Mold Removal: Do NOT clean mold yourself – here’s why (advice from a Colorado professional)

Many people try to clean or perform mold removal themselves. I hear clients all the time ask if they can just “spray bleach on it”.

What you need to know:

  1. Mold spores are hydrophobic.  That means if you spray them with moisture, the colonies release their spores into the air, which means they can spread throughout your home on air currents and recolonize mold growth in new areas!
  2. Bleach becomes a food source for mold after 30 days (when it becomes inert). This helps mold to grow back to where it was.
  3. If the Hyphae (roots) are not completely removed, it will grow back, even if you ‘paint over it’.  I just had someone call this morning that couldn’t believe it grew back a few months later even though she painted over it with Kilz.

Mold is a health hazard, especially for young and elder people, because their immune systems are either underdeveloped, or compromised. If you have a tiny bit on a hard surface, like a shower, you can damp wipe it with hydrogen peroxide (3-5% bleach solution) but it likely will keep growing back because that likely won’t eradicate the hyphae.  If you have growth in anything porous, like drywall, wood, carpet, pad, etc, leave it to an IICRC certified professional company (AMRT certification minimum (Applied Microbial Remediation Technician)).

Once you see the first signs of mold growth, it’s imperative to call a professional as quickly as possible so they can isolate the growth with containment under HEPA filtration from a Negative Air Machine. This will keep the mold from spreading. Also, if you have any HVAC ducting (such as forced air heating or air conditioning) shut it off as long as it won’t freeze your home. If the system is running, especially if it has vents or returns in the contaminated area, it can broadcast spores throughout the entire home.

If you would like a FREE estimate – if you live near the roaring fork valley in Colorado (Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Basalt, Aspen or Snowmass Village) call Belmont Clean + Restore at (970) 404-8444 . We have over 18 years of experience and fully certified technicians.

You can learn more about how Belmont Clean + Restore provides safe mold removal and remediation here: http://www.belmontrestore.com/mold-remediation

and see what valley locals are saying about our mold removal process here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeoE8CBpbxs