It happens that the hostess notices black dots on the walls of the apartment, ceiling, furniture and in the seams between the tiles, which are unpleasant to look at. What is it? And this is the most common mold that grows in your apartment with incredible speed. What is mold and how to deal with it effectively and quickly, we will consider in this article.
Mold - what is it?
Many people have encountered mold, but not all of them thought about the question: “What is it all about?” But for a successful and fruitful fight against any enemy, you need to know everything about him (including the nature of the appearance of the phenomenon). Mold is a fungus whose spores fly in the air of the room where it grows in large numbers. These fungi are of three types:
- molds - grow on paint, concrete and stone;
- blue fungi attack wood;
- Rotting fungus also infects wood, they cause the growth of white, brown and bacterial rot on the surface of furniture, walls and so on.
Spores of such fungi at first justfly in the air. But when landing on a favorable site (for example, a damp wall), the mold begins to grow actively.
Is mold dangerous to he alth?
When we understand what mold is, we can move on to the question: “Is it dangerous?” Many people do not attach any importance to growing mold spots. But it not only spoils the aesthetic appearance of the room, but is also very dangerous to he alth. The fact is that when the mold grows, it throws its spores into the air in large quantities. These spores enter the human respiratory tract and can cause not only allergic reactions, but also asthma, as well as a number of other serious chronic diseases. Black mold can even lead to the growth of cancer cells in the body. What can we say about constant insomnia, runny nose, nausea and dermatitis.
The question "what is mold" should be answered that it is the most dangerous enemy that requires the fastest destruction.
Why does mold appear in the apartment?
The ideal conditions for the growth of fungus indoors are high humidity and room temperature. Therefore, as soon as moisture begins to accumulate in the room, the fungus makes itself felt. The most common places for its growth are the bathroom and kitchen. Steam and pouring hot water, constant cooking, drying clothes create the conditions for the rapid growth of black mold. The fungus also appears on the northern walls, which prudent owners cover with carpets or cabinets in order toprotection from the cold. These actions create the conditions for the appearance of mold. By the way, installing plastic windows and completely airtight front doors also contributes to the growth of mold, as the air movement in the apartment stops.
Chemical ways to kill mold
So you've found black mold in your home. "What to do?" is the first question that comes to your mind. There are many means of combating this phenomenon, and they are all divided into folk methods and chemical struggle. In stores, you can easily find a large number of products for the prevention and control of mold. But when choosing, you need to be careful, it is best to first get advice from the seller or another knowledgeable person.
Most often people buy antiseptics that dissolve with water, white spirit or turpentine. Oil-based products are also popular. How to remove mold with chemical antiseptics?
- First of all, you need to eliminate the causes of the appearance of the fungus in the home (high humidity, poor ventilation). Without addressing the root causes, the mold war will definitely be lost by you.
- Clean the surface with a spatula. If the mold has already penetrated deep, then you will have to expose all the layers of wallpaper, paint, putty and so on right down to the concrete or brick.
- Dry the clean surface and apply an antiseptic primer to it with a roller or brush.
- When the first coat of primer dries,start working again. Clean the wall again, rinse thoroughly, dry and apply another coat of primer. After that, you can complete the work by pasting wallpaper or other material.
If you do not want to clean the walls and make repairs indoors, then try to warm up the crowded places with a quartz lamp. It is antibacterial and can help fight mold.
Folk ways to deal with fungus on the walls
There are many folk methods of fighting mold. We will introduce you to the most effective ones:
- The most famous mold fighter is a solution of copper sulfate. One hundred grams of vitriol is dissolved in 10 liters of water and treated with a mixture of walls covered with a fungus, as well as a chemical primer purchased from a store. Mold on the walls in the apartment disappears after using such a folk remedy, however, a blue tint may remain on the surface.
- An ordinary bleach or bleach is excellent for fighting fungus. But don't forget to wear rubber gloves when handling them.
- Soda and vinegar are excellent mold fighters. You can use them either individually or together. The best-case scenario is to sprinkle baking soda on the site of the rash, followed by another spritz of vinegar.
- Common clerical glue, urea, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, boric acid and borax also fight fungi.
How to prevent mold?
Many people who are "fortunate" to encounter mold inapartment, they realized that preventing its occurrence is much easier than fighting the fungus. To prevent unpleasant and dangerous mold from appearing in your home, follow these simple rules:
- control the level of humidity in the premises, make sure that moisture does not accumulate there;
- do not put furniture close to the wall to avoid condensation;
- constantly ventilate the rooms, pay special attention to the bathroom;
- ventilation in the apartment should work properly;
- dry wet clothes not in the room, but on the balcony or outside;
- check plumbing serviceability - constantly flowing tap water can also cause fungus;
- never hang wet laundry in the closet;
- don't keep too many indoor plants at home;
Some housewives are faced with mold growing on food. What is mold on bread? These are the same fungi growing in a different (yeast) habitat. Bread on which mold has grown should never be eaten, even if its stains are cut off. Mold spores have already penetrated deep into the bread and can cause allergic reactions. To prevent fungus on bread, do not store it in plastic bags and damp environment, and do not buy flour products in reserve.
How to get rid of bad smell?
What is mold and how to deal with it effectively, we have already understood. But what about the smell that remained in the apartment even after the complete victory over the fungus? You need an odor absorber. Withregular baking soda does a great job of this. You just need to pour it into the places of the former location of the fungus and leave it for several hours. After that, you need to remove the soda with a vacuum cleaner. It will help to cope with the smell of rot and a charcoal briquette.
What to do if you can't get rid of mold?
If you have tried all methods of fighting the fungus and eliminated the causes of its appearance, but the apartment has not become cleaner, then you should call the experts.
Choose only trusted companies with experience and good reviews about yourself. With the help of modern equipment and effective, and most importantly, harmless products, the company's employees will remove mold from your home.
