How to get rid of mold in an apartment
Black spots on the walls and ceiling of the bathroom and toilet appear so often that people have stopped paying attention to them. But meanwhile, mold, and this is what it is, poses a real danger to human health. How to get rid of it?
Danger of mold
A microscopic fungus that forms on the plaster of walls and ceilings spreads its spores throughout the apartment. They fly through the air and settle on food, furniture upholstery, and fall to the floor. Mold grows both in places where wet cleaning is often done, and in places where it is not done at all.
It's important to know that mold can cause serious illness in humans:
- A variety of skin diseases that are very difficult to diagnose and treat.
- Runny nose and cough, difficult to treat and becoming chronic.
- Development of diseases of the joints and musculoskeletal system.
- Constant headache and weakness.
Spores that constantly form in mold and spread through the air often become a powerful allergen. Together with the air, mold spores penetrate into the human lungs and cause allergic cough, conjunctivitis and other diseases. Sometimes mold can even trigger bronchial asthma in a person.
Most often, the most vulnerable inhabitants of the apartment suffer from scattered mold spores - small children and the elderly. Their weakened immune system cannot cope with the harmful effects of allergies.
Cause of mold
This harmful fungus appears only under favorable conditions for its existence. Most often, its habitat becomes bathroom. It is here that it is more often damp than in other places in the apartment, and the ventilation systems may not work properly.
Pay attention to the area where the mold is located. If she has settled in the corner of the room, which faces the street, then most likely there is a gap or poor-quality insulation. As a result, the wall freezes during the cold period and condensation forms inside the room.
If you live on the ground floor or in a private house, then mold can form on the surface of the floor or underneath the wall. Then it grows due to poor insulation, allowing damp air to enter the home. Often, poor waterproofing is accompanied by leaks in the basement.
If your apartment is dry, but mold is still growing in the bathroom or toilet, then the reason is leaking risers. Check the wall covering the risers, it may be damp. This is a common occurrence in old houses.
If mold covers various objects, then the humidity in the room is high and there is no air flow. Pay attention to the situation - perhaps your hood is not working well or there are a large number of indoor plants. Big aquarium can also cause increased humidity.
How to get rid of mold in an apartment
The first step is to eliminate the cause of the black mold spots. And then eliminate traces of her activities. The surface where mold has settled must be thoroughly scrubbed with soap and water using a stiff brush. Then take equal amounts of tea tree oil and water and mix. Spray this mixture over the surface of the mold and brush thoroughly.
Another very effective remedy is regular vinegar. It also needs to be sprayed on surfaces with mold. If you are not afraid of damaging the surface affected by mold stains, you can treat it with bleach or hydrogen peroxide.
After this treatment, all surfaces should be washed with hot water and allowed to dry completely. Such measures will help eliminate mold from your apartment forever.
