If you’ve ever tried to take on mold remediation and cleanup yourself, you know that mold can be the gift that keeps on giving. It can grow on almost all of the surfaces of your home, office or apartment, and if it’s not dealt with properly, mold will continue to grow and keep coming back. Not only does it mess with clean appearances, but it can also come along with all kinds of health risks so keeping mold out of your home or your business is a necessity. If you’re looking to kick mold to the curb, check out these 5 effective steps to get rid of mold for good:

1. Scope Out the Source

Before you get to the actual mold removal and cleaning, you’ve got to go back to the source. Mold grows and thrives in areas with a lot of moisture, so do a little investigating and try to find out why mold is forming. Be on the lookout for any leaks or any other issues that could be causing moisture like poor ventilation in high-moisture areas like bathrooms. Once you’ve scoped out the source, try to get it repaired and fixed up before you start cleaning. You don’t want to spend valuable time cleaning and removing mold only to have it grow back a few days later.

2. Take a Deeper Look

There can be more to mold than meets the eye and a lot of times mold problems go a lot deeper than surface level. Once you’ve identified the source of mold and found a solution, take a deeper look to get a better idea of the extent of your mold contamination. Mold doesn’t always stay in just one place so take a look around the area and check some of the common hotspots for mold-like air vents and inside of dark cabinets. Knowing just how much mold you’re dealing with and where it’s located will give you a better idea of how to approach the cleaning process and it will help to ensure that no mold gets left behind with a chance to spread.  

3. Get to Cleaning

Once you’ve found and fixed anything that could be at the root of your mold issues, it’s time to get down to business with a deep clean. The severity of mold infestations varies, so if your mold problems are small and contained, they can probably be taken care of using a detergent or antimicrobial solution and a damp cloth. If you’ve got a more serious mold issue, your cleanup process may take a little longer. For bigtime mold problems, surfaces will need to be vacuumed with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) vacuum. HEPA vacuum filters are capable of capturing mold spores unlike regular vacuum filters, so be sure you’ve got the right equipment. Next, after vacuuming, you can get to work with your damp cloth and cleaning solution or, for tough surfaces and hard-to-remove spots, consider using a wire brush to breakdown mold. Thoroughly clean any areas that are contaminated with mold and be sure to get all of it to avoid regrowth!  

4. Let the Area Dry

Next, once you’ve gotten rid of all of your mold problems, the area needs to be dried completely. Since the cleaning process includes using dampened cloths and wet cleaning solutions, your freshly-cleaned and mold-free area will probably be filled with moisture. To avoid immediate mold regrowth, the area needs to be dried entirely and as quickly as possible. Make sure the area is well ventilated and use fans to quickly dry any wet areas. If you want to be extra sure that the area gets dried, consider bringing in a dehumidifier to get rid of any lingering moisture and to speed up the drying process.  

5. Take Preventative Measures

You’ve taken the time to find the source of all your mold issues and you’ve put in the elbow grease to get rid of them once and for all, but your job is not all the way done. Once you get rid of mold you want to make sure that it’s not going to come back. Taking preventative measures is the best way to make sure your office, house or apartment stays clean and 100% mold-free. Consider leaving a dehumidifier in any moisture-prone areas, and make sure all of your spaces get proper ventilation. Let fresh air in to boost circulation and think about using mold-resistant products like mold inhibitors for wall paint. There is no one magical way to ensure mold prevention but all in all, just being aware of moisture-prone areas and keeping an eye out for any leaks or water intrusion will make a big difference in keeping mold out of your indoor areas for good.  Mold can grow just about anywhere and everywhere in your office, house or apartment and getting rid of it once and for all can be a tricky job. Keep in mind that safety should come first in all of your mold removal and remediation plans so if you’re not sure how to properly clean molded surfaces, think about leaving it to the professionals.