How to get rid of mold and mildew and stop it in its tracks
If you have a little bit of mold around the tub, it’s likely due to constant excess humidity in the bathroom, insufficient airflow, and a temperature high enough for mold to grow, O’Donnell explains. The solution can be as simple as opening a window or turning on the exhaust fan after showering. If you’re still seeing a lot of moisture during and after showering outside your bathtub, you may need to upgrade your exhaust fan.
“If you can make your home as dry as a desert, you will not only be able to solve a lot of these mold problems, but you will also be able to control them,” Apfelbaum adds.
Apfelbaum also points out that frequent dusting can help prevent mold. “A lot of times, the biggest food source for mold in the basement is dust, and you’ll see it in the insulation in the ceiling,” he says. “The cleaning service doesn’t have to come once a week, but at least once a month, vacuum the basement, sweep it, dust it, because whatever happens in the basement will (travel) throughout the house. “
Can I remove mold myself? Or should I call a professional?
Hiring a professional mold remedial will save you the time, energy and aggravation of dealing with a complex problem – such as black mold spreading in hard-to-reach places – on your own. But there are plenty of mold and mildew problems that don’t really require any special equipment or industry knowledge. Here are some steps to deal with the problem yourself, as well as tips for understanding when to call the professionals.
1. Don’t delay: measure your mold size right away
Once you notice what could be mold, inspect the area in question and any adjacent walls, floors or surfaces. As mentioned earlier, not all templates look the same. But you can get a sense of the scale of the task you face by knowing the extent of water damage or mold and identifying the likely source of moisture. A few spots of superficial mold in the bathtub, on the bathroom tiles, or around the faucet usually do not indicate a deeper problem. You shouldn’t need help for that.
Apfelbaum suggests that anything smaller than a few square feet can likely be a do-it-yourself job, which is roughly in line with the federal recommendation to not have anything larger than a patch of about 10 square feet. If you suspect hidden mold — such as in your walls, behind cabinets, or in insulation — or if you find mold in any porous surfaces or absorbent materials, such as carpet, call a professional. You will need to remove and replace any materials in the affected area.
