Dark spots can appear on the walls, ceiling, shower stall, refrigerator, and even in the aquarium. And in order to prevent their further spread, you need to learn how to get rid of black mold.
Mycelium can appear in any corner of the house, including on the balcony, and it not only spoils the appearance, but also spreads infection. The black variety is the most common and appears in residential buildings and apartments. It often forms in apartments that are located on the ground floor. It can ruin repairs and negatively affect your health. That is why, when such a problem is detected, corrective measures should be immediately taken using fungicidal agents and mechanical action. But first you need to find out the causes of the fungus.
Reasons for appearance
In order to understand how to deal with black mold, you should find out and eliminate the cause of its appearance.
Causes:
- Increased humidity in the room.
- Ground dampness.
- Leaking pipes.
- Poor heating.
- Freezing of brick or concrete.
It can occur as a result of improper wallpapering. If you paste wallpaper on still fresh plaster, this will create favorable conditions for the growth of fungus. It can appear almost anywhere, on walls, ceilings, in the basement, but most often it can be found in the bathroom or shower stall due to high humidity.
Types of mold
There are several types of mold that can form in your residential building:
- Green mold is the most common. You don’t have to be afraid of it, because if you know how to properly remove mold from wallpaper, it will quickly disappear.
- Dark green mold is more problematic, but is just as easy to remove if you identify it right away and act quickly.
- White mold that looks like fluff can spread almost unnoticeably. In a short time it affects the entire room. You definitely shouldn’t hesitate to deal with the white look, as it is very dangerous to human health and must be removed very carefully - only with a respirator and gloves.
- Black - can cause severe disturbances in the immune system of a weakened human body. It is the most dangerous of all types of household mold; it grows very quickly and is quite difficult to remove. It will have to be treated with special chemical mixtures. At the end of the work, prevention is important so that the black fungus does not settle on your walls again.
Harm and danger
This type of fungus produces toxic substances and therefore leads to health problems even without direct contact with it. The first signs of mold affecting the body are difficulty breathing and coughing. A runny nose, irritation in the throat, dermatitis and eczema may occur. It is especially dangerous for people suffering from asthma; they may experience exacerbations.
We pay attention to the places that are most vulnerable in this regard:
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Basement
- Furniture (carpets)
- Cloth
- Log houses and timber lumber
Ways to fight
Nowadays, there are many ways to get rid of dark spots, so this is no longer a serious problem. Many special substances have been created against such a fungus, but traditional methods have not lost their relevance. The method of getting rid of mycelium is selected depending on their habitat. It is especially important to clean the contaminated surfaces of carpets and furniture, as these are the surfaces that people come into contact with on a daily basis.
Folk remedies
Tea tree oil
Regular tea tree oil, which can be purchased at any pharmacy, will help. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to half a liter of water, pour the resulting liquid into a spray bottle. After which the solution is applied to the affected areas, after drying the procedure should be repeated, and the residue should be removed with a rag.
Grapefruit seed extract
You need to add 20 drops of extract to 400 ml of water and apply to the affected area. After drying, remove the residue with a paper towel or rag.
Vinegar
Regular vinegar also helps get rid of mold on walls and ceilings, and this universal remedy is suitable for any surface. And the unpleasant and pungent odor will disappear within a few hours. You can also use vinegar as a preventive measure by treating areas with it using a spray bottle once a week.
Lemon juice has a slightly lesser effect on the mycelium. But there is no need to write off this method; sometimes this is the only way to cope with contamination of the fabric on a baby stroller.
Soda
Baking soda has many beneficial properties, and can also help in the fight against fungus. To do this, add a spoonful of soda to half a liter of water. Treat the affected area with the resulting solution, then rinse with warm water and rub with a stiff brush. As a preventive measure, the solution can be applied again, but not washed off.
Baking soda also gets rid of odor. To do this, sprinkle the surfaces with baking soda and leave for several hours.
Hydrogen peroxide
Peroxide is one of the most effective methods of getting rid of this problem, as it has a pronounced fungicidal activity (only sulfur is more effective). You need to apply it to the walls and wash off after a few minutes. But, it is worth remembering that peroxide has a bleaching effect, so it cannot be used on painted surfaces.
Borax
A popular method is also the use of borax. You need to mix 200 grams of powder with 4 liters of water and treat the walls. There is no need to rinse off the residue; you just need to remove the residue with a stiff brush.
Sulfur
An excellent remedy for combating black fungus, but it is very difficult to get quality and in large quantities.
Bleach
Every housewife has bleach in her home, and in addition to its main function, it can also help with this problem. It is recommended to use it only in diluted form, in a ratio of 1:10. Bleach is not suitable for all materials, so you should first test its effect on the area that needs to be treated. And only after that use sodium hypochlorite in the fight against black mold.
Note that NaOCl-based household bleaches have a strong odor, and it is recommended to carry out the procedure in a ventilated area. This method is suitable for cleaning tiles and glass from mold.
Potassium permanganate solution
It is recommended to use a teaspoon of potassium permanganate for 1 liter of water. Apply the resulting liquid to the damaged surface; there is no need to rinse it off. You can actually buy potassium permanganate at a pharmacy, but they will sell you a very small amount of it, so go to several points and pick up 15 grams.
Aroma oils
To get rid of dark spots, you can also use pleasant remedies such as rosemary or lavender oil. They have a pleasant smell and remove stains. It is recommended to use only a few drops of the substance per 250 ml of water.
Iodine solution and camphor balls
This method allows you to get rid of the problem only at the initial stage of its occurrence. To do this, you should arrange containers with the solution and place naphthalene (camphor) balls in the corners.
General instructions for antifungal treatment
Regardless of the chosen means of destroying black mold, proper disinfection must be carried out according to the following comprehensive scheme:
- All areas of infection are identified, furniture is moved away from the walls, and textiles are removed. Curtains, covers and bed linen are washed and treated with hot steam. Wooden furniture with traces of mold can be restored using impregnation. Interior items made from chipboard will have to be thrown away, since it is almost impossible to eradicate mold from them.
- Protects skin and respiratory organs from spores and exposure to aggressive chemicals.
- Use a wire brush and abrasive paper to clean all darkened areas, paying special attention to joints and crevices.
- If the mold has penetrated deep into the walls and floors, it will have to be removed along with the plaster, drywall and flooring.
- The cleaned and dust-free surface is first treated with a fungicide, and after complete drying - with a water repellent.
- A thin layer of plaster is applied, which after polymerization must be treated once or twice with an antiseptic primer.
- The decorative coating is restored. Only after completing the main work can you lay new tiles, wallpaper or lay laminate, parquet or any other covering on the floor.
- For some time, the room should be additionally ventilated and the surfaces of furniture and equipment should be treated with special sprays to prevent relapse.
Other means
If home methods do not inspire confidence, then you can purchase special products. But, you need to remember that chemicals can harm your health. Therefore, they are used only in full accordance with the instructions. When purchasing a drug, you should pay attention to the expiration dates, and also carefully read the label to make sure that the drug is suitable for the area that needs treatment.
The best chemicals are:
- Universal antiseptic.
- Fongifluid.
- Stop mold is very destructive to any biological substance.
- Biotol spray.
When fighting black mold with the help of special chemicals, it is recommended to use protective equipment: gloves, goggles, and a respirator.
If a large area of the room is affected, then you should contact a specialist. In case of severe damage, you need to remove the covering (wallpaper, plaster) and treat it with an antiseptic primer. There is no need to put this off until later, because after just a year, mold can affect brick or concrete. If the ceiling is damaged, it is necessary to clean off the whitewash layer. Any remaining affected material must be thrown away immediately. This is the only way to not only remove dark spots, but also to avoid their reoccurrence.
There is an option to use the microwave method, but it is extremely expensive for the average person, but it removes 99% of the mycelium both on the surface and in the thickness of the wall. More details about this method here.
Contacting cleaning companies
If you couldn’t overcome the problem on your own and the black “guest” visits the premises again, you should turn to professionals .
Mechanical cleaning with cleaners varies from 60 (ATEKS-M company) to 500 rubles. per m2 (Moscow City Sanitary Service).
At the same time, the minimum treatment area for which specialists will visit will be 5 m2 + the price for applying the chemical composition from 350 rubles. per m2.
Getting rid of mold with the help of specialists costs an average of 3 thousand. rub.
All available innovative technologies will be used . Namely – diagnostics, surface cleaning, quartzing the room from spores. If necessary and desired, clients are given recommendations regarding maintaining the stated effect.
You should entrust the work only to trusted cleaning companies. It’s worth checking recommendations and reading reviews. This will save you from disappointment in the final result and loss of money.
Prevention
In order to avoid the recurrence of this problem in the house, you need to follow some recommendations:
- Replace water pipes and faucets in a timely manner, or at least seal them thoroughly.
- Do not dry wet things indoors.
- Regularly ventilate rooms, bathrooms and especially children's rooms.
- When repairing, use materials that are resistant to moisture.
- If the apartment has high humidity, it is advisable to purchase an air conditioner with a dehumidification function.
How to get rid of fungus forever
In order for the fungus to no longer appear in the house, it is necessary to eliminate dampness and remove conditions that are comfortable for it:
- repair ventilation;
- eliminate leaking taps and pipes;
- regularly ventilate the room;
- waterproof the basement;
- seal the seams between the slabs;
- insulate the outside of the house.
Mold appears in the bathroom and kitchen first. Humid air, heat, unventilated rooms. If the seal between the plates is broken, cold bridges are created. Condensation forms and the first fungi appear in it, which are especially difficult to get rid of.
Residents of apartments need to demand repairs to external walls. House owners must insulate the facade, especially the basement. The house will look beautiful and will extend its lifespan. At the same time, less will be spent on heating in winter and fighting heat in summer.
It is better to choose furniture with legs so that air penetrates to the wall. Otherwise, install it with a small gap, 15 - 20 mm is enough. The air flow will circulate freely, and the risk of fungus will be significantly reduced.
