I live in the south and sometimes we get a lot of rain. Most houses here have basements and sometimes they will hold moisture. That can mean black mold. It can be pervasive and keep coming back if you don’t know how to get rid of it. Here is the best way to remove mold from your home and keep it from coming back.
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What things can cause mold inside homes?
- Humidity
- Leaky Pipes
- Condensation
- Poor Ventilation
- Flooding
Most people quickly grab the bottle of Clorox to clean up mold, thinking it will kill everything but it doesn’t. Mold will actually feed on the Clorox. It will return over and over again and can be a vicious cycle. Using Clorox will also harm your paint especially if you are trying to get it off of sheetrock.
Above is an example of some mold that was growing on our paneling after a water leak. This had been there for over a month when we found it. because there were some things propped against the wall. I wanted to make sure we didn’t take the paint off when we cleaned it and here is how we did it safely.
There are 2 products you will need to get, we found them at our local Home Depot:
They are safe and won’t harm your skin. First, spray on the Concrobium Mold Control, let it sit for a few seconds and then scrub with a damp cloth. You may have to use a little elbow grease or a second spray for set in mold, but most if it will wipe right off. Once it is dry, just spray on the Zep Clear Shell and let it dry.
It’s that easy and all the mold is gone leaving your paint job intact. The best part is the mold will not come back.
If you liked this household cleaning tip you might want to try these as well:
30+ Uses for WD40 in Your Home
How to Get the Mildew Smell out of Your Laundry
Heidi Bookenstock says
I’ve recently had someone come and do a mold assessment in my home and sure enough, we have mold. I have no idea how it got here or how to get rid of it. It’s interesting that mold can be caused by something as common as humidity.
Aubrey Cota says
Such a pain right! Sorry to hear you’re dealing with it. Good luck.
aerisenvironmental says
Thanks for sharing. I will use these steps for my home hope for the best!
Aubrey Cota says
Good luck I’m sure it will work out nicely!
Desirae says
Do these products have a strong smell?
Alexandria Martinez says
When my fiance and I moved into our new home, we were not expecting there to be mold in one of the rooms. We really appreciated your tips to remove it and keep it from coming back. However, both of us are busy people with not enough time to deal with it ourselves and we will be contacting a mold removal service.
Aubrey Cota says
Sounds like that was the best way to go for your situation. While I would never wish mold on anyone I’m glad this worked for you even if were just for a short time.
Kayla says
Thanks for these tips. My ceiling is really moldy. I think I will be needing experts help. I am now looking some mold removal service.
Aubrey Cota says
Good plan and good luck!
Aaron C. says
As someone who is allergic to mold, this article helps tremendously! Thanks for writing.
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you!
Victoria Luisus says
I usually wondering how to remove the mold, but after reading your post and see the result i think i should to try once. Thanks for sharing!
Garrett G says
Finally something that works!! Thank you so much Kelley!!!!
Loretta Henry says
By coincidence, I recently read about Black mold and how dangerous it is to try to do home made removal, if the spores get loose and they are inhaled, it is not good at all and it was suggested that trying to remove it oneself can spell disaster – now of course, this could have been an article that was written by a mold removal specialist, but it did make me very concerned, cause if it is as easy as that, they would take a big hit out of their business
Emily Krier says
Hey, great share……
I have a vinyl sided house that has mold or moss on the north side. I have noticed a number of homes with the same problem, either wood, aluminum or vinyl sided. I always thought bleach was the only thing that would kill mold and remove the stains but I wasn’t aware that bleach feeds mold. I am sure your tips are going to help me out to get rid of mold.
Thanks for sharing this post. Keep sharing more…
Cheers!!
McKenzie says
Thanks for these tips! I find it particularly annoying when mold shows up on places like this, because its not where you normally expect it.
Brian says
Mold can be so hard to get rid of in a home but these tips make it seem much easier. Thanks for sharing!
Westly Smith says
I didn’t know that poor ventilation could cause mold to grow. I, too, also thought that Clorox was the best way to get rid of mold. I guess I was wrong! Thanks for the tips, I’ll be sure to use your formula so that the mold doesn’t come back!
CyndyB says
I knew about the clorox/mold issue and have tried many other things with minimal luck. Really hoping this will help. We live in a (newer) mobile home with the notorious “sweating ” windows in the winter. I freak about the mold because it’s basically impossible to eliminate all of it with the constant wet. Hubby has bought our first replacement window and promised to install it tomorrow. Fingers crossed that’s the permanent solution! In the meantime, thanks for sharing your discovery! It just might save my sanity. 😉
Jenn says
We just got a mold inspection done over the weekend. It was spread through a lot more of the house than I expected! Thankfully they were able to treat it same day. I think I may also buy these products to keep it from coming back later. Thank you for sharing your experience with using them!
Jessica says
What about particle board? We have mold all around our furniture and the backing of the dresser/drawers is particle board and has mold. Not entirely covered, but a good amount. Would these products work as well? It just seems like a waste to throw the dressers away.
Jonathan Pound says
I grew up in Oregon, and house mold was a common problem for many people. You have to be careful about it because it can actually cause chronic illness in people and pets. If the infestation is minimal you can use the mold and mildew inhibitors that you mention. However, if it’s really bad you will need to call a mold and mildew removal specialist.
Veronika Dalton says
Bleach feeds mold? Oh my goodness, I had no idea. That explains why now it’s gotten so out of hand that we’ve got to call a specialist!
Tabitha says
Just ordered both of these products on Amazon and can’t wait to try them out this weekend. We’ve had a big patch of icky black mold spots in our (windowless) bathroom for quite some time and I keep meaning to try to tackle it. Husband is away on a business trip, so I’m hoping I can surprise him with a beautiful mold-free wall/ceiling! Fingers crossed! 🙂
bryan flake says
This is the first that I have heard that mold feeds off of Clorox. In analyzing what Clorox can do in other aspects of life, I just assumed that it would kill anything standing in its way. I’ll have to see if I can find either of the two products you mentioned.