Did you recently find mold inside your home? Despite how common this is, it’s still a frustrating thing to deal with. Since it’s known for causing allergies and structural damage, you’ll want to get rid of mold quickly. But how? Keep reading to find out how to remove mold caused by water damage inside your home.
Why Does Water Damage Cause Mold?
First, let’s discuss why water damage caused mold in the first place. Mold needs two main things to grow: moisture and humidity.
When your home experiences a burst pipe or flood, it brings water inside. Once the water evaporates, the moisture left over from the water vapor sticks around. Couple this with warm weather or poor circulation and it makes it easy for mold to grow.
In a nutshell, this is how water damage leads to mold. However, even if you clean it up as soon as you notice it, it may already be too late. This is because mold grows in as little as 24 hours after water exposure.
This all sounds scary, but don’t panic. There are some steps you can take to rid your home of mold caused by water damage.
How to Clean and Treat Mold Caused by Water Damage
As briefly mentioned above, there are a few steps you can take to treat mold damage. Here’s an overview of these steps:
Determine the Underlying Cause of Mold
Sometimes the cause of water damage is easy to spot, like in the case of a flood. But if you’re not sure what’s causing the mold, you have to find out what caused the water damage first. This could be a clogged gutter, broken water heater, or damaged shingles. If there’s mold inside your closet, a leaky pipe behind the wall could be the culprit.
By determining the underlying cause of mold first, you can treat it more effectively. If the issue isn’t fixed, cleaning up the mold is the equivalent of putting a bandaid on it. In other words, it won’t prevent it from coming back.
Analyze the Severity of It
Mold, while common, can still be very toxic to be around and breathe in. That’s why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns homeowners to only clean mold themselves if it’s less than 10 square feet.
This may cover minor cases of mold, like those found in your shower. If so, put on a face mask, eye goggles, and gloves so you’re protected. Then combine water, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide and spray them on the affected area. Use your scrub brush and start scrubbing after it’s been left on for 10-15 minutes. Repeat as necessary.
Call a Mold Damage Repair Professional For Everything Else
If the affected area is larger than 10 square feet, you have to call in a mold damage repair professional. The same goes for mold that’s hard to reach or keeps coming back after you clean it with the method mentioned above.
A professional will use strong cleaners to kill mold at the source so you don’t have to keep dealing with it. When you’re ready, the team at California Steam Clean can help.
Does Your Home Have Mold Caused by Water Damage? Let the Mold Remediation Team at California Steam Clean Help!
At California Steam Clean, we know how to effectively treat mold caused by water damage. Let us help. Call us today at (707) 755-6961 to make an appointment.
