Welcome to the non-toxic H-bomb in the battle against mold
Mold is unsightly and bad for your health. It lurks in dark corners. Those places in your home that suffer from humidity – kitchens, bathrooms and basements. Once it has taken hold, it can spread quickly and cause health problems. You should check for mold and remove it from your walls before you get ill.
When you work to remove mold from your home, you’ll need to take care not to scrub and spread the mold spores. You should wear protective clothing, including a mask to stop you from breathing in any spores in the air. There are several mold removal solutions available on the shelves. The choice is confusing. But when you are looking for what kills mold on walls, you should look a little closer to home.
The truth about bleach as a mold assassin
Many people turn to bleach when they want to kill mold. Now, bleach will kill some mold, but its power is limited. Mold doesn’t simply sit on the surface. The spores have roots called hyphae, which dig in and below the surface. Bleach doesn’t penetrate porous materials. When you clean a wall with bleach, it may look like you have killed all the mold, but it’s still there, waiting for darkness and dampness to help it regrow.
But the secret weapon in the fight against mold is most definitely in your cupboards.
Reach for the vinegar
Vinegar is a mild acid, and a great cleaning solution. It also kills more than 80% of mold species. Pour vinegar into a spray bottle, and spray onto the affected wall. Let it sit for up to an hour, then wipe with clean, warm water.
There’s only one problem with vinegar – the smell it leaves behind. Ventilating the area should get rid of this smell; but if not, try dotting a few bowls of lemon water around your room.
Break out the baking soda
A solution made with a quarter tablespoon of baking soda in a spray bottle of water is also highly effective on mold. Simply spray the area with the baking soda solution, leave for a few minutes, and then wipe away. Then, rinse with water and respray. Let the surface dry.
If you use vinegar first and then follow up with baking soda as above, you should kill all the mold on your wall. But there is one more solution that works like magic on mold.
Hydrogen peroxide – the H-bomb in the battle against mold
Here’s the big gun. The non-toxic weapon of mass destruction that will wipe out mold from your walls. It’s anti-viral. It’s anti-fungal. It’s anti-bacterial. And its highly effective against mold on all surfaces.
Use a 3% concentration hydrogen peroxide, poured into a spray bottle. Spray the moldy wall. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes. Scrub the mold away. Then wipe away any mold that remains. Only one word of warning: take care not to leave the hydrogen peroxide on too long, as it also acts as a bleach.
Act fast to kill mold
Don’t ignore a mold problem. Left to fester and grow, mold spores can cause respiratory issues, increase allergic reactions, and trigger other health conditions. You don’t need to spend dozens of dollars to kill mold on your walls, and you don’t need to use toxic solutions. Natural killers are available, and you probably already have them to hand.
For more tips on removing mold from your home, or if you have a persistent mold problem, get in touch with Porter’s Cleaning today. We’ll be happy to quote you to eradicate and prevent mold wherever it lurks.