Unless you’re making cheese or growing mushrooms, keeping all fungus out of your home should be a top priority. But sometimes how to get rid of mold—probably the most feared fungus for the hygienic homeowner—seems daunting, especially when it feels inevitable in spaces like the basement and around sinks. Experts say it’s normal for homes to host some amount of the fungal microorganisms we know as mold or mildew. Nevertheless, knowing how to kill them will bring you that much closer to a neater, healthier abode. And, though it’s nothing to be ashamed of, the issue should be tackled as soon as possible, even if it’s at a relatively unthreatening stage in its growth.
That’s because unabated mold growth and exposure can make your home uninhabitable and lead to health problems like allergies and other lung conditions for you and your children, your pets, and anyone else spending a lot of time on your property.
The good news? You don’t necessarily need to call a mold remediation expert to get rid of mold. Common household products like hydrogen peroxide and bleach are good solutions to try if you’re wondering how to clean mold and mildew. We asked the experts everything you need to know about this pesky problem.
What does mold look like?
When thinking about mold in the home, the image of fuzzy green globs clinging to old bread easily comes to mind. Often, mold stains look like large groups of blackish or green discolored dots. But depending on the affected material, unsuspecting colors could arise. “With certain kinds of things, like vinyl wallpapers or vinyl tiles, you’ll actually start to see yellow or pink splotches on it, and that’s mold on the backside,” says Ethan O’Donnell, an editor at Family Handyman magazine who has undertaken numerous bathroom and kitchen remodeling jobs with mold remediation or moisture damage issues. “Drywall does that sometimes too.”
When investigating the potential presence of mold, you’ll have to engage more than just your sense of sight; scent can be a strong indicator of mold in an area too. “If you only see a small patch of mold, but your whole house smells musty, check it out pretty seriously,” O’Donnell adds.
A less obvious sign that mold spores are present: Be aware if a room feels “off” or you’re experiencing unexplainable health issues, like constant colds or new allergies, says Glen Apfelbaum, the president of Home Healthy Homes, which handles mold remediation and basement waterproofing projects in the New York City area. “In many, many cases in the work that I do, the mold is not visible—it’s a smell, it’s a feeling, it’s an allergic response, and [residents] just don’t know.”
Apfelbaum recounts an instance when a pair of newlyweds moved into the former home of the bride’s parents, where the moldy area wasn’t easy to notice. The husband soon moved out, saying it made him feel terrible and the house was “killing him.” No one believed him. But at his insistence, mold tests and blood analyses were conducted, and the results showed that the man was having an allergic reaction to a specific mold that was present but not visible to anyone. Talk about a haunted house.
Where is mold often found in the home?
You can probably guess where a few potential mold hot spots are, like in cabinets under leaky kitchen sinks or along the sides of bathtubs and showers. But other areas aren’t as obvious. “It’s not that hard to find mold in an attic, because it’s unprotected up there, you have all this exposed wood and things get dusty,” Apfelbaum says, adding that garages, laundry rooms and other unventilated rooms are also prime locations for mold spore breeding grounds.
How can I be proactive about preventing mold?
Mold spores exist where there’s moisture, so the key is to minimize wetness or humidity and increase air flow. Ensure pipes and anything else constantly conveying water is in good working order—that means no drips or leaks! Don’t let any soggy materials, like rainy clothes or wet towels, pile up.
If you live somewhere rainy or humid, that means shelling out for a quality dehumidifier. Apfelbaum recommends using one with a hose that dumps water into a sink or some other drainage point. It also means plugging in the dehumidifier or flipping on the air conditioning months before your environment becomes highly humid. Apfelbaum suggests keeping humidity in the low 40s.
O’Donnell explains that if you have a bit of mold around your sink, it’s likely due to constant excess moisture in the bathroom, insufficient air flow, and a temperature just high enough for mold growth. The solution could be as simple as cracking open the window or flipping on the exhaust fan post-shower. If you still see a lot of moisture during and after your shower outside of the tub, you may need to upgrade the exhaust fan.
“If you can get your house to be dry like the desert, you’re going to be able to not only solve a lot of these mold issues, but be in control of [them],” Apfelbaum adds.
Apfelbaum also notes that frequent dusting can help prevent mold. “Many times, the biggest food source for mold in the basement is dust, and you’ll see it in the insulation in the ceiling,” he says. “You don’t necessarily have to have a cleaning service come once a week, but at least once a month, vacuum, wipe, and dust the basement, because whatever happens in the basement is going to [travel] throughout the house.”
Can I remove mold myself? Or should I call a professional?
Hiring a professional mold remediator will spare you the time, energy, and aggravation of handling a complex problem—like extensive black mold in hard-to-reach places—on your own. But there’s plenty of mold and mildew issues that don’t really require any special equipment or industry know-how. Here’s a few steps for handling the problem yourself, as well as tips to understand when to call in the pros.
1. Don’t delay: Size up your mold right away
Once you notice what could be mold, examine the area of concern and any adjacent walls, floors, or surfaces. As mentioned earlier, not all molds look the same. But you can get clued into how big of a job you’re facing by seeing how extensive the water damage or mold has already spread and determining what the likely source of moisture is. A few splotches of surface mold in your tub, on your bathroom tiles, or around your faucet doesn’t typically indicate a deeper problem. You shouldn’t need assistance for that.
Apfelbaum suggests that anything smaller than a couple of square feet could probably be a DIY job, which is roughly in line with the federal recommendation of nothing larger than a roughly 10-square-foot patch. If you suspect hidden mold—as in, within your walls, behind cabinets, or in your insulation—or if you find mold in any porous surfaces or absorbent materials, like carpets, call a pro. You’ll need to remove and replace any materials in the affected area.
2. Inspect for deeper issues and attack those immediately
Sometimes, a little patch of mold can actually be a telltale sign that something else is off, like poor landscaping drainage or issues with the foundation, O’Donnell says. Even if the affected area is relatively small, check for leaks in your water systems, such as broken nozzles or anything else that would allow seepage.
For example, while many kitchen appliances are made of nonporous materials, dishwasher drainage pipes can attract mold—and that’s a problem that can’t be resolved with a bottle of bleach. “That’s a bigger plumbing issue, the drain is either too large to supply or too small to get the water out of there,” O’Donnell continues. “I would call a plumber right away.” A plumber might also be necessary if a mold growth is suspected to be caused by a pipe leak.
In other cases, improved ventilation is necessary for long-lasting mold removal. Anyone looking up at an unmaintained skylight, for example, has probably grimaced at the sight of a sheet of mold hanging over their head, though you can usually wipe that away. But O’Donnell says the deeper concern is if the mold has spread to surrounding exterior materials.
“If your skylight is getting mold or anything is growing on it, it’s because condensation is building up there,” he explains. If it’s a bathroom skylight, your bathroom fan may need to be upgraded to push out more air, although spacing out showering sessions if you have multiple people in your household could also help with a repeat mold problem.
3. Check if you’re required to test for mold
Mold tests can tell you if there’s mold present in your home, the type of mold you’re dealing with, and the current concentration. Basic at-home tests are easy to find at your local hardware store. It may be tempting to skip the added step and cost, but some states will require a test before mold remediation can be conducted, like Texas. You may also want to ask for mold testing or use your own kit during a new home inspection, especially if you think you’re having an allergic reaction or have had mold-related health issues.
But not every state requires—or even recommends—mold testing. According to Minnesota’s health department, mold testing is often not an appropriate or effective way to answer many of the questions you may have. In many cases, the department finds that people worried about the presence of mold who are seeking a test should actually opt for a thorough investigation into moisture problems and the damage it can cause to their house. However, the department does state that some legitimate reasons do exist for getting a test, such as rationalizing the expense of remediation or determining that a remediator has satisfactorily completed a job.
No matter if you want to go ahead with a test or not, look up your state’s requirements if you’re thinking you should hire a professional or you aren’t confident if what you’re seeing is mold.
4. Gather your equipment
Common household cleaners, like a bleach solution, and some elbow grease can absolutely help you for surface mold. Grab some cleaning rags and an old toothbrush or scrub brush, as well as rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, bleach or detergent for smaller surface mold growths.
The US Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, also urges DIY mold remediators to procure personal protective gear before diving into a project, namely, a N-95 face mask or respirator, long gloves, and goggles without ventilation holes. That will help prevent spores from getting in your eyes or in your respiratory system. Rubber gloves should help keep mold spores off your hands but also prevent burns or irritation from cleaning products.
5. Start scrubbing
After putting on your personal protective equipment, wet a rag with one of the aforementioned household cleaners (or a mold-specific product, if you prefer) and give the moldy surface a good scrub. Use that old toothbrush for scrubbing tight corners, grout, and other indents or details.
But some remediation will require more than a trip to Target’s cleaning supplies aisle. If the mold isn’t coming off with standard products, or if it’s becoming a more complex project than anticipated, call a professional. They’ll be able to confirm that the job is actually done—which will spare you a round-two headache if the mold becomes visible again a few months later.
