It happens that the hostess notices black dots on the walls of the apartment, the ceiling, furniture and in the seams between the tiles, which are unpleasant in appearance. What is it? And this is the most ordinary mold, growing in your apartment with incredible speed. What is mold and how to deal with it efficiently and quickly, we will consider in this article.
Mold - what is it?
Many people came across mold, but not all of them thought about the question: “What is it all about?” But for a successful and fruitful fight against any enemy you need to know everything about him (including the nature of the occurrence of the phenomenon). Mold is a fungus whose spores fly in the air of the room where it grows in large quantities. These fungi are of three types:
- mold fungi - grow on paint, concrete and stone;
- blue stain affects wood;
- rotting fungi also infect wood; they cause the growth of white, brown, and bacterial rot on the surface of furniture, walls, and so on.
Spores of such fungi at first just fly in the air. But when landing on an auspicious site (for example, a damp wall), mold begins to actively grow.
Is mold dangerous for health?
When we understood what mold is, we can go to the question: “Is it dangerous?” Many people do not attach any importance to the growing mold spots. But it not only spoils the aesthetic appearance of the room, but is also very dangerous to health. The fact is that with growth, mold throws its spores in large quantities into the air of the room. These spores enter the human respiratory tract and can cause not only allergic reactions, but also asthma, as well as a number of other serious chronic diseases. Black mold can even lead to the growth of cancer cells in the body. What can we say about constant insomnia, runny nose, nausea and dermatitis.
The question "what is mold" should be answered that this is a most dangerous enemy, requiring the most rapid destruction.
Why does mold appear in the apartment?
Ideal conditions for the growth of fungus in the room - increased humidity and room temperature. Therefore, as soon as moisture begins to accumulate in the room, the fungus makes itself felt. The most common places for its growth are the bathroom and the kitchen. Steam and pouring hot water, constant cooking, drying clothes create the conditions for the rapid growth of black mold. The fungus also appears on the northern walls, which prudent hosts cover with carpets or cabinets in order to protect them from the cold. By these actions they create the conditions for the appearance of mold. By the way, the installation of plastic windows and completely sealed entrance doors also contributes to the growth of mold, as the air movement in the apartment stops.
Chemical Methods for Killing Mold
So, you have found black mold in your home. "What to do?" is the first question that comes to your mind. There are many means of combating this phenomenon, and all of them are divided into folk methods and chemical struggle. In stores you can easily find a large number of tools for the prevention and control of mold. But when choosing, you need to be careful, it is best to first obtain the advice of a seller or other knowledgeable person.
Most often, people get antiseptics that dissolve in water, white spirit or turpentine. Oil-based products are also popular. How to remove mold with chemical antiseptics?
- First of all, you need to eliminate the causes of the appearance of the fungus in the home (high humidity, poor ventilation). Without eliminating the causes of the war, mold will definitely be lost to you.
- Clean the surface with a spatula. If the mold has already penetrated deeply, then you have to expose all layers of wallpaper, paint, putty, and so on right to the concrete or brick.
- Dry the clean surface and apply an antiseptic primer to it with a roller or brush.
- When the first coat of primer dries, start work again. Clean the wall again, wash thoroughly, dry and apply the next coat of primer. After that, you can finish the work by gluing wallpaper or other material.
If you do not want to clean the walls and make repairs in the room, then try to warm up the accumulation places with a quartz lamp. It has an antibacterial effect and can help in the fight against mold.
Folk ways to fight the fungus on the walls
There are many folk methods for dealing with mold. We will introduce you to the most effective of them:
- The most famous mold fighter is copper sulfate solution . One hundred grams of vitriol is dissolved in 10 liters of water and treated with a mixture of walls covered with fungus, as well as a chemical primer purchased in the store. Mold on the walls in the apartment after the use of such a folk remedy disappears, however, a blue tint may remain on the surface.
- An ordinary bleach or bleach fights well with fungus. But do not forget to wear rubber gloves when working with them.
- Soda and vinegar are excellent mold fighters. You can use them individually or together. The best scenario is: sprinkle soda on the spot where the unpleasant occurrence occurs, and then sprinkle with vinegar.
- The usual clerical glue, urea, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, boric acid and borax also fight fungi.
How to prevent mold?
Many people who were "lucky" to encounter mold in the apartment realized that preventing its appearance is much easier than fighting a fungus. In order to prevent unpleasant and dangerous mold from appearing in your home, follow these simple rules:
- control the humidity level in the premises, make sure that moisture does not accumulate there;
- Do not place furniture close to the wall to prevent condensation;
- constantly air the rooms, pay special attention to the bathroom;
- ventilation in the apartment should work properly;
- do not dry wet clothes in the room, but on the balcony or on the street;
- check the health of the plumbing - constantly flowing water from the tap can also cause fungus;
- never put wet laundry in the closet;
- do not keep too many houseplants at home;
Some housewives face mold growing on food. What is mold on bread? These are the same fungi growing in a different (yeast) habitat. The bread on which mold has grown should never be eaten, even if its spots have been cut. Mold spores have already penetrated deep into the bread and can cause allergic reactions. To prevent the appearance of fungus on bread, do not store it in plastic bags and a humid environment, and do not buy flour products in reserve.
How to get rid of bad smell?
What is mold, and in what ways to deal with it effectively, we already understood. But what about the smell that remained in the apartment even after a complete victory over the fungus? You need an odor absorber. Ordinary baking soda does an excellent job of this. You just need to pour it into the places of the former location of the fungus and leave it for several hours. After that, you must remove the soda with a vacuum cleaner. It will help to cope with the smell of rot and briquette of charcoal.
What should I do if I cannot get rid of mold?
If you tried all the methods of combating fungus and eliminated the causes of its appearance, and the apartment did not become cleaner, then you should call specialists.
Choose only trusted companies with experience and good reviews about yourself. With the help of modern equipment and effective, and most importantly, harmless means, company employees will remove mold from your home.