Whether you are trying to increase your overall quality of life or prepare your house for an imminent sale, black mold removal should definitely be a priority on your list if it exists in your home. Here are some of the steps that you can take to ensure that black mold does not inhibit any of your efforts to live in or sell your real estate.

Emergency Mold Removal: The Basic Steps

1. Put on protective gear and clothing.
2. Remove the moisture source that caused mold to grow.
3. Seal off the affected area so mold doesn’t spread through the house.
4. Remove visible mold with soap or mold killer and a sponge.
5. Disinfect the area with bleach, taking care not to discolor anything.
6. Throw away all cleaning materials to prevent the spread or return of mold.

Protecting Yourself During Black Mold Removal

You want to make sure that you do not inhale any black mold under any circumstances. Wear a face mask or respirator that is specifically rated for black mold protection. You also want to make sure that you do not touch black mold with your hands. Wear a pair of plastic kitchen gloves and long sleeve clothing to avoid all contact.

Removing the Moisture Source

In order to get rid of black mold for good, you must remove the moisture source that is serving as its base from the affected area. Make sure that you get rid of condensation around the area and leaks that may be causing liquid to fall in the area. If you do not, then your black mold removal efforts will likely be for naught.

Sealing Off the Area

Make sure that you seal any entryways that lead to other areas of the home. Put heavy plastic over doorways, then make sure the plastic stays in place by duct taping it. Place a fan near all of the outdoor openings in the room in order to remove mold spores from that room. Your black mold removal process will be much more likely to work under these conditions.

Black Mold Removal

Use an over-the-counter mold killer or soap with a sponge to remove all of the visible mold that you see. If the black mold has already dried, spray it lightly with water before taking this step. This will help to reduce the amount of airborne black mold during the next few steps.

There are commercial black mold removal products that you can purchase in a grocery store. After you remove all of the visible black mold, disinfect the areas where the mold was along with all areas adjacent to it. Bleach is a great product for this step; however, you must be sure that you do not discolor the material if you use bleach.

Reducing the Incidence of Black Mold Returning

You need to get rid of all of the cleaning supplies that you just used in order to reduce the chance that black mold will return or show up in another part of your house. Place all of the sponges and other cleaning materials that you use to clean the area in a heavy-duty garbage bag. Close the bag tightly, leaving no room for air to enter the bag. Take the bag outside to your trash can through an entrance that is not your main entrance and very carefully deposit it into your outside trash can.

Your black mold removal process is complete. In order to make sure that mold does not return quickly, use a new set of removal tools to wash down the formerly affected area again a few days later.

Case Studies

• Kitchen
• Water Heater
• Shower