Cleanliness in the house is the face of the hostess. Each woman makes a lot of efforts to keep her home fresh and comfortable. Particular attention should be paid to security in the house. To do this, you need to take care to prevent the appearance or destruction of insects and microorganisms that are hazardous to health. One of the common problems on the path to cleanliness is mold. How to remove mold on the walls in the apartment? Many will be interested to know the answer to this question. Even more relevant will be information on how to get rid of mold on the walls in an apartment forever. There are reliable and proven methods for this, but let's talk about everything in order.
What is mold?
A school biology course taught us that mold is a special form of fungi with branching mycelium without fruiting bodies. In everyday life, we are used to calling mildew plaque that appears on food when it spoils. The fungus can form directly on the walls in rooms with high humidity: basement, pantry, bathroom. On the street it is easy to notice mold on rotten stumps, tree trunks and just on the ground. Even in the air there are her disputes, although we do not see them.
Scientists call mold the most persistent and hardy form of life on the planet. It comes in many forms, shapes and colors. Useful properties of mold are used in medicine, food industry, winemaking, but at the same time, the struggle with the dangerous consequences of its life does not stop. The question of what is more - the benefits or harm from mold, still remains unanswered.
What is dangerous mold in a residential building
Ancient books say that if your house is struck by mold, you need to burn it with all the contents and go away from this place. It becomes interesting why is it so scary?
- Mold spoils the aesthetic appearance of the room (few people will like the black coating that corrodes new wallpapers).
- Irreversibly destroys the surface on which it settles (books, wood panels).
- Mold is toxic and can be the causative agent of many diseases (inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, asthma, indigestion, sinusitis), symptomatically can manifest in nausea, vomiting, headaches.
- It is dangerous for allergy sufferers, causes an exacerbation of seasonal allergies, or may itself be an allergen.
After reading such information, many immediately have a question about how to remove mold on the walls in the apartment.
Causes of mold
Before you begin to fight this dangerous and hardy fungus, you need to find out the reasons why it may appear:
- Building and finishing materials that are used in the construction and repair of premises. Nowadays, drywall is very often used, which, under certain conditions, can become an environment favorable for the development of mold.
- The second reason can be called improper air circulation. In older buildings, the necessary ventilation system is not always present, and in our time this issue is often neglected. As a result, air stagnation with all unpleasant consequences.
- Another reason for the appearance of black mold is increased humidity. It can be caused by the frequent use of an air humidifier, a large number of indoor plants, regular drying of linen indoors.
If the appearance of mold in your home was caused by one of the above factors, then first of all you need to eliminate it, and then think about how to remove the mold on the walls in the apartment. Otherwise, after successfully getting rid of the fungus, you run the risk of meeting this problem again soon.
Prevention of mold during repair work
Now in specialized construction stores, along with finishing materials, special antimicrobials can also be purchased. With their help, it is possible to protect yourself from the appearance of mold, even during repair. You ask how?
- Remove mold on the walls in the apartment, if it appeared before the repair. This can be done with a hard brush or scraper. If the mold has eaten deep into the plaster layer, it must also be removed.
- Dry the surface thoroughly.
- Apply an antiseptic primer according to the instructions.
- Continue wall decoration (plastering, painting, wallpapering).
Residential mold control methods
If you have a problem with mold, but you still do not plan to change your place of residence, and you are not going to make repairs, there remains only one option - to fight. In the West, it is customary in such cases to call specialists who, with the help of chemicals and specialized equipment, solve the mold problem. This procedure requires financial costs and time. The residents themselves during this period leave for a week to sunbathe on the beach or to stay with relatives.
Our people are used to sorting out such issues on their own, without resorting to outside help. Most housewives, having encountered at least once a similar problem, will remember for a long time how to remove mold on the walls in the apartment with folk remedies.
Indeed, there are a lot of methods to combat fungus. Not all of them are equally effective, but many can help with this task.
How to remove mold on the walls in an apartment with furacilin
Many people call furatsilin a miracle cure to help fight mold. Partly the way it is. In order to get a positive result from furatsilin, it is necessary to apply it correctly.
The usual solution sold in a pharmacy will be effective for medical purposes, but it will not cope with mold. Therefore, you need to additionally buy furacilin tablets and dissolve them either in solution, to increase its concentration, or in water. To get an effective remedy, 10 crushed tablets are taken in a glass of water. Then, using a sponge, the surfaces previously cleaned of fungal plaque are washed, and after drying with the same solution they are sprayed again (you can use a spray bottle).
According to reviews, this method will help to forget about mold for 1-2 years. It is also recommended that periodic preventive cleaning be carried out: dissolve 1 tablet of furatsilin in 5 liters of water, use it to clean window sills, floors and other surfaces.
Other popular mold control methods
Copper sulfate is a popular helper in the fight against fungus. How to get rid of mold on the walls of an apartment with it? It is necessary to take 100 grams of copper sulfate in dry form and dissolve in 10 liters of water. Rinse affected areas with fungus. The disadvantage of this method is that the product can give the surface a bluish tint.
"White" - a common tool, affordable and is commonplace with every good housewife. The chlorine present in the composition is able to remove mold that has appeared on the surface, and for a while to suspend the formation of new foci of the fungus. How to remove mold on the walls in the apartment "Beliznoy"? Here, even no recipes are needed. Just apply it in its pure form to the old sponge and cover the place that needs to be cleaned. After a while, "White" begins to corrode the fungus, after five minutes it brightens. After that, wipe the surface again with a sponge.
When working with "White", it is necessary to ensure good ventilation of the room and protect the skin from contact with the substance.
In some cases, at the initial stages of the appearance of the fungus and with a small scale of distribution, you can use a solution of laundry soap or tea tree oil.
Special antiseptics for mold control
When alternative methods do not give the desired result, so as not to aggravate the situation, it is better not to interfere with the transition to more aggressive measures to combat the fungus. For a long time to forget about black mold on the walls will help special compounds.
- Anlas mykos is a professional antifungal agent that can be used both indoors and outdoors. It easily cleans even old surfaces infected with fungal deposits.
- Profilux is an antiseptic designed specifically for wooden surfaces. It can be used both to prevent the appearance of the fungus, and to combat it. Wooden structures after processing with this product may slightly change color.
- Antisept - used during repair and construction works, for priming. It penetrates deep into the surface and, in addition to its antiseptic function, improves the adhesion of building materials.
- Schimmel Vernichter - used as a household disinfectant and cleaning agent. It is well absorbed and effectively combats mold on a variety of surfaces.
Final touch: how to get rid of the smell of mold
Now we know many effective ways how to remove mold on the walls in the apartment. One of them will certainly become useful to you and help to cope with the problem of the fungus. But it can happen that after a successful struggle there will be unpleasant consequences. Some surfaces “remember” the presence of mold so well that even after removing the unpleasant black coating, the unpleasant smell of rot still emits for a long time.
To eliminate it, on walls that were previously covered with mold, you need to apply soda. After a couple of hours - remove it with a vacuum cleaner. In this case, carbon filters for air purification can also be useful, effectively combating not only the smell of mold, but also with other undesirable aromas in the apartment.
The best fight is prevention
Everyone will agree that maintaining cleanliness and dryness, conducting periodic preventive cleaning of surfaces is much easier than removing mold on the walls in the apartment.
What can we do to prevent the appearance of the fungus? The first priority is regular ventilation. In winter, time can be reduced, but not completely abandon this procedure. Carrying out wet cleaning in the apartment, do not allow water to accumulate in the joints of tiles or crevices of the floor. Try not to clutter up the walls with furniture and carpets that prevent fresh air from accessing them.
And the most important thing is to start the fight against mold immediately, at the first sign of its appearance, and not when it feels like a full-fledged resident of your apartment.