This article on black mold and natural ways to get rid of it was published before on this site. Long exposure to mold creates many serious health problems. There are natural ways to clean up mold without toxic exposure to harsh chemicals.
I had been introduced to the dark side of mold—black mold. My last work place, a public school, was infested. I ignored it—big mistake. I just tried to stay away from that office as much as possible. I blamed the increased headaches, dry eyes, allergy reactions, aches, pains, depression, and more, on to aging and stress.
I found myself with a bronchial infection where I did not sleep for three days because I coughed constantly. I went to the physician she put me on antibiotics. After six weeks of medication I began to make progress. But while I was laying on the couch reviewing my life, trying to figure out— how did I get to this state of depleted health, I realized THIS IS MOLD RELATED.
I had a damp basement in my home. My contractor set to work to deal with the wet basement—French drains outside and in. A French drain can have perforated hollow pipes along the bottom to quickly vent water that seeps down through the upper gravel or rock. I could tell an immediate improvement in the interior environment after the mold remediation.
People living with black toxic mold usually breathe in the mycotoxins. However they can also ingest them or absorb them through their skin. When mycotoxins end up lodging in the lungs this creates breathing problems. Inhaling mycotoxins is much more harmful than ingesting them. The main type of mycotoxins are called trithochecenes. These are some of the most toxic mycotoxins. It is suspected that trichothecenes can cause cancer and damage the immune system. This can lead to a wide range of symptoms. The seriousness of the symptoms depends on the amount of mycotoxins and length of exposure.
If you have a black toxic mold problem you might suffer some of these symptoms:
• Dry eyes • Vision problems • Mental impairment • Neurological symptoms• Memory loss • Anxiety • Depression • Confusion
• Balance problems • General discomfort • Pain • Joint pain • Muscle aches • Muscle pain • Tiredness • Fatigue • Headache • Nausea • Stomach pain • Abdominal pain • Internal lesions • Bleeding • Dermatitis • Rash • Breathing problems • Respiratory problems • Burning lungs • Bleeding lungs • Pulmonary hemorrhage • Wheezing • Shortness of breath • Sore throat • Burning throat • Vomiting • Diarrhea • Coughing • Coughing up blood • Sneezing • Flu-like symptoms • Cold symptoms • Fever • Nosebleeds • Rhinitis • Swollen lymph nodes • Heart palpitations • Yellow nails • Whitemarks under nail • Neck boils • Malaise • Seizures • Autoimmune disease • Acid reflux • Internal organ damage
A frequent musty smell in your home may be the sign of a mold infestation. If you suspect a musty smell, it’s a good idea to hire a professional who can assess your home. If you suspect you have a serious black mold problem call a professional mold remediation specialist to test the mold and make recommendations. The biggest mistake would be to try to kill or remove black toxic mold yourself. Disturbing black toxic mold can trigger the release of millions of spores and mycotoxins. These can contaminate your home, perhaps even beyond repair. The goal of black toxic mold removal is not to kill the mold, rather the goal is to completely remove the mold from your home.
For small, household mold clean up from nonporous surfaces, you can scrub mold from surfaces using water and detergent. Lightly wet the mold growth before you start scrubbing to stop mold spores from escaping into the air. Dead mold spores are still allergenic. So the main goal is to remove the mold, whether you kill it or not.
Does bleach kill mold? Bleach does NOT kill mold. It doesn't even disinfect mold spores. The only thing that bleach does is change the color of the mold by damaging the roots of it. Bleach is not an effective way to kill mold and provides only a temporary solution by slowing its growth. Chlorine bleach doesn't kill mold spores because bleach is made mostly out of water. Water is a main requirement for mold growth and trying to get rid of it with a product that is 99% mold (ie. bleach) isn't very effective.
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Natural Mold Removers
Tea Tree Oil - which you can purchase at health food stores does a fantastic job as a mold remover. It is expensive but you only have to use small amounts to get great results. It can be used on walls, ceilings, shower curtains etc. Be aware that it does have a very strong odor which will take a few days to calm down - at least it's better than a musty moldy smell! Tea Tree Oil appears to remove and kill the vast majority of mold types.
First thing to do is mix 2 teaspoons of the tea tree oil with approximately 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake gently to mix the two then spray the areas of mold with the solution. There is no need to rinse the mixture off simply leave to dry. You can keep the mixture ready for next time!
Vinegar - something which every household will most definitely have in the kitchen cupboard and it costs very little to buy. White distilled vinegar poured into a spray bottle and sprayed directly onto the area of mold will kill around 82% of molds according to reports. Again, don't rinse, allow to dry. This one is particularly smelly but a good, cheap mold remover!
Grapefruit Seed Extract - this one has a huge advantage over the others - it is completely odorless. The down side is that like tea tree oil it is expensive but again only small quantities are needed. Put 20 drops of the grapefruit extract into a spray bottle and mix with two cups of water. Once again apply to the affected area, no rinsing is required just allow to dry. This mixture too can be kept indefinitely.
Borax- is a common cleaning chemical used by individuals and industrial companies alike. It does not emit any toxic chemicals when you use it, so you do not need to wear any sort of respiratory mask while using Borax. Mix one cup of the Borax with a gallon of water. Shake or stir the container you mix the solution in to thoroughly stir up the water and Borax. Dip a scrubbing brush into the Borax mixture and scrub the mold away with the brush. The Borax will loosen the mold's hold on the surface while the brush completely removes it.
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