Mold and mildew are commonly found in the average home, and their presence is no real reflection on how clean you keep your home. Mold and mildew can appear overnight and quickly spread, and in some cases, it multiplies in areas that you can’t see. So, while you mustn’t feel guilty when you find moldor mildew in your home, you should still try to eliminate it wherever possible, and often, common household products that you are likely to already own, can be used to prevent and/or destroy it. Below are a few tips and pointers on how best to cope with mold and mildew in the home:
- It’s important to understand that mold and mildew is essentially caused by moisture. It’s one thing to clean the mold, but if you have issues with dampness, then it will simply keep coming back. Try to clean and thoroughly dry water logged or water damaged areas of your home as quickly as possible, to prevent mold or mildew from growing there. Bathrooms are commonly damp rooms of the home, so wiping away excess water from sinks and airing the room as often as possible, will help deter mold and mildew.
- Clean mold and mildew by mixing bleach with warm water. Mixing a cup of bleach in a gallon of water will give you an excellent solution for destroying the mold bacteria, and provided you dry the area thoroughly, it should act as a deterrent too. Bleach is highly effective at killing mold and its’ spores, and sodium hypochlorite (the active ingredient in bleach) is often the main ingredient in many cleaning products. You could also pour the solution into a spray bottle and squirt it in those harder to reach areas.
- Vinegar is also great for cleaning and destroying mold. Pour an undiluted amount of white or cider vinegar into a spray bottle and spray away! Wash the area with a damp cloth afterwards and dry the surface thoroughly. Vinegar is a cheap alternative to expensive cleaning products, and as it’s a natural solution, there are no toxic fumes released when you use it to clean in your home. But do be warned, vinegar should only be used on non-porous surfaces, such as tiles, and not on wood.
- Baking soda is another great alternative to harsh chemicals and can be used to rid your home of mold. Baking soda is mild and safe to use throughout your home, and will help deodorise as well as clean. Try mixing two tablespoons of baking soda with eight ounces of water and mix it up well, then pour the solution into a spray bottle and use it on any surfaces where mold is present. If you then take a bottle filled with vinegar and spray it over the same surface, you’ll create a mold busting chemical reaction. You can also apply baking soda straight onto moldy surfaces in neat form; it works especially well on wooden surfaces or drywalls. Leave the baking soda to really penetrate the damp surface, and then wipe it away thoroughly.
