By Donna V. Scaglione
As we emerge from winter’s snowy, wet grip, we may be thinking about a spring refresher for our home. A good place to start is with mold patrol. Look around. Has winter’s wetness left basement walls dank and moldy? You don’t need a special test to check for mold; simply sniff the air. Or perhaps your watery eyes and congested sinuses are telling you something.
While bigger mold control jobs might require some expert help, many household mold issues can be resolved with bleach and water, as well as some repair know-how. Here are some how-to’s on ridding your home of mold and getting it smelling and looking fresh again.
1. Find the source
While you might be anxious to quickly clean up any mold you see, it’s important to find the source of the mold and eliminate it, advises the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. To grow, mold needs a combination of a source of moisture and organic matter, and proper temperature (between 40 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit). That means moist, poorly ventilated areas likely will see mold growth. And when they do, any affected materials like carpeting or drywall should be replaced, the moisture source eliminated by perhaps repairing a leak, and the area ventilated, mold experts advise. Otherwise, the mold, a living organism, may return.
