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If your home is infected by mold, you need to think about how you will go about the mold removal process. This is because the presence of mold on your property can cause serious health issues. Hiring a professional house cleaning company for professional mold remediation is often best.
You should also know how a professional cleaning service tackles mold. Here, you can learn the causes of mold and mildew in properties, how a professional cleaning service removes mold growth, and steps to clean mold from wood. Let's dive in!
Causes of Mold and Mildew in Properties
You need to properly trace the underlying cause of mold growth in your property before you can prevent mold growth. This is because mold and mildew do not only have serious health effects. They can also ruin furniture and have an unhealthy impact on indoor air quality.
The two leading causes of mold and mildew are moisture or dampness and a food source. This food source includes materials such as soft furnishings, wooden frames, and gypsum. Controlling food sources for mold growth is difficult as they are too prevalent. However, you can control underlying sources of water.
How Professionals Remove Mold Growth
Mold growth in your home or business is a severe health risk because mold spores can move into air ducts and spread through the air circulation. As a result, your HVAC system gets infected. No doubt, you will need a professional mold remediation or duct cleaning service to remedy this.
Mold assessment
Professional mold remediation specialists typically begin the mold removal process by performing a mold assessment process. A root cause of mold growth is usually a combination of certain humidity levels and air conditioning.
Air may condense inside your vents as air-con systems cool down. This can create the right environment for mold growth. The way out is to invite a house cleaning professional that removes mold permanently.
Cleaning process
The next step after mold assessment is for your professional house cleaning company to treat the mold problem. This involves cleaning and treating every affected area. Here are some activities in the mold remediation process:
- Your mold cleaning experts will contain the site to prevent mold spores contaminating other areas.
- They will, after that, control humidity levels.
- Next, they will remove the mold. This may include eliminating affected materials not part of the structure.
- Cleaning experts can use the right treatment agent to lift mold off structural surfaces.
- They will also use a HEPA vacuum to capture the mold.
- A preventive measure is to apply an antimicrobial agent as a final protective coat.
Post mold cleanups
Finally, they will do some post-clean-ups. Professional cleaning services help prevent future mold growth in commercial businesses by cleaning wet areas immediately.
They also monitor indoor humidity as a follow-up to mold cleanups. You most likely need the services of a cleaning service if your building once housed mold.
They have to deep clean, disinfect, and deodorize affected surfaces. This is even more important if you have young children in your household. In any case, offices tend to be prone to mold and may require the services of a professional mold removal service at one time or the other.
Steps to Clean Mold from Wood
Wood contains high cellulose content, which is a food source for mold. The absorbent nature of wood also creates a beneficial environment for mold growth. These are the reasons why mold growth often occurs in wood. Here is how to get rid of such mold growth:
Collate tools and equipment
The needed tools and equipment include the following:
- Spray bottle
- Brush
- Borax
- Dish soap
- Water
- Paper towels
- Vacuum with HEPA filter
- Box fan or dehumidifier
- Sandpaper
Vacuum and brush off mold
Use a HEPA-filtered vacuum to vacuum up the mold. Also, get a soft-bristled brush and dislodge the mold. Protect yourself from breathing in mold spores by wearing a dust mask.
Spray the mold
Mix two cups of water and a teaspoon of soap in a spray bottle. Shake it up and spray the mold.
Scrub away mold
Your brush will come in handy to scrub off the mold and mildew. Also, soak up excess water using paper towels.
Kill off mold roots
A water cup and one tablespoon of borax mixture is enough to kill mold roots. Use your brush to apply the mixture to and around the affected area. After the solution absorbs into the wood, operate your fan or dehumidifier so the wood dries quickly.
Use grit sandpaper to remove stubborn mold.
Remove stubborn stains
If the wood still has stains after the above process, it will likely result from the mildew's discoloration. However, it is not irreversible. You can use diluted bleach to scrub the area and remove the stains.
Preventive Measures to Keep Your Home Clean
A good mold remediation process is incomplete without taking measures to prevent future recurrence. Your mold removal specialist can give you some mold growth prevention tips. You can also find out how to maintain proper ventilation from them.
Role of air scrubbers in mold prevention
Air scrubbers are a series of fine filters in your HVAC system. They remove harmful particles like mold spores as outside air runs through the HVAC system. Some industrial air scrubbers also contain bacteria and pathogen-killing filters that are even applicable for COVID-19 prevention.
Well-installed air scrubbers are especially effective in removing contaminants from the air. However, you should limit the opening of doors in mold-prone areas, as incoming air can be a source of mold spores.
Cleaning Tips for Mold Growth Removal
- Be sure to ventilate the work environment before mold growth removal.
- Also, remember to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect against mold spores.
- Examples of PPE include safety glasses, masks, and gloves. You can also put on a long-sleeved shirt and pants.
- Try to close off the area from other rooms to prevent airborne spores from spreading throughout your home, and consider using or renting a HEPA air filter.
When to Invite a Mold Remediation Specialist
While it is possible to get cleaning products and use them on mold, avoiding DIY mold removal is healthier. Instead, you should seek professional cleaning services to clean mold effectively.
Here are occasions that warrant the need for the services of a mold remediation specialist:
- If you are unsure whether there is additional airborne contamination, you should invite professionals to handle the situation entirely.
- You need a remediation expert to trace the origin of mold growth properly. For instance, they may trace the cause of water damage, which you will need to rectify.
- Mold remediation professionals are especially needed when there are people who are experiencing fungal exposure symptoms.
- You also need professionals if you are susceptible to mold-related health problems.
- You especially need to consult a professional if you have over 10 square feet of household mold.
Services of Professional Cleaning Companies
Read on for some services you can expect from a cleaning service.
Mold removal and sterilization of hard surfaces
You can expect good cleaning services to be good at professional mold removal. This means they have teams for cleaning mold in commercial businesses and getting affected areas disinfected and deodorized.
After mold removal, a commercial cleaning company uses spray mold killers to sterilize hard surfaces. These hard surfaces include metal, concrete, and glass. The look of these surfaces will be restored.
Disinfection and deodorization of soft items
Your carpets, rugs, and curtains usually need some attention. A commercial cleaning business can help you disinfect them. They will remove mold stuck between the fibers of the materials by soaking the soft items in a disinfectant solution. In addition, they will deodorize the materials to remove the musky smell of mold.
Mold growth prevention
The spread and growth of mildew and mold depend on the right amount of moisture and organic materials. This means you must protect organic materials like wood, drywall, and building materials.
A cleaning service can help control and keep moisture to a minimum in commercial buildings. In this way, they allow you to prevent mold and mildew. Furthermore, they can clean hard-to-reach areas in your home or commercial property to prevent mold growth. They usually look for signs of leaks or water damage.
Deep cleaning services
An industrial cleaning company can help you keep a clean environment at your workplace. They can provide a range of deep cleaning services, including testing for different types of mold, inspecting mold growth sources, and dehumidifying relevant areas.
Cleaning consultations
Your professional cleaning service is usually ready to provide tips to help foster a healthy home or office environment. This includes enlightening you on best practices you can use to monitor indoor air quality.
Apart from providing professional mold removal services, you can contact cleaning companies for the following services to suit your needs:
- Carpet cleaning
- Residential cleaning
- Fire damage cleaning
- Spring cleaning
Get Help from a Professional Cleaning Company
You now know the process professional cleaning services use to tackle mold. You should take mold growth seriously, and the associated health risk of mold spores is a reason to get professional help.