Between the constant rain and the sudden desire to clean your house from top to bottom, spring feels like the perfect time to tackle DIY mold remediation. But before you gear up with rubber gloves and a heavy duty scrubber, make sure you’re not making one of these common mold removal mistakes.

4 Common DIY Mold Removal Mistakes

Breaking Out the Bleach

Everyone knows that bleach kills mold, right? Well, everyone is wrong. When you clean mold with bleach, bleach does what it’s meant to do: bleach the color out of mold spores. You may think the problem is eradicated, but bleach doesn’t actually kill the mold, just removes visible signs of it. Bleached mold will continue to cause respiratory problems and the infestation will typically return in full force after a couple of months.

Covering Up the Problem

Mold-resistant paint may make your home more attractive, but it only covers up the problem. If you paint over mold, it will continue to grow beneath the surface. Always thoroughly clean mold infested surfaces and resolve the moisture issues that caused mold to grow before you break out the mold-resistant paint.

Trying to Save a Lost Cause

When a mold problem sits on the surface, it’s possible to eradicate the spores. But when mold spores colonize porous materials such as wood, upholstery, or wallpaper, mold becomes nearly impossible to clean. Attempting to eradicate these mold infestations is a temporary measure at best — and often makes the problem worse long term. If you find mold on a porous surface, play it safe and dispose of the affected materials.

Using the Eyeball Test

When it comes to mold cleanup, many homeowners use visual cues to determine whether they’ve successfully removed a mold infestation. But just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean the problem is gone. Invisible mold spores may be clinging to your clothes, ready to spread. Mold can grow behind paint, beneath carpeting or tiles, or in dark, closed off spaces you can’t easily see. And even if you do remove mold, it will quickly return unless you address underlying moisture problems. To make sure mold is a thing of the past, always remember to “look beneath the surface” and take proper precautions to keep mold from spreading or returning.

Want to take the guesswork out of mold remediation? At Clean Environmental Group, we specialize in safe, thorough mold removal in residential, historic, and commercial properties. Start summer fresh. Contact us for an estimate today.