What to Do When You Have Black Mold in Your Home?
There’s nothing as freeing as owning your own home. Sometimes, however, the responsibilities of being a homeowner can be absolutely devastating. Especially if you find black mold in your house!
There are a few basic steps that you NEED to take if you ever find black mold. Here are a few tips and steps you can use to take care of the black mold and get your house in order!
Patience!
Removing black mold means you need to equip yourself with protective gear and an abundance of patience. Then you need to follow these steps to keep your home and your family safe.
- Find where the moisture is coming from. After you have called in the right professional for the job, like a great local plumber, then you can begin to remove the mold.
- Then you’ll need to seal up doors, or hallways leading into the affected area with plastic and duct tape.
- Put on protective gear, then begin to clean the mold.
These are easy steps, but they can take some time, so be patient! We’ll walk you through with more detail!
Finding the Moisture
Once you’ve located the source of the water, like a leak from a pipe or appliance, only then can you move forward with removal. The reason that this is the first step, before removing the mold, is because it may return.
If you’ve spent the last few hours cleaning up the mold, and airing out the area, only to have the mold return a few weeks later, then it was simply a waste of time.
Check your major appliances, check any drafty window or door, and make certain you’ve found the primary source of water. Then, you can look into hiring a local company to come in and help. If it is your water heater for instance, and you live in a town like Loveland, CO, then searching for ‘water heater repair Loveland’ will be your next step!
Seal Up the Area
Black mold is harmful to humans and pets. If you find black mold in your home, it is important to seal up the area so that the spores don’t spread once you begin cleaning.
Much like sealing up your home before a major storm, you’ll need to make sure the area is secure. Use plastic sheeting, a tarp, and some duct tape can keep the mold from spreading throughout your home.
Gear Up, Clean Up
Wearing protective gear before you begin cleaning black mold could save you from serious health side effects. The truth about black mold is that it can actually kill you if you’re exposed to it for a long period of time, so keeping yourself healthy and safe is priority one.
Use a facemask or respirator to cover your mouth and nose. Cover your hands, arms, legs, and any exposed skin. Use protective eyewear.
Once you’re completely covered up with protective gear, then you can begin to clean. Use soap and water and a sponge to clean up the visible mold. Once the impacted area is dry, then you can use a black mold removal product from a local hardware store. These products are typically not expensive.
Use the product as directed, then you can dispose of the cleaning agents safely, in order to not spread spores!
Prevention
Finding black mold in your home can mean spending a lot on repairs, having to safely clean it up, and somehow making sure you keep calm during the whole ordeal! Don’t panic. You can do it! After it’s all said and done, the next step is preventing it from ever happening again!
