How to rid a home of mold and mildew?

  7 answers
  • Fiddledd224 Fiddledd224 on Sep 13, 2018

    Depending on the extent and severity of the mold you may want to consult the pros. Having worked with Hurricane Sandy victims with severe mold problems, getting rid of it by yourself can not only be extremely difficult and costly but potentially very dangerous to your health.


    Although I am a devoted "DIYer", mold is one thing I wouldn't mess with....leave this project to the experts. BTW, if the mold is the result of ONE particular incident (like a hurricane), your home owner's insurance may pay for the remediation.

    • See 1 previous
    • Fiddledd224 Fiddledd224 on Sep 27, 2018

      Happy to help you Laverne....please stay safe!

  • Ebbjdl Ebbjdl on Sep 13, 2018

    If your home has mold and mildew, You'll need a professional to do this job. This is very hard to get rid of. Aloha!

  • Nick Nick on Sep 13, 2018

    If its on the outside of your house, i highly recommend using Jo-Max mold and mildew killer, use a pump sprayer, saturate a workable area, let set for couple mins., then rinse it off with water hose, if its pretty severe, you might have to scrub it just a little with a brush and pressure wash it off, its not harmful to plants or animals, i’ve used it several times, its a great product, if its inside, you need to figure out where the moisture is coming from, and why is it holding long enough to cause the mold and/or mildew, if its not really severe, they make a mold and mildew killer you can spray area and it will kill it, but you have to stop the moisture from standing in the area, a dehumidifier might help.…, hope this was helpful and goodluck

    • LaVerne Denise Joseph LaVerne Denise Joseph on Sep 27, 2018

      Yes! Thanks! The home I was talking about is a severe case, When I pulled up to view it, you can spell the mold/mildew. They said you have to sign a release form, and you enter the place at your own risk. I passed.

  • First you need determine why your house is moldy and full of mildew. Do you live in a humid climate? Obviously you have a lack of proper ventilation. Until the root of the problem is addressed, anything you do will only be a temporary measure. You need a consult with remediation specialists.


    Until then, open the windows and run a fan in every room. Vinegar will clean the mold, not bleach contrary to popular opinion. Vinegar kills mold spores, bleach does not.


    https://restorationmasterfinder.com/restoration/what-kills-mold-bleach-vs-vinegar/


    https://www.servicemaster-restoration-cleaning.com/2017/03/30/mold-myths/


    https://www.servicemasterrestore.com/blog/mold-damage/mold-myths-will-vinegar-kill-mold/


    Bonus - white vinegar is cheap. $2 a gallon at Costco, Sam's Club or restaurant supply or janitorial supply houses.


    This needs to be addressed in the short term. The health of you and your family is at stake. Mold can make you really really sick. I would go so far as to have every family member, including any pets, visit the doctor or vet to take any precautions necessary. Birds are particularly susceptible.


    Good luck and keep us posted!

  • Ginny Ginny on Sep 14, 2018

    Call a professional company because this stuff is nothing to fool with. Good luck!

  • LaVerne Denise Joseph LaVerne Denise Joseph on Sep 27, 2018

    The home was marked for $46,000.00. but it has a severe case of mold and mildew. You can smell it when you drive onto the the driveway. You can see it on the outside and the inside. It's a bad case. I tell it was a very nice home at one time, it's a repo.

    • For $46K I would have scooped it up, sight unseen. Where I live you can't even buy a dirt lot for that amount of money. But . . . One must have the money and guts go remediate or rebuild. Neighborhood is everything. Someone will buy it and make a killing on it.