Mold Spray You Can Make At Home

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In most cases, it’s not necessary to call in a professional when you have a minor mold problem in your home. As a matter of fact, it can be a whole lot cheaper when you can tackle the situation yourself. A mold spray is an easy solution that can be either purchased from a home and garden store, or if you’re worried about the effects of harmful chemicals, you can make your own.

If you’ve chosen to take the simplest route and just want to purchase a mold and mildew remover, you’ll want to read the label to make sure it’s safe around children and pets if you have either. Also, some products may require more than one application and have chemicals than some people cannot be around such as bleach or ammonia, so always be sure and read the labels.

If you prefer the greener route, there are many mold products on the market that are safe for the environment or you can make a natural mold spray cleaning solution that can work just as well and in some cases even better than the professional products. Here are a few safer alternatives that you can try for house mold.

Vinegar is an inexpensive solution that many homeowners use. It should be used undiluted. You can apply the vinegar using a sprayer or old sponge to any moldy areas you may have in your home. Then, let the vinegar dry. Rinsing is not necessary.

Hydrogen Peroxide is another cheap and effective solution for killing mold. Simply apply the hydrogen peroxide using a sponge or sprayer to affected areas of your home and then let dry. Again, rinsing is not necessary. However, because this solution can bleach surfaces, do not use it on colored fabrics or surfaces that you don’t want lightened.

Lemon Juice in an undiluted state can also be used to kill mold. You can mix the lemon juice with a pinch of salt and apply the solution to affected areas – then, let set for ten minutes and rinse.

Tea Tree Oil is said to be a very effective solution against many different types of mold, but can be very expensive. It can also have a very strong smell. If you don’t mind the cost or smell of tea tree oil, you can mix one teaspoon of it with one cup of water, then shake to mix. Apply to affected surfaces and let dry. You don’t need to rinse.

Grapefruit Seed Extract is another expensive but effective solution against mold. But even though it is expensive, it doesn’t have a strong smell because it’s odorless unlike other solutions. To use Grapefruit seed extract, mix ten drops of it with one cup of water, and then shake to mix. Apply to affected areas and let dry. You don’t need to rinse.

Borax Powder can be mixed with water by adding 1 tablespoon of the powder to one cup of water, then shake to mix. Apply mixture to problem areas, scrubbing if necessary and reapplying.  Again, no need to rinse.

Baking Soda can be used on houseplants as mold growth inhibitor only. To apply, combine three teaspoons of baking soda with one gallon of water and spray on soil and the plant itself.

As you can see, making your own mold spray at home is pretty simple.

Is Mold Remediation What You Need?

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If you have mold taking over your home, you may be wondering if mold remediation is worthwhile or not. In some cases it may be necessary while in others it may not. There are many reasons that a homeowner may choose to hire a mold removal professional in such situations, but before you hire just anyone, there are certain things you may want to know.

Just because you have mold growing in your home doesn’t always mean you need to dish out big bucks for black mold removal costs. In fact, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) suggests that if the mold growing in your home is less than 10 square feet, you can remove the fungus yourself. Of course anything over that and you should be looking up mold remediation companies in the phonebook.

But first, ask questions. Don’t just hire someone because they sound professional or because it was the first name you ran across in the phonebook. Find out what steps they take to remove the mold, what chemicals they use and what fees they charge.

If they’re talking about testing for mold in your home and using bleach to remove the fungus, run away as fast as you can. Most companies do not test for toxic mold and they will not use chlorine bleach to get rid of the mold because it’s not approved.

What the company will do however is identify and eliminate the source of the problem. Sources often include leaky faucets, pikes or flooding. The company will then eradicate the mold using the steps necessary and products required to kill the fungus. The steps and products used will also depend on the size of the affected area.

In any case, the contractors doing the job will always wear some form of respirator, gloves and goggles for protection. In bigger jobs they may need to use special sheeting to block off uncontaminated areas of the home. And in extreme cases special equipment will be needed to make the home environmentally safe again.

Some equipment that may be used during clean up include a wet vacuum and a HEPA vacuum.  A wet vacuum is generally needed when materials such as hardwood flooring and carpeting is wet. A HEPA vacuum is generally needed when the clean up is in its final stages and all water damage mold has been removed.

In some cases if the damage is extreme you may be asked to discard non-valuable items. Items may include books, non-important documents, ceiling and wall tiles, insulation, carpeting, hardwood flooring, vinyl, linoleum, paneling, furniture and window treatments.

In the event that you do need to hire a company that specializes in mold remediation, you should know that the cost for this type of project won’t be cheap. However, you may be able to minimize those costs and possibly avoid them all together – depending on how the mold damages began. Your insurance company may be willing to help foot the bill and in some cases, FEMA may be able to help as was such the case with the Kansas flooding that happened several years ago. It certainly never hurts to ask no matter what the situation may be.

Mold Poisoning Can Be a Very Serious Problem

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Because winter is here, many of us will catch everything from the common cold to the flu. Yet what happens when that common cold or flu just never seems to go away? Well, if you’re like most people you’d probably go to the doctor and let him or her determine the cause.

Or you may find yourself just assuming that you have a weak immune system. Anyway you go about it, if your illnesses are sudden or just won’t go away, you may want to consider the possibility that you have mold poisoning.

And unfortunately, there are many symptoms that can cause health related issues brought on by mold. Some people may realize they have the symptoms of toxic mold in their system while it may take years for some to figure it out and others may never even know it.

And in most cases you don’t have to have every single symptom to be exposed to toxic black mold. Some people may just experience one or two symptoms while others may experience as many as ten.

Some of the more common symptoms of black mold poisoning can include headaches, muscle pain, cramps, fatigue, weakness, flu-like symptoms, difficulty in breathing, coughing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, sore throat, chronic sinusitis, itchy eyes, red eyes, sensitivity to light, memory loss, difficulty in thinking, loss of concentration, confusion, disoriented, dizziness, loss of balance, chest pains, kidney problems, skin rash, dehydration, body temperature increase or decrease, night sweats, numbness or tingling in the arms, legs and fingers, heavy menstrual flow and prone to infections more easily.

There are also less common symptoms that toxic molds can cause which can include a lightheaded sensation, panic attacks, tremors, attention deficit disorder, problems with your vision, depression, anxiety, swollen lymph nodes, weight gain, hearing loss, chronic fatigue, nose bleeds, hives, easily bruised, infertility, miscarriage, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, hair loss, heart attack, seizure, developmental delays in children, the inability to handle stress, mood swings, upper respiratory infections, vomiting, jaundice, stomach ulcers and in rare cases – death.

If you believe that you have one or more toxic mold symptoms, you need to see your doctor immediately to test for exposure. Your doctor can do a series of blood test that can check for the effects of toxic molds on specific systems of your body. From there your doctor can recommend a treatment or offer advice on how to remove the poisonous fungus from your body. You may also want to consider specific vitamins and minerals that may help rev up your immune system and fight the toxins in your body.

And finally, don’t forget your home environment. It won’t do any good to remove the toxins from your body if there is mold in your home. If you’re unsure of where to begin, you may want to consider hiring a black mold removal professional to test your home for funguses. Once you’ve determined the source of the problem, you can try to remove the mold yourself, or you can hire a mold remediation company to do it for you, which may be best to prevent further exposure to mold poisoning.

Mold Home Test Advice

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If you think you have mold in your home but you’re not sure, you may be wondering if a mold home test is the right way to go. There are many different types available, from kits that require you to test the air inside of your home to kits that require you to take samples of fungal colony growing on your property. And nowadays, almost everywhere you go, you can buy testing kits for mold from your local grocery store to WalMart.

But, before you decide to just run right out and purchase one, there are some positive and negative drawbacks to the mold testing kits that you should know about.

Mold Home Test Advantages

One of the positive advantages about a mold testing kit is that they’re fairly simple to use. They don’t require a professional’s help and the steps are fairly simple to follow from the included instructions.

Another advantage is the kits allow you to save time verses having to wait for a professional mold inspection team to come in and check your home for mold and the colonies it produces. There’s no need to set up an appointment and work around someone else’s schedule because the kit can be used whenever it’s convenient for you.

But the best part is you can save money when you use a home mold testing kit verses hiring a professional. Most kits can cost anywhere from $10 to $40 while a professional can cost you anywhere from $100 or more.

Mold Home Test Disadvantages

Just as there are some good advantages to purchasing a testing kit for mold, there are also some disadvantages. For example, if you’re not familiar with the types of mold your home may have, you could be exposing yourself to toxic mold, which can cause serious problems such as respiratory infections and memory loss. And if you have little ones or pets, toxic mold can actually cause death.

Another negative drawback to a home testing kit is that the United States does not require a set standard for this type of product. In other words, you may end up getting a product that doesn’t live up to its name or one that doesn’t work at all.

It’s best if you do your research before you purchase the kit. An easy way to research a product is to do a search through Google or another search engine to see what type of negative and positive feedback you can find. Or try a website such as Epinions where consumers have tested products and share their opinion (good or bad) about them.

A mold home test can make things a lot easier for you and your pocketbook. But remember; always shop around before you decide to buy. Otherwise you may end up with a product that is going to cost you more in the end. Or worse yet, you could very well end up risking yours and your family’s health.

Attic Mold and What to Do About It

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Attics are notorious for moisture-ridden problems if they’re not insulated properly. In the summertime it’s a concern, but not nearly as bad as the wintertime. That’s because in the winter months we tend to run our heaters and hot air rises into our attics, which generally stays cold. When the hot air combines with the cold boards of the roof it creates moisture where attic mold can thrive.

And unfortunately your heater isn’t the only thing that can cause moisture-ridden mold. Bathroom fans that blow directly into our attics as well as showering can cause mold problems in our attics. Also beware of the nails used in shingles, which can cause even more problems with mold on the roof. And without the proper amounts of air ventilation those molds will just keep coming back.

So before you tackle that fungal mess, you need to go straight to the source of the problem and fix it. Once you’ve removed the moisture from up there you can then begin the clean up process.

Next you’ll need to identify the mold. Most molds found in attics are white, brown, green or black in color. The mold can be found on wood, drywall and even insulation. Look for areas where discoloration or stains have occurred. You may see small splotches or spots or you may find a powdery coating on the surface area.

Then, you need to eliminate the problem by removing any damaged areas that are covered in the fungus. This may include insulation any items you may have stored in the area. Once you’ve removed as much of the source as you can, you should invest in a good mold spray that will permanently remove the mold. Bleaching will not work because in most cases it cannot penetrate below surfaces where mold tends to hide.

If you’re unable to investigate the possibly affected area yourself, you can hire a mold remediation company. And if possible, look for one that has a ventilation expert in their company. Just remember, a roofing contractor is not the same as a remediation company.

If you’re pretty sure hiring someone is a waste of your time and you don’t have any mold in your home, maybe you should take a closer look at yourself and your family. Are you experiencing any unexplained illnesses such as a common cold or the flu that just doesn’t want to go away?

What about memory loss or a respiratory infection that you’ve written off as old age? Are you experiencing headaches that appear on a daily or weekly basis? Maybe you have cramps, aches or joint pains that you’ve just chalked it up as old age as well?

If so, you may very well be dealing with toxic mold which can cause not only severe health problems, but also bleeding of the lungs in people with weak immune systems and babies.

Of course most molds are harmless, but toxic black mold is a far more serious matter that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Please don’t ignore the problem. Even if you never use your attic, it doesn’t mean attic mold isn’t present and can’t harm you from way up there. Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to removing mold from your home.

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