Can’t-miss tips for mold removal at home

Maintenance isn’t a word that conjures up restful, calm feelings. But when it comes to mold — and preventing the need for mold removal at home — maintenance will always be necessary to keep this harmful substance at bay. The effects of mold can infiltrate every living space and workplace with a structure, so a little routine attention goes a long way.

1. Controlling mold growth at home

Controlling moisture is the most basic way to manage growth and avoid the need for removal altogether — mold spores cannot grow without moisture. But some moisture in modern living is inevitable. The questions are: where do you look for it, and what do you do about it?

Invest in a dehumidifier

Dehumidifiers are a wise investment for any home, particularly those with high humidity. A good rule of thumb is to keep humidity at 40–50%. Mold growth occurs best around 80% humidity, but some can begin above 55%. Commercial-grade units with aggressive air filtration can remove up to 98% of dust, pollen, mold spores, and bacteria; any well-functioning dehumidifier will help, though you may need multiple units. An inexpensive hygrometer lets you measure humidity in problem areas like bathrooms and kitchens so you know when to take extra measures. Use ceiling, bathroom, attic, and kitchen fans to keep air circulating.

Wash your washer

Along with regularly cleaning bathroom tub and tile, make cleaning your laundry appliances part of your routine. Washing the washing machine may seem redundant, but washers are a hot spot for moisture. Many are energy-efficient and run on cold water — but cold water won’t kill mold spores, which can cling to soap residue. Routinely run an empty cycle with hot water and vinegar (or hot water and Borax) and scrub the soap dispenser. Wipe around and under rubber gaskets where moisture gets trapped, and leave the door open between uses so air can circulate. Clothes can carry spores too; wash contaminated clothes separately, and if they keep smelling, throw them away — a sweater is less important than your health.

Carpet maintenance

Carpet is comfortable, but it’s porous — more prone to hidden mold than wood or tile, and harder to clean thoroughly. We think it’s best not to have carpet, or to change it every five to seven years. Since most homes do have it, frequent vacuuming with a HEPA filter helps: where other filters may just stir particles back into the air, HEPA catches 99.97% of the tiniest particles. This matters most in the bedroom, where you spend several hours each night.

Clean bedding material

You don’t get much more intimate with materials than your bedding. Mold is a major allergen and spores stick to dust, so a down comforter can be tricky to keep clear of allergens — natural 100% cotton bedding is best. Wash bedding regularly, vacuum mattresses and box springs, and keep the whole bedroom clean. If you can, rid the bedroom of carpet and dust-collecting knick-knacks; it keeps the air you breathe cleaner.

Use an air purifier

Your whole home benefits from an air purifier, but the bedroom is the most crucial room for quality air — the EPA warns that poor indoor air quality can harm your health, especially where mold is involved. We use medical-grade purifiers with HEPA filtration, which remove 99.97% of particles larger than 0.3 microns (for reference, mold spores range from 1–100 microns). Units that also use activated carbon and zeolite remove chemicals, gasses, and odors. Higher-quality purifiers cost more but perform better, and their filters often need replacing only every three to five years.

2. Take action against water leaks

Moisture from water leaks — often through the roof — is one of the most costly problems.

• Check your attic regularly for signs of water — from worn or missing shingles, loose nails, or flashing around a chimney or skylight. Caulk skylights every year.
• Inspect stucco. Improper installation is common; if water is intruding, remove and replace it with better siding. If you keep stucco, have it inspected professionally every two years.
• Watch other causes — floods, pipe leaks, unclean gutters, window AC units (very prone to mold), and condensation around windows. Have HVAC inspected and ducts cleaned annually; if you’re chemically sensitive, skip the antifungal many companies offer.
• Clean gutters year-round. Leaves block flow in warm months; ice backs them up in winter, and thawing water can leak down against the home. Downspouts should extend six feet away.
• Aim sprinklers away from the home; spraying toward it saturates the surrounding ground.

3. Testing for mold

If you’re experiencing unexplained symptoms or suspect mold growth, testing whether mold is a causal factor is essential — because you can’t always see it.

Petri dish

Readily available at most hardware stores, a petri-dish test is inexpensive and fast. Because spores are nearly everywhere, you’ll likely get some growth — so close up the house with heat and air off for 24 hours beforehand, and set out a control plate outdoors to tell home growth from outdoor spores. Some kits include a follow-up lab test. It gives a general idea of how much mold is present, but won’t tell you which spores are causing your issues or where they come from. A high spore count, or molds typical of water-damaged buildings, means it’s time to bring in a professional.

ERMI

An ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index) assesses mold potential through dust samples. Many companies do an air sample, but that’s insufficient — a dust sample gives a far better picture. Use a quality lab for accurate results; a cheaper, lesser lab tends to produce more false negatives. Even with a good lab, an ERMI only gives you an idea of toxic mold growth — if results are positive or questionable, you’ll need a mold inspector or industrial hygienist to find the culprit.

Professional inspection

It’s best to have your home inspected every two years by a mold-removal professional — yearly if you’ve had a mold problem or remediation before. Hire a trusted expert; a reasonable price is roughly $300–700, depending on home size and samples needed. It costs more than a DIY test, but a quality inspector can find underlying mold a kit cannot. If you’d like a recommendation for a quality inspector, contact our office.

4. Professional mold removal

If you identify mold, removal may require professionals with the proper knowledge and equipment. It generally includes:

• Containment — sealing off the rest of the building from mold-damaged areas.
• Air filtration — HEPA filtration to stop spores from spreading, venting air to the outside.
• Mold removal — cleaning or disposing of damaged items. Drywall is a perfect food for mold; porous material with growth should be removed 18–24 inches beyond the visible edge.
• Cleaning or disposing of items — with the professional, decide what’s safe to keep. Wrap affected materials in plastic before moving them; if possible, pass them out a window rather than carrying them through the house.
• Restoration — often a separate contractor. After water damage, use metal framing instead of wood, moisture-resistant drywall, and vinyl or hardwood flooring instead of carpet.

5. Small-area mold removal

What about a small mold spot on your shower tile? We do not advise bleach. It’s a harsh chemical and harmful to breathe, and while it appears to work, it doesn’t reach the roots of the mold. Instead, use undiluted white distilled vinegar — spray and scrub — or mix one cup of Borax per gallon of water (hot water dilutes it faster). Borax is alkaline, which discourages mold, since mold prefers a lower pH. Scrub thoroughly and wipe off; you don’t need to rinse, and you can repeat if needed.