How to use this common household item to rid your home of mold

Mold in the home is a bad thing. It smells. It can damage your home. It looks ghastly. And, as we discussed in our article outlining the top five mistakes you’ll make when you clean mold from drywall, “mold causes a whole range of illnesses, including asthma and respiratory disease”. You should always wear protective clothing (including breathing masks, gloves and goggles) when tackling a mold infestation.

For a small infestation, it might be possible to get rid of the mold using some household items.

Can vinegar kill mold?

It may sound like an old wives’ tale, but, believe it or not, vinegar is one of the best natural mold killers. White vinegar is mildly acidic and kills more than 80% of known mold types. Better still, it can prevent mold from reappearing, too.

How can vinegar be used to get rid of mold in the home?

Using vinegar to get rid of mold is a reasonably easy process. You’ll need to take precautions, and perhaps use a little baking soda to give the process a little more bite. Here are the steps to take:

1. Wear protective clothing so that you are not exposed to mold spores. This includes gloves, goggles, and a breathing mask.
2. Pour white vinegar into a spray bottle. Do not dilute it.
3. Spray the mold with the vinegar, and leave for an hour or more.
4. Wipe the mold away, using paper towels.
5. Bag the paper towels and dispose of carefully.
6. If the mold infection is particularly bad, or vinegar on its own does not do the job, make up a solution with baking soda, using one teaspoon of baking soda to two cups of water. Mix the baking soda solution in a spray bottle.
7. Spray the baking soda solution onto the mold.
8. Scrub well with a scouring pad (don’t forget to wear protective gear).
9. Rinse with warm water.
10. Respray with vinegar. This will help to kill remaining mold spores and prevent the mold from returning.

Will killing mold with vinegar make my house smell?

Vinegar has a strong smell, and that smell will hang around for a few hours. However, it should disappear after a while. You can help this process by opening windows and running your air conditioning.

To recap: you can use vinegar to kill mold, though it won’t kill all molds. If you tackle a mold infestation yourself, make sure that you always take precaution, such as wearing the right protective gear.

Finally, if the mold infestation is more than a foot or two across, you should call in the professionals. The same is true if the mold returns. Remember, too, that mold is usually a sign of an underlying problem, such as excess humidity or a water leak. If this isn’t dealt with, the mold will return, and your mold cleaning effort will have been wasted.

If you find yourself with a mold issue in NJ, contact Porter’s Cleaning. We’ll come and inspect and provide a quote for the removal process. We’ll discuss what techniques we’ll use, and we’ll tell you how to prevent the mold from returning.

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