Different species of mold can grow and thrive in your home. They can be black, gray, brown, orange, greenish, yellow, white, orange, or even a mix of colors. However, you can not determine the kind by its color but by the spores’ structure and characteristics.
What Are White Molds?
White molds are tiny fungi that often appear white, green, or gray at the start of their development. While other molds change colors over time, some remain white throughout their lifecycle because of the material type they’re feeding on. As soon as colonies form, white molds appear as spots on a surface.
At first glance, they can look flaky, powdery, filmy, or stringy. In some cases, they also resemble mildew, which is a kind of mold or fungus. But white molds are more harmful because they grow on surfaces and deep within organic products.
Where Do White Molds Grow at Home?
You can practically find white molds anywhere in your home with these three requirements: food source, moisture, and temperature between 2 and 40 degrees Celsius. The most typical places that fulfill these conditions include:
- Basement
- Attics
- Carpets
- Crawl spaces
- Wood
- Plants and Plant soil
- Walls/drywalls
- Concrete
- Furniture
- Cabinets
- Bathroom
- Garage
- Metal
- Tiles
- Floorboards
How to Eliminate White Molds in Your House
1. Wear protective gloves, eyewear, and a respirator for protection.
2. Assess the area. Test the substance if it’s white mold by spraying water in a spray bottle. If it doesn’t dissolve, it’s probably white mold. If it dissolves, it’s most likely another substance, such as efflorescence.
3. Turn off the HVAC system if you see signs of contamination. Inspect your ventilation, heating, or air conditioning (HVAC) system for white molds near the intake. Check if there’s a musty smell or visible white mold growth inside the air ducts.
If you can’t find these signs, but some members of your family complain of unexplained illness or allergies, it’s still best to clean the air ducts. Avoid running your HVAC system until the air ducts are cleaned.
4. Decide what to clean and what to get rid of. Some absorbent materials with visible white molds, like ceiling tiles and carpets, should be thrown away. You may want to replace them since they’re almost impossible to clean. If your items are expensive, have sentimental value, or don’t know how to clean them, consider consulting specialists like PuroClean.
On the other hand, the EPA suggests that soapy water can be used to clean moldy hard surfaces. If white mold is in your grill or smoker, follow the cleaning instructions that came with the product.
5. Clean white molds with effective solutions. If you can, ventilate the area if you use bleach or other chemical agents by opening the windows. Also, wear safety goggles and gloves if you’re using a stronger disinfectant.
Apply your preferred solution to the moldy area with a sponge and spray bottle. Allow the cleaning agent to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then scrub the area using a scrub brush or an old toothbrush. Wipe it down with an old cloth or paper towel to eliminate the residual mold.
Consider using these effective solutions:
- Mild detergent solution (mixture of detergent and water)
- Borax and water solution
- Baking soda and water solution
- 3% hydrogen peroxide
- Undiluted, distilled white vinegar
Expert Mold Removal
The appearance of white mold is changing, and they can also grow in high moisture places, like black molds. Unless you are trained and experienced, it might be difficult to identify white molds easily. Besides, recognizing it is just a part of the issue. Other concerns include finding the origin of white molds and effectively cleaning up the contamination.
Because of this, it’s always best to leave it to the professionals. Always ensure that the mold removal company you choose is experienced and highly trained with advanced technology. To help you narrow down your search, go online and type “property restoration Lakeland” if you’re from the area.