How To Clean Mold In Crawl Space

Assuming you notice mold in crawl space within your home, what will be your first reaction? If you're like many people who dread mold and mildew, chances are that you'll panic and get worried. Many homes are infested by mold more than homeowners know. Thankfully, you can learn how to kill dangerous mold in your crawl space fast and effectively.

mold in crawl space

Types of Mold found in the Crawl Space

If you didn't know, there are different types of mold which can invade your home. When you want to eradicate mold from your crawl space, you should first identify the type of mold in order to identify the ideal remedy. One of the most common types of mold is the yellow mold which damages items in the crawl space.

The serpula lacrymans is another type of mold which invades and destroys the wooden materials within your crawl space. You're likely to find the yellow mold in the soil of your indoor plants. You can also spot yellow mold in other types of dirt which somehow find their way in the home.

You'll most likely find the aspergillus within the home even though it doesn't cause any harm to adults. Still, if you've got any person who's prone to allergies or younger children living with you, you may want to protect them from this type of mold. Prolonged exposure to Aspergillus can cause respiratory related complications but still, the center for disease control says that Aspergillus is an inevitable airborne fungus.

Hazardous Mold that Dwells in Crawl Spaces

Your crawl space is likely to have the following mold types:

Cladosporium is a dominant fungus and if you've got young children, you want to protect them from this fungus as it can cause severe respiratory complications in young children and asthmatic people. Cladosporium is a black crawling mold which thrives on cloth material, wood and dirt, on painted walls, in HVAC systems, on paper, food, and mattresses.
Alternaria is a popular mold which can cause coughing, wheezing, sneezing, and a wide range of breathing complications.
Stachybotrys is a hazardous mold that grows in a crawl space. It's dangerous for everybody who comes into contact with it. If you notice this type of mold, you should contact a professional crawl space cleaner to avoid spreading the mold in different areas in your home.

What Should you Consider before Removing Mold?

Before you embark on removing mold from your crawl space, you need to understand that it's a difficult physical job that will take lots of scrubbing in far to reach spaces. You need to practice appropriate safety features before you begin the process if you plan to do it on your own. Have safety gloves and ensure they've got a textured grip material at the fingertips and the palms if you have to handle slippery equipment.

This way, you don't have to get tears or blisters when working your way through rough areas. Perhaps you're qualified enough to use special cleaning tools and home cleaners. If the products you'll be using contain bleach or even ammonia, use a face mask to protect your eyes and mouth. One thing you should beware of is that chemical build up in the small crawl space can be overwhelming.

Should You Hire a Professional for Mold Removal?

If you aren't a professional, you may want to hire a professional company to help eradicate the mold. Remember, the process of removing mold can be lengthy and complex especially for non-experienced people. If you don't have the required expertise to clean mold from your crawl space, hiring a professional is the best option.

Why is Hiring a Mold Expert Important?

When you hire a professional to remove mold in crawl space and who understands how to kill dangerous mold in your crawl space fast, you'll be guaranteed that:

Professionals don't leave anything to chance and they'll use their specialized tools to eradicate your mold problem on a long term basis.
Mold spores won't spread and you can still continue with your normal schedule even as the professionals go about their business.
A qualified mold professional will first evaluate the level of mold in your crawl space in order to determine the ideal measures that can use to handle and solve the problem.

Can Bleach and Vinegar Kill Mold in Crawl Space?

You can use both vinegar and bleach to remove mold from your crawl space. However, studies suggest that these liquids are not the ideal choice for cleaning a mold infested home. Remember, mold has already lowered the air quality in your home and you don't want to make the situation worse by introducing more irritants in the environment.

On the other hand, an acid based cleaner such as vinegar can eliminate any remaining mold forever. All you need to do is drench the vinegar on a dirty floor using a pump sprayer. First, the vinegar will remove approximately 90% of the mold in your crawl space after which it'll evaporate.

If you're using the services of a professional cleaner, then the task becomes easier as they know how to kill dangerous mold in your Crawl space fast regardless of where it is. If you have to do the mold cleaning yourself, then read the provided instructions in each product carefully before proceeding to apply the same product on wooden structures, cement walls, and dirty floors.

Can you Eliminate Mold Forever?

Yes, you can. You can do so by controlling moisture from the air in your crawl space and home in general. Check out for any cracks, gaps, or open spaces. If there are any, ensure that all of them are well sealed and have a professional insulate your crawl space. What's more, ensure that your vapor barrier overlooks the heat source.

Your professional service provider may need to reinforce protection on the crawl space. He'll probably lay down a good quality roofing paper or even polythene on the floor of your crawl space. For guaranteed mold control, your crawl space should have approximately 1 sq ft ventilation for every sq feet.

Finally

As you know, mold is a toxic contaminant that can cause major health complications, especially after prolonged exposure. You can avoid all that by controlling the moisture level within your crawl space to discourage the growth of mold and other dangerous substances.