How To Get Rid Of Mold

Mold is a conspicuous substance. It grows and takes over surfaces and foods like a virus — even Beautyblenders grow mold. If you worry about mold, you might be wondering how to keep your home mold free and how to handle it once it's appeared. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mold requires moisture so it grows more easily in places with high humidity. Still, it's easy for mold to grow in virtually any environment, especially on expired food.

Moreover, mold can actually "enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems," the CDC explains. It can infiltrate your home without growing naturally inside, and from there, it can take over if not treated, leading to structural issues if it gets bad enough.

First and foremost, when removing mold, you want to ensure your home is ventilated. According to Good Housekeeping, mold spores travel via air, and they can be inhaled when cleaning, too. If you don't air out your home, you can become seriously ill while attempting to take care of the problem.

To get rid of mold, you can actually employ household items you likely already have. According to The Spruce, chlorine bleach is particularly effective against mold. However, you should dilute it before treating any mold with it and have decent airflow to ensure you don't inhale bleach fumes. Bleach will also rid your surface of discoloration.

If you don't have bleach, hydrogen peroxide is your second best cleaner. It might take repeated treatments to fully bring the natural color back to your surface because it's not as strong as bleach, but its properties are similar. Likewise, baking soda can treat mold and is cheap to boot.

If mold is on your clothes, Good Housekeeping recommends brushing off any excess mold outside your home. Then, you can wash your clothes on the hottest temperature to completely kill the mold, with your laundry detergent taking care of the cleaning. Bleach can be added to the wash if necessary, too. This process can be treated as many times as necessary.

Ultimately, mold cleaners can be bought at the store as well, though they're sold at a much higher markup than bleach or baking soda. In any case, your options are seemingly endless when it comes to cleaning up mold.