How to remove black mold from walls

Black mold often appears in residential areas if a number of provoking factors are present. Fungus spores are in the air and on all objects in the apartment, but they are, so to speak, on standby, begin to multiply, manifest themselves only if conditions are optimal for this process. If the room is humid, warm (if it is humid, but cool, this is also suitable for the fungus) and normal air circulation is disturbed, black mold begins to affect different surfaces, it becomes noticeable to the naked eye. On the walls, it appears most often, especially in hard-to-reach places — behind cabinets, under the ceiling, closer to baseboards, near window openings and door blocks. Mold not only spoils the appearance of the room and creates unsanitary conditions in which vulnerable groups of people (children, the elderly, pregnant and lactating mothers, sick people, allergy sufferers) cannot stay. It also harms strong, strong, young and healthy organisms, as it provokes the occurrence of many diseases, ranging from asthma to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, severe skin lesions.

Black mold should be removed as soon as it is discovered. She herself will not disappear anywhere, if such a problem arises, it will only get worse. At first, the mold is on the surface of the walls, it is not difficult to remove it even from such a sensitive material as paper wallpaper. But if the situation is left to chance, the fungus begins to corrode the walls and the materials with which they are covered — wallpaper, drywall, plaster, etc. As a result, residents have to resort to such drastic measures as cosmetic repairs, which take time and are often expensive. Therefore, if you have problems with black mold, do not put off solving the problem until tomorrow, read the Expertology article to learn how to remove fungus from walls in simple and affordable ways. And if the defeat has passed into a severe stage, we will tell you several preparations that are used in construction and repair work to disinfect walls, remove mold and prevent its occurrence in the future.

How to properly prepare and precautions, inventory

Whatever means you use to remove black mold, follow these precautions:

1. 1. Work with gloves (regular, rubber, which are used while cleaning the house and washing dishes). Products that can remove black mold from walls are usually aggressive. Upon contact with the skin, they can cause dryness of the epidermis, cracking and irritation.

       

 

1. 1. Use goggles to protect your eyes. When you apply the mortar to the wall, splashes may appear. And if they get on the mucous membranes of the eyes or mouth, nose, pain, irritation, even a chemical burn may occur.

       

 

1. 1. Use respiratory protection. A mask, a respirator, a simple bandage on the nose and mouth will help prevent the inhalation of caustic fumes of antimycotic agents.

       

 

1. 1. Make sure that there are no unauthorized persons or pets in the room in which the treatment takes place. Plants are also best taken out for a while to another room.

       

 

1. 1. If after treatment there is an unpleasant smell in the room or apartment, be sure to ventilate the room.

       

 

1. 1. Make sure that the products you use to remove black mold from walls do not harm the finish. To do this, you can test the selected drug on a small and inconspicuous area of ​​​​the surface.

       

 

After processing, the instruments that were used during the procedure must be thoroughly cleaned, sterilized if possible, and not used in the future in everyday life, only for repeated processing. If sponges, rags are used, which it is not a pity to throw away, it is better to get rid of them, since fungus spores may remain on them, infection can pass from them to other surfaces.

What you may need in the process of removing black mold from the walls in a room or apartment:

1. 1. Gloves, mask, goggles used in construction work.

       

 

1. 1. A container for mixing or preparing a chemical agent.

       

 

1. 1. Brush, sponge, brush, spray gun for applying mortar to the wall and removing mold.

       

 

1. 1. Scraper, spatula to remove a large layer of mold, if the fungus is very prolific.

       

 

1. 1. Sponges and brushes for cleaning the walls from chemicals after treatment.

       

 

Having prepared all the necessary devices in advance, you can carry out the procedure quickly and correctly, without being distracted by the search for inventory.

Home remedies to remove black mold from walls

What are the benefits of home remedies? They have many advantages: they are effective in the initial stages of fungal infection and help maintain the normal condition of the walls, as they disinfect surfaces; they are in every home, and if not, they are not difficult to buy at the nearest household goods store; they are inexpensive and are used sparingly.

So, what can be used from improvised means to remove black mold from the walls in the apartment:

1. 1. White or chlorine solution. This tool can be used undiluted, especially on light surfaces (on whitewash, paint, tiles). Just dampen the sponge with white and wash the wall as you would with a regular cleanser. As it becomes dirty, the sponge can be rinsed with water and moistened with a chlorine solution again. After finishing the treatment, if possible, do not wash the Whiteness from the walls, it will act as a barrier to the fungus.

       

 

1. 1. Oxygen bleaches like Sano Oxygen or Vanish Gold. Using them is not difficult, just read the instructions. You can also save money and buy sodium percarbonate (it is on its basis that household oxygen bleaches are made). It is widely used in everyday life for washing clothes and removing stains, general house cleaning, in the kitchen, for cleaning carpets and removing plaque from dishes. And in order to remove black mold from the walls in the apartment, dissolve 50-60 grams (12 teaspoons) of sodium percarbonate for every liter of warm / hot water. Wet the surface to be treated well, leave for one hour. Scrub the surface with a brush and thoroughly rinse off the remaining mold.

       

 

1. 1. Domestos. This household chemical is effective not only for cleaning the toilet bowl and caring for plumbing. They can be used on washable surfaces to remove black mold. Just dilute 50-100 ml. of the preparation in several liters of water and treat the spots with stains, then rinse the walls with standing water.

       

 

1. 1. Baking soda and dish detergent washing powder, laundry soap. Mix 2 parts of soda and 2 parts of one or more of the listed products, dilute 100 ml. boiling water, let cool to 40 degrees. Treat the affected part of the wall and areas near the mold spots with a sponge dampened with the solution or with a stiff-bristled brush. Achieve the complete disappearance of stains, leave the wall to dry without washing off the product.

       

 

1. 1. Vinegar, including in combination with soda. Processing takes place using ordinary table transparent 6% or 9% vinegar. To enhance the effect, you can first wash the wall with a gruel of soda, then, without washing it off, sprinkle it with vinegar from a spray bottle. As soon as the chemical reaction between the two components is completed, the wall must be washed, after which vinegar must be applied again to the clean surface.

       

 

1. 1. Hydrogen peroxide. Apply the product on the wall, rub it with a washcloth or sponge, leave it to dry completely. Treat the site of infection and the surrounding area again, you can mix peroxide with vinegar for this.

       

 

1. 1. Bura. This product is suitable for removing mold in rooms that cannot be ventilated or are difficult to ventilate after treatment. To stain the walls from the fungus, dilute 100 grams of this preparation in 2 liters of water, apply it on the infected surface with your cheek, wait until it dries completely. No need to rinse.

       

 

Also, products such as citric acid or freshly squeezed lemon juice can be used to eliminate mold; ammonia; essential oils with disinfectant and antiseptic properties; potassium permanganate solution. All of them are used in approximately the same way — slightly diluted with water, applied to walls, washed off or left to dry.

If you do not want to deal with the removal of black mold with non-specialized means, buy antifungal drugs from the household chemicals segment. On the bottles of such products it is indicated that they are intended to fight the fungus in the apartment. For example, you can buy Silit Bang or Turbo. The latter, by the way, is not at all difficult to use, it is sold in a spray bottle and applied to the walls without problems. It is necessary to pre-clean the surface area affected by fungus or mold, evenly distribute the product on it, and that’s it, you don’t need to rinse it off. If stains appear on the wall, after drying, the product can be washed off no earlier than a day later.

Another effective remedy for eliminating the problem with black mold is a sulfur checker, for example, Climate. This is an effective drug for the destruction of pathogens, bacterial infections, mold, fungi, harmful insects, ticks in non-residential premises, cellars, sheds. It should be borne in mind that the room to be treated must be empty and well isolated from the outside world so that caustic fumes do not penetrate to the neighbors. Fumigation occurs within 1-1.5 days, after the end of this process, the room is ventilated for 2 days, after which the remains (stains) of black mold can be washed off the walls.

We draw your attention to the fact that there are different types of mold and mildew. And although the listed household chemicals are effective against most of them, some types may be resistant to their effects. In this case, you will have to use specialized drugs or seek help from professionals.

Construction and repair preparations

The fungus is easier to eliminate at the stage of construction and repair work. If the walls are affected, then there is no point in covering them with finishing materials, the mold will “gnaw through” them very quickly. If you find the problem too late and the wallpaper or plaster has become completely unusable, you won’t be able to reanimate them, so you need to put up with the situation, remove the finishing materials, use a special tool for treating the wall, and then make repairs. For these purposes, you can use the following drugs:

1. 1. Snow Effo. Can be used concentrated or diluted according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You can not wash it off, but if you plan to paint the wall in the future, you need to wash off the composition, but not earlier than 10 days after treatment.

       

 

1. 1. Fongifluid. The drug is suitable for different types of surfaces, including for the disinfection of porous materials. It is economical, easy to use, does not have an unpleasant odor, which allows it to be used in closed and poorly ventilated rooms. You can wash off the liquid after 4-6 days, the manufacturer assures that the fungus will not affect the treated surfaces for at least 2 years.

       

 

1. 1. Homeenpoisto. This Finnish black mold remedy is considered very aggressive, and therefore highly effective. After treatment, the walls will need to be washed with water.

       

 

As you can see, there are enough drugs to combat mold in the domestic market. Their cost ranges from several tens to several of dollars (depending on the intended purpose and volume of containers). So you can really pick up an effective tool for any budget and wallet. But what if there is simply no strength to fight the fungus or there is no desire to do it yourself, waste time, money and not be sure of a 100% guarantee of success? In this case, you need to contact professionals. Removing black mold is the responsibility of the disinfection and disinfestation service, less often such services are provided by cleaning companies.

When to use the services of professionals

Contacting a room disinfection specialist is a guarantee that black mold will no longer affect the walls in your room or apartment. Professionals use highly effective specialized products that do not leave the fungus the slightest chance. They have at their disposal innovative equipment that allows them to carry out the necessary work quickly, efficiently and without causing discomfort or damage to the client’s property.

Before you call a disinfectant to your apartment, check out the price list of the company. The competition in this market is high, as is the price range. Also, be sure to read reviews about the company’s work on independent sites and forums on the Internet. You need to understand how efficiently the company’s specialists work, whether the fungus reappears after treatment, whether there is a guarantee for services and whether the center’s employees fulfill their obligations in full.

How to prevent the occurrence of black mold on the walls in the future — preventive measures

If the room does not meet certain standards, then even professionals will not help you get rid of black mold forever. We have already said that if there are suitable conditions, the fungus will manifest itself, no matter how much grass it is. Therefore, to prevent re-infection, first of all, you need to put the room or apartment in order. What is recommended to do:

1. 1. Move furniture away from the walls if it is close. A gap of a few centimeters allows air to circulate freely throughout the room.

       

 

1. 1. Regularly heat the rooms, make sure that the heating works properly during the cold season.

       

 

1. 1. Organize the normal ventilation of the room, put the hood, make ventilation, monitor the condition of the air ducts. On plastic windows, you can put a supply valve for automatic ventilation.

       

 

1. 1. Monitor the level of humidity in the room and apartment, do not create black mold «greenhouse conditions» for life.

       

 

1. 1. At least once a week or two, treat the walls on which mold has already appeared with any folk or specialized antifungal drugs. Even if symptoms of infection do not occur, such procedures will be an excellent prevention.

       

 

In conclusion, let’s say that the fungus is always near us, it does not manifest itself if the conditions are uncomfortable for it, but as soon as three factors converge: humidity, heat, lack of ventilation, mold appears. You need to remove it as soon as possible, for this you can use inexpensive tools at hand, preparations from the class of household chemicals, mortars, or you can seek the help of specialists. But first, it is imperative to eliminate the causes of its appearance, because otherwise all the work done may be in vain.