in the apartment. The concentration of soda should be quite high. After drying, it is necessary to take a washcloth or a brush with a stiff bristle and clean off the remnants of the fungus with soda.

If you are very affected by mold, then additionally cover all areas with lemon juice. Then wait a while. And repeat the course.

Vinegar Based Solutions

It is this substance that fights very well with many varieties of fungi. There are several uses.

• It will take 200 g of water, 50 ml of vinegar, 1 tsp. tea tree essential oil and a few drops of your favorite aromatic essential oil. All components must be mixed and surface treated. After drying, remove the residue with a sponge.
• If the surface is horizontal, then this option is suitable: pour baking soda on the sections. Pour vinegar evenly on top. When the substances enter the reaction, the active process of eliminating the fungus begins. After a while, with a very stiff brush or a piece of coarse cloth, clean off any mold residue with the solution.
• Option for the running version and the strongest mold: mix 150 ml of vinegar, 50 ml of water and 2-3 drops of any essential oil for aroma. Apply liquid to the affected area with a spray gun. As soon as the product dries, remove the residue with a sponge.

Salt + Tea Tree

This option is suitable when the lesions are not extensive. Tea tree oil should be mixed with salt, diluted in water and applied to places affected by the fungus.

This tool does not need to be removed later. Such a mixture not only destroys the emerging mold, but will prevent the emergence of a new one.

Citric Acid + Tea Tree

These 2 components are excellent as an ambulance.

1. It will take 2 tsp. tea tree oil, 200 g of water, 1 tsp. citric acid and 2 to 3 drops of essential oil for aroma.
2. Stir and fill the spray bottle. Apply the product to problem areas.

You can also use medical or ammonia with glycerin. If the wall is before repair, then use bleach.

What is the danger of black mold in the house?

So, with the defeat of the walls, floor, ceiling by black mold, unpleasant dark spots appear in the corners of the room, which gradually capture new territories. If measures to remove it are not taken in a timely manner, then the wallpaper begins to peel off, the wooden parts of the interior decay, the paint falls off in whole pieces, even concrete floors can crumble and become worthless.

Spores of aspergillus black (black fungus) are one of the possible causes of the development or exacerbation of diseases such as

When inhaled contaminated air, the fungus enters the respiratory system and enters the bloodstream through the lungs. Spores are carried throughout the body through blood vessels. Weakened immunity reacts to mold with symptoms of severe intoxication.

What is the danger of black mold in an apartment for children and pets? Children and animals are practically not protected from exposure to a pathogenic fungus. The baby’s immature immunity is constantly attacked by spores, which in the future will have a bad effect on health.

One of the extremely dangerous diseases caused by black mold is pulmonary aspergillosis, which can lead to a legal outcome.

How to remove the persistent smell of dampness in the house?

Smell is a clear indicator that a fungus has settled in the house. First of all, try to get rid of the smell by regular airing. But at the same time, remember that as long as mold continues its life activity and reproduction, the smell of damp will be constantly present. At the same time, almost everything that is in the room is impregnated with a smell - furniture, wallpaper, bedspreads, clothes.

But if the fungus is already removed, but the smell still remains, then there are several ways to deal with it:

• use an aromatic lamp with essential oils,
• sprinkle with soda the places where the fungus colonies were and after a while remove it,
• Charcoal braces absorb wonderful odors.

How to remove the smell of dampness in the house in the country? In a country house or cottage, the smell of dampness can rise from the basement or cellar. To prevent odors from spreading through the living area, keep the door closed. We also recommend regular preventive treatment of walls, shelves, and basement floors from mold.

The choice of mold removal method depends on its type, as well as on the surface and texture and color on which the unsightly spots of fungal colonies appear.

Get rid of the fungus in the house using folk methods.

They have been tested by generations, and their effectiveness is difficult to dispute:

1. Vinegar. A 3% solution is applied to the walls by spraying or using a sponge. The smell of vinegar quickly disappears.
2. Soda solution. In a half-liter jar, dilute a teaspoon of soda and treat the affected surface with a solution. After a while, brush your soda over dried toothbrush.
3. Boric acid or ammonia successfully eliminate the fungus, are used as prophylaxis, and also eliminate the unpleasant odor of dampness.

If there is black mold in the house - act radically! Before applying this or that remedy to the surface, first clean off the mold growths. Sometimes the fungus grows deep into the plaster, wood, whitewash, wallpaper, and therefore it is necessary to clean the walls up to concrete floors or masonry.

You can also get rid of black mold in the house at home with the help of an endless list of chemicals. Below is just a small part:

IMPORTANT! No matter how trite it may sound, but observe safety measures - wear rubber gloves, use a respirator or gauze bandage, restrict access to children and pets, try to remove from the room and cover the furniture with oilcloth or thick cloth.