Whats the best way to get rid of mould?

Question

I have quite alot of mould on my ceiling in the bathroom and dispite cleaning it off every week it just grows back even faster and some patches are so stubborn i cant get rid of them at all. Anyone know of any good mould killers?

Answer 1

Move to a better house

Answer 2

Mould is a result of dampness. Ensure your windows are open, if you have an extractor fan switch it on. If not consider getting one. Put a heater in the room to dry it out, or dry down surfaces after use.

If you have wallpaper type walls in the bathroom or anything else that may collect water consider tiling / resurfacing the walls.

I am a property developer and mould growing in damp areas is quite common. Ventilate the room during showering / bathing is most important.

Answer 3

Wash well with thick raw bleach, then leave to dry naturally.

Buy anti damp paint, usually comes in white. Apply the anti damp paint as stated on the tin. Leave to dry & then repaint in your chosen colour.

Good Luck.X :-)

Answer 4

Wash it with bleach and let it dry.  Then use a sealer like Kilz and then repaint over with a gloss paint.  It got rid of our problem.

Answer 5

i don't now

Answer 6

There are many kinds of mold - just find out what one it is that you have and read below.

Good luck.

House mold remediation

If you detect a visible mold growth, eliminate it as soon as possible! Or the mold could spread through the house and cause an extensive mold infestation, which is usually not covered by insurance.

Exercise caution when removing molds because they release particles and mold spores when disturbed. Wear a mask or respirator, gloves, goggles, and coveralls. If the mold growth exceeds 10 sq. ft., calling in a mold remediation professional is recommended. Damaged sheetrock or paneling, and moldy porous items like carpets, clothing, and upholstered furniture usually have to be discarded. (However, BioZap is probably the only mold remover gentle and strong enough to save moldy documents and furniture - see BioZap Air Purifier & Deodorizer.)

If you see a minor mold growth in the basement or a bathroom, remove the mold with BioZap Mold & Mildew Cleaner. It does not contain chlorine bleach or harsh chemicals. It does not release toxic fumes and is not harmful to your health or the environment.

How do you remove invisible molds?

Except for visible mildew growths, molds and mold spores are too small to be visible. If you find an accumulation of molds, it is a sure bet that there is much more molds in the air and all surfaces in the room, as well as in upholstery and carpeting.

Install a couple jars or more of BioZap Air Purifier & Deodorizer in the area. BioZap vapors will permeate the air and surrounding porous surfaces. They will help eliminate molds, mold spores, and biological pathogens floating in the air or hiding inside porous surfaces like sheetrock. They can even restore moldy upholstered furniture or books.

Eliminate musty odors

The musty odor found in most finished basements is the product of hidden molds munching on organic matter. This emits water, carbon dioxide, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) like alcohols and aldehydes. When inhaled, these chemicals irritate respiratory passages. The musty odors, as well as mold spores, are spread by ventilation through the house.

You cannot capture the musty mildew smell with air filters or ionizers. Get rid of the odor by using the BioZap Air Purifier & Deodorizer. BioZap vapors do not mask odors, but break them down. The musty smell in your basement, bathroom, or office should disappear in a matter within a week. It is also effective against other organic odors, as well as smoke.

How about chlorine bleach?

Household chlorine bleaches contain 5.25% active sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), which forms hypochlorous acid (HOCl) when diluted in water. This acid is very effective against many types of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. However, its use is not recommended in homes because of health and environmental risks.

Chlorine bleach is caustic to human tissues like skin and its lingering fumes are a lung and eye irritant. It can discolor or break down fabrics and is extremely corrosive even to metals. Not recommended for people with respiratory or heart problems. Short-term exposure to the gas may cause mild asthmatic symptoms or more serious respiratory problems. If mixed with ammonia-containing cleaners, it releases toxic chloramine gas (several people have died.). If mixed with acids, including vinegar, it generates highly toxic chlorine gas. Many automatic dishwashing detergent contain chlorine, which reacts with organic matter and when you open the dishwasher door, steamy carcinogenic gases (trihalomethanes) rushes out. Chlorine also reacts readily with organic substances in the environment and creates other hazardous compounds, such as furans and dioxins.

Chlorine bleach is not really an effective solution because it lacks penetration and its effects do not last. It is suitable for smooth surfaces like countertops but they should be pre-washed first because organics will quickly neutralize the bleach. It provides satisfaction by bleaching out the color of mildew but it does not kill its roots inside porous surfaces and provides water for its further growth. If used to remove visible molds on basement or bathroom walls, the molds will usually start growing back within days. In contrast, BioZap mold remover penetrates into porous surfaces and helps destroy the roots of molds (mycelium). Morover, it leaves residue inside the pores and below the surface, preventing the return of molds for weeks.

Other bleaches have similar shortcomings.

The home invasion of molds and mildew

"About 38 percent of homes have mold and fungus growth due to elevated moisture." (The American Society of Home Inspectors) This problem is often worse in modern, tighter homes with little ventilation. There are thousands of mold species. Outdoors, they live in soil and help break down organic matter - without molds, we would all drown in dead leaves and organic debris.

Molds are simple microscopic organisms, a sub-group of fungi, which also includes mushrooms and yeasts. They are too small to be visible but can be detected by a musty odor. When filamentous molds grow, they multiply exponentially and form a visible body (mycelium) of intertwining strings. Molds can appear and feel powdery or cottony, and be green, gray, brown, black, white, or a combination of these colors. Molds growing on textiles are called mildew, but there is no technical difference.

In order to grow, molds need 1) moisture, 2) suitable temperature, and 3) food - organic materials. They grow on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, wood products, paints, wallpaper, insulation materials, drywall, carpet, and fabric. They produce mold spores (seeds), which waft in the air throughout the house, forming new colonies wherever they land. Molds flourish in damp areas like crawl spaces, basements, bathrooms (especially shower stalls), air conditioners, humidifiers, clothing closets, refrigerator drip trays, house plants, garbage pails, mattresses, upholstered furniture, and often in new houses because of all the moisture evaporating from new concrete and lumber.

Molds are everywhere, outdoors or indoors, and any type of mold can trigger or aggravate allergies, whether toxic or not. Hazardous or safe levels have not been established because the health effects depend so much on the individual. Therefore, if you detect a mold growth or a musty odor, it is more urgent to get rid of the mold rather than finding out what type it is.

The toxic black mold

Some molds produce extremely potent toxins called mycotoxins. Exposure to mycotoxins can present a greater health hazard than the mold itself and may cause short and long term health effects. Large amounts of mycotoxins in air can cause serious illnesses like toxicosis (invasive infection). Some are carcinogenic and cause, for example, kidney cancer.

The "toxic black mold" has become the most feared of all molds. Many private homes and several schools had to be evacuated. Homeowners have lost their homes, because most insurance companies exclude mold damage. However, there are many mold types that are black in color or produce black pigments and that are common in houses, particularly in bathrooms and basements.

The black molds known to produce mycotoxins include Stachybotrys chartarum and Memnoniella. Stachybotrys is a greenish-black fungus that grows on materials with a high cellulose content, such as drywall sheetrock, dropped ceiling tiles, and wood which became chronically moist due to excessive humidity, water leaks, or flooding. Stachybotrys can cause nervous system symptoms such as sleep disorders, memory loss, and personality changes. It has been linked to fatal bleeding in the lungs of infants, but this is disputed.

Stachybotrys has been found in 2% to 3% of homes. If black or dark green mold is growing on materials containing cellulose, often resulting from a persistent water leak, it is prudent not to disturb it and test first whether it is a toxic mold. There are inexpensive mold test kits that identify the types of mold present. Samples can be taken with a transparent sticky tape and analyzed in a microbiological laboratory. If you suspect Stachybotrys, it is best to call your state Department of Health or consult a professional (Industrial Hygiene consultants in Yellow Pages or the American Industrial Hygiene Association at www.aiha.org).

For more on indoor air pollution, molds, mildew, dust mites, and their health effects, visit Indoor Air Quality and Moisture

Molds, floods and hurricanes

Many homeowners face more frequent hurricanes and associated flooding. Nothing spurs the growth of molds like a recent flood - molds start growing in four days. If not quickly eliminated, molds can multiply the resulting damage. Visit Cleaning up Molds after Flooding and Hurricanes

Health effects of molds

The documented health problems associated with mold exposure fall into four categories:

   1. allergy,

   2. infection,

   3. irritation, and

   4. toxicity.

Mold spores are so small (5-10 microns) that they evade the protective mechanisms of the nose and upper respiratory tract. Allergic reactions are the most common effect - runny nose, itching eyes, rashes. The other common effects of exposure to molds include wheezing, flu like symptoms, chronic sinus infections, nosebleeds, fever, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, inability to concentrate, fatigue, and respiratory infections.

Mold spores can trigger or aggravate asthma, particularly, in children. The incidence of allergies and asthma has doubled in the last decade, which has been linked to the increase in air-borne molds in modern “energy efficient” homes. One of five Americans suffers from allergies. The other health effects include hypersensitivity pneumonitis, reaction to mitological volatile organic compounds, opportunistic infections, and micotoxic reactions. Some pathogenic molds even affect the central nervous system or suppress the immune system.

Persons at greater risk for adverse health effects are the elderly, infants and children, pregnant women, people with a compromised immune system or existing respiratory conditions such as allergies, multiple chemical sensitivity, and asthma. While allergic reactions may be the most common health related problem of exposure to molds, a 1999 Mayo Clinic study shows that molds cause most of the chronic sinus infections which inflict 37 million Americans each year.

The effects of molds are cumulative - the first hundred exposures may have no effect but the next one can cause a reaction.

The growth of molds in your house should be prevented to minimize the exposure to yourself and your family. You cannot eliminate all the mold spores in the air, but, at the very least, you must reduce the concentration below the threshold at which your family experiences allergic reactions.

Mold is only the symptom - moisture is the cause!

The only effective way to control biological air contaminants like molds, fungi, bacteria, and dust mites is by tackling the cause. Eliminate the sources of moisture and reduce humidity in your home! Repair any water leaks in the roof, walls or basement. Prevent condensation on walls and windows by maintaining a low relative humidity in your home, ideally 30–50 percent (less than 30% is too dry for wooden furniture). Humidity levels are measured by hygrometers available in hardware stores.

Cooking and bathing may add 3 gallons of water each day to the indoor air - install exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Basements are the largest source of moisture

Most people do not realize that concrete is porous and overlook the single largest source of moisture in homes - the basement or foundation slab. Water seeps in through the pores in concrete, as well as any openings, in the form of invisible water vapor. In addition, the pores actively draw in by capillary action liquid water, which usually quickly evaporates. The average basement lets in 15 to 18 gallons of moisture each day, several times more than bathrooms and kitchen combined!

Dehumidifiers are commonly used in basements. But they consume lots of power on condensing water vapor ($30–50 a month) and release this energy as heat, which adds to the air-conditioning load. However, in the long run, dehumidifiers draw in more moisture from the ground through the porous concrete, making it more porous and accelerating its deterioration.

Seal your basement or foundation slab

The smart long-term mold remediation solution is sealing the basement floor and walls against water migration and vapor transmission with RadonSeal Deep-Penetrating Concrete Sealer. This usually eliminates the need for a dehumidifier. (Paints do not help - most are porous and sooner or later, all paints crack or peel due to the “alkali attack.”) RadonSeal is the first step for mold prevention, as well as the final step in mold remediation.

Seal all openings that let in water or moisture-laden soil gas from the ground. Hydraulic cement or caulk are temporary solutions only. Repair all cracks in poured concrete walls and hairline cracks in the concrete slab with our Do-It-Yourself Crack Injection Kit. And for a strong and permanent repair of cracks in concrete blocks, floor-to-wall joints, expansion control joints, and wide cracks, use the Epoxy Crack Filler Kit.

If you have a sump pit, cover it up and seal it airtight using silicone caulk. Deep-caulk any expansion control joints and cracks in concrete floors with self-leveling polyurethane caulk. Insulate air-conditioning ducts to prevent condensation. And reduce the amount of water around your foundation with good gutters, downspout extensions, and by proper grading. Regularly clean humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air-conditioning condensing units, and refrigerator drip trays to avoid molds - spray in the BioZap Mold & Mildew Cleaner.  

Answer 7

ma cm ci sn arrivata nella lingua inglese?

Answer 8

YOur fan vent should go all the way up and out the roof. Mine were not , they cheap builder just let  the tube stop in my attic 2 feet high,and the humid air justbuilds up and drips back down, redampening  spots at times. I shoulda extended the cheap vent out when I had roofing done. OH Bleach ,AT least 25 percent solution

Answer 9

What I would do, is repaint the bathroom with an interior paint from Sherwin Williams.

I had the same problem.  SW Paints have a good, safe and effective mildewcide in them.  

After I painted, *viola* No more mold....

GOOD LUCK,

Take Care,

DK