How to get rid of mold in the apartment

Mold is a fairly common phenomenon. Constantly growing spots not only look unaesthetic. Mold brings many more problems: unpleasant smell and harm to health. In this article we describe the main ways to get rid of mold in the apartment on the walls, ceiling, wallpaper.

Home enemy

Among the most common ailments that can occur in every person living in an apartment with mold, there are:

• suppression of the immune system;
• allergic reactions;
• asthma;
• chronic cough and runny nose.

There is no point in treating them, as it is necessary to eliminate the root causes - mold. Getting rid of mold forever, you can say goodbye to disease. To solve this problem, it is necessary, first of all, to find the cause of its appearance and reproduction. Most often, the reasons for its formation are in the elementary things: constant high humidity and poor ventilation system.

Despite the fact that today in the construction of innovative materials are used, it does not always save from the defeat of the fungus. The most common mold can be found:

• in the toilet;
• in the bathroom;
• on the kitchen;
• in the conditioner;
• in a refrigerator;
• around the window opening.

The first sign of its manifestation will be a peculiar smell: sharp and moist. Dark spots appear after the unpleasant smell.

If you do not solve the problem with the normalization of humidity in the room and the arrangement of the correct ventilation system, the mold will appear at regular intervals.

The main methods of struggle

If you purchased an apartment with "problems", then before you enter it, you need to learn how to remove the mold and take all measures to eliminate it. In particular, the main tool is general cleaning:

• the washing up;
• cleaning;
• use of detergents;
• the use of detergents with aggressive substances.

If this complex is not enough, then the whole house will have to be cleaned. Auxiliary substance that will help remove the fungus on the wall is ordinary baking soda. A hard metal brush should be dipped in soda and treated with an infected surface. This option is considered one of the most effective and at the same time safe, so it can be used to clean children's rooms, as well as upholstered furniture. In the latter case, it is necessary to replace the metal brush with a foam sponge.

You can not remove residual soda from the surfaces, since small particles will prevent the formation of new contaminants.

Another versatile home remedy can be called vinegar. They should clean and disinfect the surfaces in the kitchen. To do this, dilute it in water and, wetting a soft cloth, wipe it with:

• fridge;
• shelves;
• cabinets;
• window sills and window slopes;
• furniture;
• bread.

To get rid of the unpleasant and pungent smell of vinegar, just add a few drops of any essential oil to the solution.

If we are talking about the elimination of mold on the glass, tile or plumbing, then it is better to prefer liquid ammonia. Take special care when working with ammonia in an enclosed area, as with the wrong proportions, you can breathe harmful pairs. A more potent agent is bleach (whiteness), which contains chlorine. With it, you can clean only unpainted surfaces in the house, as highly aggressive particles can remove the color coating.

It is worth noting that not all surfaces can remove deposits. There are those that mold permanently damages. In this case, they will be easier to throw or burn. So, if the mold is found on the wallpaper, books, wood products and upholstered furniture with loose upholstery, it is better to remove them from the apartment.

Cleaning work to remove the fungus should be carried out in rubber gloves and a respirator, as if spores enter the skin or respiratory organs, poisoning can develop.

Improvised means

To get rid of black mold, which is most common, you can use the simple tools that each hostess has:

1. Tea tree essential oil. Everyone knows about its calming effect on irritations and bites, but not everyone understands other possibilities of its use. The presence of a strong smell should not be embarrassing, as it quickly disappears. To quickly get rid of the smell - organize airing. It is important to note the presence of excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties, which will be quite enough to combat all types of mold. It is very easy to use: water and tea tree oil are diluted in a 1: 1 ratio in a spray bottle, and an infected surface is sprayed with it.
2. Grapefruit. An exotic remedy for mold and mildew. The main advantage of using fruit or essential oil is the lack of smell. You can buy it at a pharmacy or a specialized online store. On 2 glasses of chilled water, you need an average of 20 drops of extract. It is possible to apply on surfaces by means of a spray.

There are a few more tools that can remove mold growth. But it is worth noting that some of them are toxic, so they should be used only as a last resort and with extreme caution.

1. Borax. This option does not emit toxic gases when used. But to clean the textiles will not work, because it is suitable only for solid surfaces. So, the drill will help to cope with pollution on a ceiling or walls.
2. Ammonia. The recommended proportion of water and ammonia is 1: 1. It is strictly forbidden to mix it with bleach, as a result, the resulting mixture will emit a large amount of toxic fumes harmful to the human body. After applying to the fungal formations, leave the surface for a couple of hours and then rinse thoroughly with clean water.
3. Hydrogen peroxide. Pour the 3% (pharmacy) liquid to the sprayer, and then spray it on the windows or on the mirrors. After 10 minutes, rinse.

After any kind of cleaning, the surfaces are washed with clean water and rubbed dry.

Shop Tools

The above clearing methods are enough to solve the problem. But you can not always be saved by folk remedies. In this case it is worth going to the hardware store and consider the corresponding assortment there. Among the most popular brands are:

• Deo-anti-passion;
• Bugs Anti-Mold;
• NEOMID;
• Mogel-Fri;
• Sagrotan;
• Mogelfree and others.

All of them are presented in the form of liquid solutions and are sold in conventional plastic containers with an installed sprayer. This allows it to be used at any time without harming the environment. But, nevertheless, it is worth remembering the safety rules and strictly observe the technology of application. In order to decide which of them will work more effectively in your case, you need to study the composition, instructions for use, as well as the general information that the manufacturer provides for familiarization.

More expensive products include steam cleaners, which quickly cope with living organisms in the shortest possible time. Because of the high price, this method is suitable for an enterprise or organization.

We cherish their housing

After you have done a complete cleaning of the apartment with your own hands, you must take all precautions to prevent mold from appearing again. To achieve the desired, enough to solve only a few questions:

1. Organization of high-quality and strong ventilation of all rooms. You can check the power of the trailer using a simple lit match or a candle. If the flame does not change direction, then there is no craving.
2. High tightness of plastic windows. This indicator is very good in case of consideration of heat loss, but for good air circulation special ventilation valves should be installed. They will provide fresh air in the required quantity.
3. Daily airing. If windows and windows open every day or open, then a fungus will not grow under the wallpaper. 10-15 minutes a day will be quite enough.
4. Sources of high humidity. These include the poor insulation of the gaps between the panels, the dampness of building materials, the water on the surfaces, a large number of colors, and much more. In this case, it is necessary to eliminate all problems in order to solve the problem as efficiently as possible.

It is recommended for the prevention of reappearance of the fungus to carry out surface treatment with special preparations - biocides. They destroy various microorganisms and spores.

You can clean the apartment from mold yourself, but only if the contaminated surface does not exceed half a square meter. In advanced cases, it is recommended to use the services of specialists who work in the respective organizations and instances.

We remove the smell of mold

By following the above recommendations, you can begin to combat unpleasant odors. For example, you can use scented candles. In addition, other measures should be taken:

1. To disinfect the room when cleaning, add tea tree oil to the water.
2. For a good fight against the unpleasant smell of mold, you can install an air ionizer.

Whatever try to remove the source of the smell.

Out of clothes and washing machine

Moisture in the apartment or poor-quality drying of clothes can lead to the fact that the clothes stored in the closet, mold will develop. It will apply to all wardrobe items, from which a stale smell appears. Over time, the mold will damage the fabric of the clothes and you will simply have to throw away many items of clothing. As already mentioned, the cause of the formation of mold on clothes may be its poor-quality drying. In addition, mold can form in the washing machine and cupboard.

If you have things that are impregnated with the smell of mold, then they must first be dried in the sun. Then stick them in the detergent designed to remove odors. Then dry the clothes in the sun again. To prevent things from drying in the closet again, lay them in sheets to dry. They absorb moisture, thus preventing the formation of mold. To the effect of such sheets was expected, you need to timely replace them.

If it turns out that the reason for the smell of mold is a washing machine, the simplest thing you can do is not to close the lid of the machine after washing. If this does not help, then you need to pour a cup of white vinegar or bleach into the drum (you can even use a small amount of detergent for washing) and then rinse it with warm water.

If the smell of mildew soaked towel, then rinse it in hot water with the addition of a glass of white vinegar. After these steps, wash it in a machine with a powder at high temperature. To dry a towel you need in the sun whenever possible.

If the source of mold spread is a cabinet, then you need to clean it. Washing clothes will not give any result.

Out of the closet

If the mold was formed in the closet, then you need to remove all clothing from it, wash it according to the method described above, and clean the closet. To maximize cabinet cleaning results, determine the cause of mold growth. For example, it may be condensation from the battery, which is hidden behind the cabinet, high humidity in the room or a damp cloth on the floor of the cabinet. If you eliminate the true cause of mold, then after cleaning the cabinet and washing clothes, there should be no doublet.

After cleaning the cabinet, leave the doors open from it, so that the shelves and walls are completely dry. Install a dehumidifier or fan in a room with a cupboard. So, you reduce the level of humidity in the room.

After that, you need to handle shelves and cabinet walls with a special solution. Prepare it from vinegar and warm water at the rate of 1: 1. You can also make a disinfectant solution from warm water and a few drops of bleach or some kind of cleaning agent.

Never mix bleach / whiteness with other cleaning products!

After disinfecting the cabinet, wipe its internal walls with a cloth washed in cold water. Leave the cabinet open for 2–3 days, but do not fold the clothes into it. Make sure that there is no moisture or moisture in it. If after all the events the mold and the unpleasant smell have gone from it, then you can continue to use the cabinet as usual. If everything is not so rosy, then clean it again or try to identify the cause of the formation of mold. It may be necessary to reduce the humidity in the room.

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