Mold grows where there are many sources of moisture, such as ceiling tiles, leaking windows, paint, or water pipes. Indoor mold contamination is responsible for various adverse health conditions for the occupants of the house. Indoor mold contamination can significantly cause symptoms such as allergies, asthma, mycosis, respiratory distress, nausea, irritant effects, skin rashes, immunosuppression, dizziness, mucous membrane irritation, headaches, and other health problems.
Removing mold that is present indoors can be a tremendous chore. Therefore it is important to take care of the surrounding area so that the mold does not develop more widely. Cladosporium, Alternaria, Epicoccum, Aureobasidium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium are some of the species of fungi found indoors. When there are high humidity levels for a long time, mold growth can be very widespread, and mold spores can even spread into the air!
How to Get Rid of Mold Issues at Home?
Many studies report vinegar or acetic acid as having antifungal action against mold. Vinegar vapor has been used in various applications to prevent the growth of fungi. Vinegar is included in the five effective ingredients used as a disinfectant to inhibit mold growth.
Mold is easy to grow and thrives in the home, especially in areas such as bathrooms and laundry rooms which have higher humidity than other rooms. The type of mold and the extent of its spread will affect how it can be cleaned. If mold growth is massive, it is best to hire a professional mold removal company. However, if the infected area is still small and it seems easy to remove, you can use vinegar with 4.2% acetic acid or higher to treat it. Here’s what you can do to use vinegar to get rid of mold at home.
- Use protective equipment
Since many molds can cause allergic reactions, it’s best to use eye protection, a mask, and rubber gloves. It is better to wash clothes immediately after use to clean mold.
- Check ventilation
Open doors and windows and turn on exhaust fans in the bathroom or kitchen to help with better ventilation before you start cleaning.
- Apply the vinegar
First, begin by putting the vinegar into a spray bottle. Afterward, you can spray the vinegar on the mold-infected area. Let the vinegar soak on the area first for at least an hour before you go to the next step.
- Rinse the vinegar
The next step is to rinse the vinegar from the area with a sponge. You can start rinsing by dipping the sponge in clean water before cleaning the surface area, keep in mind that you want to rinse the sponge as often as possible.
- Check for discoloration
If discoloration occurs, you will need to use an oxygen-based bleach solution to remove the stain. Bleach won’t kill mold spores but is very effective at removing stains.
- Let it dry
As the final step, you just need to allow the newly cleaned surface to dry.
How Long Does it Take for Vinegar to Remove Mold?
You should allow the vinegar to stay in the mold-infected area for at least 60 minutes. But it will highly depend on the amount of mold in the area. You should keep in mind that vinegar is a very useful product, it can be used on every surface. Due to its high acidity, which can potentially be damaging to various surfaces. It is not advised to use vinegar on cast iron, aluminum, waxed wood, or natural stone.
Vinegar is a versatile product that can be useful for cleaning many things. Not only for removing molds, but vinegar can also be used to clean your glassware, so it won’t look cloudy or dirty. Using vinegar can turn all your glassware spotless and look brand new! You can even get rid of mildew on clothes with vinegar. If the item is washable, you should use the hottest water and add one cup of vinegar to the washer.
If you find mold in your home, clean it up before it spreads! And keep in mind that any areas with high humidity should be cleaned and inspected at least every week to check for signs of mold.
