The moment that you notice mold is growing anywhere in your home, you should not panic. Doing something that you think will help kill the mold, might actually make things worse. It is a great idea to reach out to a local professional at this time. The extent of the mold is not known for you and you will want to know what repair or remediation is needed. Assuming that you can take care of the mold yourself is probably a bad idea. Does heat kill mold? Yes, extreme heat or extreme cold can actually kill most mold spores. Using a professional company to clean is best.
Let’s take a look below at the steps needed to make this happen.
Extreme Cold Vs Extreme Heat
Both of these environmental factors can lead to the destruction of mold spores. When mold growth is found on items that are movable, it makes sense to put it into various appliances in the home. Let’s review the steps for each process.
Extreme Cold
- If possible, place the mold-covered item in your freezer. Use a zipper bag to keep the item from making contact with other items in the freezer.
- Keep in the freezer for at least three hours.
- Wash the item with dishwashing soap and water. If the mold is on fabric material, go ahead and throw it into the washing machine.
Extreme Heat
- Fabric – place it on high heat in the dryer.
- Wood or stone – place it in the oven on a low setting so a fire isn’t started.
- If the item is anything else, place it in the dishwasher on the dry setting
- Leave all appliances you are using for this on for a minimum of 20 minutes.
- Fabric items can be removed and washed in a washing machine, while other items will need to be scrubbed with water and dishwashing soap.
Heat Vs Fungicide
The popular choice to kill mold is heat treatment. Simply put, heat is less invasive as it is not a chemical that can be inhaled and cause more damage to your home and health. However, for the best results, you should use temperatures that can kill the mold when possible and follow it up with a good fungicide disinfectant. Heat also has a way of accessing wall cavities compared to disinfectants.
Air Blowers
Although you can assume that getting a hot air blower to focus on your moldy area is the right thing to do, consider that you can cross-contaminate the rest of your home. Mold remediation companies will use air blowers as a portion of their service, however, the blowers are not to be solely relied on. If you do not know how to use the air blower to prevent cross-contamination, you should avoid using one altogether. At this point, let the professionals handle it.
Other Recommended Maintenance
While you are looking into the best ways to get rid of mold. You should also consider investigating your HVAC system. Leaks in your HVAC system could be the culprit to a mold problem. So, understanding the maintenance of your HVAC unit is the best approach. Remembering how long your HVAC system has been in place is vital to ensuring that you will have a cool house in summer and a warm house in winter. Keeping it in top shape is the way to avoid having expensive repairs.
Another area to take a look at is your humidifier. While we have humidifiers in the home to take care of the moisture, we also need to be sure to clean them. Since humidifiers release moisture into the air, the mold grows when it is wet or damp. Thus, proper maintenance is key.
Lastly, take a look in your bathroom. You may see black mold growing on the silicone as this is another area that is wet or damp. You can clean the black mold by spraying distilled white vinegar and wiping it off.
When Should I Call A Professional
If you are starting to detect a musty or moldy smell in your home, you should contact your local mold cleaning company. In addition, keeping the HVAC unit maintained and in proper working condition can reduce the chances of a water leak that causes mold to grow. Also, calling a professional HVAC company out to inspect and clean the ductwork is a great idea.
They can verify it is in working condition and save you a lot of time and money. Also, call on your local home inspection team to come out and inspect for mold during their full home inspection. You need to get rid of the problem before it can cost you thousands in repairs.
Conclusion
Making sure that you have isolated the mold is the biggest priority. Tracking down the precise location of the mold is a necessary evil. Mold is not always detectable and often times you will see spots of mold spores but not understand the full extent until an inspection is done. Reach out to Avalon Home Inspections, we conduct home inspections in Greenville, SC, and Atlanta, GA. Avalon Home Inspections can recommend a great local mold cleaning company.
