Have you ever found yourself sneezing or coughing when you enter your basement? Do you notice black spots growing in your basement? Your home could be experiencing a black mold problem that you need to address immediately.

How Black Mold Develops

Black molds form in dark and damp corners of a home. Besides the basement, they can appear in your bathroom, around the toilet, shower, and kitchen. They look greenish-black in color, can be dusty, and sometimes look like soot. They are also often accompanied by a distinctive smell.

Black mold is one of the most toxic molds that can appear in your home. It can cause health problems for all the residents. It can lead to coughing, eye irritation, congestion, and skin irritation. It can be worse for those with asthma and allergies. Some may experience fever, nosebleeds, vomiting, coughing up blood, and liver damage.

If your house starts to get infected by black mold, you need to act as early as possible. For black molds in the basement, here are the things you can do:

5 Steps to Removing Your Basement’s Black Mold

Step 1: Protect Yourself

Before starting with the cleanup, make sure that you are protected. Wear a face mask and gloves to make sure that the black mold spores will not get to you.

Step 2: Prepare the Area

When you encounter black mold in your basement, there are two things you are dealing with: the mold and the moisture in your room. You need to remove as much humidity as you can. If it is warm outside, consider opening up some windows to increase air circulation. If you have an exhaust fan installed in your basement, run it to blow out moisture outside the window.

Step 3: Check the Molds

Inspect the black mold to check whether it is moist or dusty. If the growth is dusty, you need to dampen it more. Dusty molds are more harmful when they become airborne. To deal with this, you need to spray a light mist of water onto the mold. However, make sure not to oversaturate it.

Step 4: Start the Brushing and Disposing

Combine dish soap and water, and scrub the black mold with a bristle brush. Prepare another solution containing ½ water and ½ bleach. After you finish scrubbing, wipe it clean with a rag dampened with the water and bleach solution.

Dispose of your brush and rags after usage. You can wash all molded articles in your basement using an intense, bleach-saturated laundry detergent. However, it is ideal to discard all damaged items.

Suppose there are any moldy items in your home that cannot be cleaned. If that’s the case, consider removing them entirely from your home. Take photos and create inventories of these things in case you need documentation for your insurance.

Step 5: Prevention

Your problem is not yet finished upon cleaning. You need to ensure that you will end your moisture problem for good. Make sure all the windows in the basement are correctly working and fastened. Check your plumbing for leaks and drains. Then, start sealing your walls and sub-floors with a primer that has moisture-repelling properties. Black mold prevention is crucial for your health.

Conclusion

Black molds are invisible killers, and you do not want them anywhere inside your home. As soon as you notice them, take action quickly. If the job seems too big for you, it is better to contact a professional cleaning service immediately. Once the contractors start with the cleaning and remediation process, make sure to stay far from the area.

If you spot black mold in your home, do not wait for it to worsen. Contact us for professional mold damage removal and remediation services in Utah. We also offer Utah coronavirus cleanup to ensure that your residence is safe for the whole family.