These are what you need for DIY mold cleaning job:

• Protective gears (goggles, face mask, long rubber gloves, disposable clothing)

• Visqueen (or other plastic sheeting material)

• Blue Tape

• Dry wall cutter and / or Sander / Sand paper

• Garbage bags

Follow these simple 5 Steps for easy home mold removal.

Step 1: Assessing the area and problem

1. Investigate how far does the problem stem from.
2. Identify all the sources that lead to mold growth.
3. Plan out the mold cleaning procedure and protocols

Step 2: Contain the problem area

1. Put on protective gear before handling mold. Wear goggles, face mask, long rubber gloves and disposable clothing. This can help to protect yourself from ingesting the hazardous mold.
2. Use Visqueen, or any other plastic sheeting materials to contain the problem area.
3. This is to prevent mold spores from getting into other areas of your house.
4. Contain your area with the help of blue tape, like the picture below:

Step 3: Start the mold cleaning procedure

1. Dampen the mold infected areas with white vinegar water. Use 1 part of white vinegar to 1 part of water. This helps to prevent molds from becoming airborne when disturbed / cleaned.
2. For cleaning ceiling mold, use a mop to dampen the problem spots.
3. Use sander or sand paper to sand off the stubborn molds off wooden items like cupboards, wooden tables, etc.
4. Scrub the area while it is still damp using baking soda and white vinegar mixture. Repeat this to remove all the visible molds.
5. Rinse well with plain water. If rinsing is not possible, wipe clean the area with a dampen cloth. Discard and replace the cloth once it is soiled with molds. You won’t like the idea of contaminating other areas of your house with the soiled cloth.
6. Let the area to dry completely. Do not use fan or blower to help drying the area as this could spread the airborne mold spores.
7. Lastly spray a layer of undiluted white vinegar over the cleaned surface and allow to dry completely. This helps to kill any mold residue and to prevent future mold growth.

Step 4: Dispose Materials

1. Dispose the mold contaminated materials using the garbage bags and seal it properly with blue tape.
2. Discard the Visqueen / plastic sheetings and all other cleaning tools such as brush, mop, cloth, etc.

Step 5: Clean and Filter

1. After the mold removal is done, it’s time to clean and filter the surrounding air.
2. You may use those anti microbial soap like Pinkrobial to clean the area again.
3. Run an air purifier that comes with “Heppa” filter to purify the surrounding air.

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What to Do if You Encounter a Mold Problem

If by chance, you do encounter a mold problem, the first thing that should be done is to eliminate the source of the moisture or water.  Then you should dry the area out by using a dehumidifier.  To further eliminate the mold problem, you need to scrub the surfaces that have mold with mold removal products. You can use normal household cleaners to minor mold infestation. The next step to solve the mold problem is to bleach the affected areas and to do a weekly vinegar rinse. Then it is highly advisable to paint with oil-based paint if possible.  This eliminates any future mold problem by trapping any remaining mold spores.  It is also recommended to use an air purifier to eliminate airborne spores from the area.  This is what you should do if you encounter a mold problem in your home.

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Prevention of Mold Allergy

The best way for a person to rid themselves of a mold allergy is to limit your exposure to the molds that cause your reactions. This can easily be achieved by scrubbing the moldy surfaces. First, you take and use an antimicrobial cleaner. Then you wash the surfaces with bleach.

To further prevent mold allergy, you wash the surfaces with vinegar each week. This will help to ensure that the mold does not reoccur; thus ensuring that mold allergy does not rear its ugly head. Using an ionizing air purifier will also help in the prevention of mold allergy. The purifier removes mold spores from the air, thus reducing any respiratory problems associated with mold allergy.

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Professional mold remediation is necessary when the affected area is larger than ten square feet. In most cases where the mold infestation is not severe, mold remediation can often be done by the homeowner.

What does mold remediation entail?

Step one involves removing the source of water. This ensures that mold growth does not occur again. The next thing to do would be to run a dehumidifier to eliminate moisture in the air. Then wash the surface with an antimicrobial cleaner. Then rinse down with vinegar and allow the wall or surface to dry completely. Afterward paint the affected surfaces with oil based paint. This encapsulates any leftover spores and mold residue to prevent it from coming back.

Sometimes mold remediation involves tearing out the affected areas completely. Then high ozone shock treatments are used to kill off any remaining airborne spores. This usually is done with a series of treatments. These treatments are extremely dangerous. This is why the house or structure is evacuated and cleared out before implementing the high ozone shock treatment for mold remediation.

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a) Cladosporium
This mold is very common and can appear in shades of grey, green, brown or black. Generally causes allergic reactions, it grows on walls, dust, wood and insulation.

b) Stachybotrys
Toxin-creating mold that always look black on surfaces. Bad for health. Needs a wet area to grow.

c) Ulocladium
Grows in damp areas, usually appears black or grey. You may spot them on windows and other dusty areas.

d) Alternaria
Under a microscope it may look like Ulocladium – black or grey. Can cause some allergic reactions. Found on walls, windows, dusty places, and on plants.

e) Acremonium
Appearing whitish, grayish or brownish. Mostly seen on insulations and drywalls.

f) Penicillium
Famous for giving us the life-saving antibiotic, this mold can also be hazardous. Often appear white, blue or green, it can be found on cheese and fruit. You also see them in the walls and the insulations.

g) Aspergillus
Another common mold. Some of them toxic, and can cause infection to those weak in their immune system. Appear in colors of brown, grey, green, yellow or even black or white. Grows on walls, insulation, clothing, soil and papers.

(Photos credit to mycology.adelaide.edu.au)

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Different mold might need different quantities of these four eg. Some mold require more water to survive and grow than others.

Planet Earth readily supplies air to support living organisms, so that condition for mold to grow is always present. However, if mold spores settle on dry surface, it cannot grow due to the absence of water.

Most of the places inside our homes are dry, thus not providing ideal situations for mold to grow. Nevertheless, other parts of our homes may turn out to be ideal places for mold to flourish. These places are usually damp and wet, located in basements and toilets, probably resulting from piping leaks or floods.

If mold finds air and moisture, but no food, it can’t grow either. Mold feeds on dead organic matter. However, mold is good at getting food in our homes by having microscopic threads to absorb nutrients.

Hence, we can find mold on :

• Fabric
• Paper
• Cardboard
• Ceramic tiles (containing particles of food and dust on its surface)
• Paint
• Drywall
• Fiberglass insulation (dust-covered)
• Wood framing
• Floors

So, we don’t only hate mold for being unsightly; mold can cause structural damage to our homes. We may have to fork out tons of money to repair our homes overgrown with molds. Not only that, we also may have to pay dearly for the damage it does to our health.

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No. I was not referring to her. I was talking about our apartment which we had owned, and had lived in for the past ten years. We loved the environment here in this suburb, just 20 minutes’ drive from downtown Kuala Lumpur. The air was fresh, with a beautiful forest reserve located not five minutes away from our home.

But the apartment is an eyesore now. Hollywood can come in to make ghost movies, no special effects needed.

Check this out yourself.

Very unsightly, huh? I don’t plan on shifting. So what do I do now?

Oh, yes. I can talk to the Apartment Maintenance Officer. But before that, I am also curious about this thing called Mold, which has taken the bliss out of my life.

I know mold is everywhere, not just on apartment walls. As I look up resources in the libraries and internet, I come to see it in a different light. Still dislike it though, but I don’t hate it as much as before.

Let me share my findings with you. Perhaps you would like to share yours too. I welcome it.

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