Your family should not overlook the presence and dangers of black mold at home. If left unaddressed, these fungi can cause various health issues to your loved ones. That’s why removing them is necessary once you spot them in your house.

Keep reading below to learn more about it. Understand how they can harm your family and discover the many effective ways to remove them.

Understanding Black Mold

It is a fungus that typically appears as a dark, slimy cluster of spots with a distinctive musty odor. Usually, black mold grows in damp and poorly ventilated areas, often developing on surfaces like walls, ceilings, and tiles.  The dangers of black mold in walls shouldn’t be underscored. The most common spaces they appear in include bathrooms, kitchens, and basements.

These fungi are noticeable and unpleasant to look at. However, their issues go beyond home aesthetics. It triggers or worsens asthma symptoms, including shortness of breath, wheezing, dry coughing, and chest tightness.

Plus, some people can have extreme allergic reactions to the black spores, triggering symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and bleeding in the nose and lungs.

Many health dangers of black mold are often associated with the respiratory and immune systems. If people are exposed to them by inhaling, ingesting, or touching their skin, they could experience chronic sneezing and coughing, nasal congestion, and eye irritations.

Managing Black Mold Exposure

Black mold exposure is something that your family shouldn’t experience. If you suspect any of your family members are being exposed to black mold poisoning, it’s best to look for these spots and do the following steps:

Wear Protective Gear

Always wear a mask when entering any room with growing black mold. Maximum protection is the best option to address the dangers of black mold in the house. Use N95, N99, and N100 masks.

Wearing any of these masks will prevent inhaling these fungi. It would also help to wear disposable protective gear or clothing you can wash in hot water.

Stop The Source of Moisture

As mentioned above, it grows in areas with excess moisture. If you find them near a leaky sink, tub, or toilet, immediately turn off the water or fix the leak. If some sources are harder to fix, it’s best to cover them with a plastic tarp until you call a professional to repair them.

Block Everyone From The Infested Area

Avoid the dangers of inhaling black mold by keeping your loved ones away from the infested area. If you can, seal that portion off by putting plastic sheets on the doors and any openings.

Removing Black Mold at Home

Today, you can try various at-home remedies when removing them. However, experts believe the first line of defense should always be a simple wash and scrub. If you’re dealing with it on various surfaces, try to clean it off with a soapy solution and then rinse it with water.

The dangers of black mold exposure are not something you should take lightly. If you think that’s not enough, try the other solutions below. Of course, before doing so, it’s best to be careful when dealing with cleaning mixtures or chemicals.

It’s also vital that you gather every cleaning supply, disposable protective gear, and plastic sheets in one garbage bag after cleaning. Doing so will prevent spores from traveling and growing in other areas.

Always use a heavy-duty plastic bag when disposing of these materials. Otherwise, it might be better to double the bag, just in case.

Here are some of the best solutions to removing the dangers of black mold exposure:

Using Baking Soda

Mix one part hydrogen peroxide with two parts baking soda to create a solution against it, particularly from grout between tiles. Apply this mixture using an old toothbrush to the grout and wait for 20 minutes. After that, rinse it with cold water.

Using Bleach

Diluted bleach is an excellent way to remove molds on surfaces like countertops and tiles. This simple step can minimize the health dangers of black mold.

Some apply this solution by spraying it on the area and wiping it off with a brush or sponge. Others scrub the surface with a sponge or any similar material soaked in bleach.

For areas badly affected by black mold, you can soak some cotton cloths with bleach and leave them there overnight. Before doing so, ensure that the surface is not the type that will be damaged by the bleach from prolonged exposure.

As mentioned above, you must wear protective gear to protect yourself from the chemical’s toxic fumes.

Using White Vinegar

Another way to address the health dangers of black mold is to spray undiluted white vinegar into the area where it is growing. Let the solution sit for an hour or two for the fungus to absorb. Then, scrub and rinse.

White vinegar is excellent for removing its growth below the surface. It’s also non-toxic, so you won’t have to worry about harmful fumes.

Preventing Black Mold Growth

It’s uncertain what level of black mold is dangerous. Still, it’s best not to have them at all to avoid any of the dangers they present. Here are some of the best ways to prevent it from growing in your home.

Repair Leaks

A small leak on porous surfaces, like grouts, wood, and drywall, can lead to mold growth. Always address these leaks immediately to prevent these fungi from growing. Some leaks are easy to locate, like under the sink or from the ceiling. Unfortunately, others are more challenging to find, like crawl spaces.

Maintain Proper Humidity

Moisture boosts its growth. One way to lessen the dangers of inhaling black mold is to keep your humidity levels as low as possible at home. You can use an air conditioner or dehumidifier to do this. Some homeowners even use meters to check their home’s humidity levels and keep them low.

It’s worth noting that humidity levels change throughout the day. That means you must always check and change your humidity levels more than once to maintain a low level.

Keep Fabrics Dry

You can also minimize the dangers of black mold in the shower by never leaving wet coats, towels, or any fabric lying around haphazardly. It doesn’t take long to grow and produce a musty smell on these items. That means you must dry them properly before putting them on surfaces or storing them in cabinets.

You might also want to rethink using a carpet in the bathroom to avoid building moisture. Plus, you must clean your shower curtains frequently to prevent mold from growing.

Remove Black Mold Immediately

Leaving it unaddressed will bring various health issues to your family. If you spot these fungi at home, removing them immediately is best.

Meanwhile, if you encounter hard-to-remove mold or find them in hard-to-reach areas, call the professionals to help you. Contact our experts at United Restoration for mold remediation services and more. We can help prevent the dangers of black mold by removing them from your home.

Book a schedule day or night!