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Eliminate the root of mold and check the roof for leaks. The moldy ceiling is mostly due to the leaking roof. If so, you have to repair the roof before you can get rid of the mold. Otherwise, the mold will come back.
Ensure good ventilation. The ceiling of bathroom and kitchen will be moldy, usually because of insufficient ventilation. You can add a fan or exhaust fan to exhaust moisture.
Some exhaust fans can be installed by themselves, while others need professional technicians to install them. Ask the clerk of the local hardware store to see what kind of exhaust fan is suitable for installing in your room. Try to let more natural light in. Mold likes to grow in the dark. Opening the window and letting the sun shine in can prevent the ceiling from getting moldy. If you can't let natural light in, you might as well install one more lamp, which will also generate heat and reduce the growth of mold.
Improve heat insulation. The house is not well insulated, which causes mold to breed and the ceiling will be moldy. Cold air outside the wall will condense when it meets warm air inside the wall. When the indoor air becomes warmer, more humid air touches the cold wall and condenses into water, leading to mold growth.
Thermal insulation can separate the cold air outside the house from the warm air inside the house, reduce condensation and prevent mildew. Improve thermal insulation around walls, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. [1] Check whether the other side of the ceiling is moldy, and if so, remember to clean it up. There is a small mold spot under the ceiling, which usually means there is a lot of mold on the other side. If you only clean up the mold spots under the ceiling and don't treat the other side, the mold will come back.
Use a dehumidifier. Mould likes humid and warm environment. Dehumidifier removes moisture from the air, making it impossible for mold to grow and reproduce.
After taking a shower, turn on the bathroom door and let the fan run 15 minutes. After taking a bath, don't turn off the bathroom door, let the fan run for at least 15 minutes, let the water vapor leave, and remove the moisture (mold likes to breed in humid environment).
Hang towels in the other room. Wet towels can increase the humidity in the room. You'd better dry the towel in the other room. Minimize moisture and reduce the environment suitable for mold breeding.
If there is mold in the house, try not to hang clothes on shelves or chairs in the house. In the drying process, excess moisture promotes more mold growth.
Remove mold and confirm mold signs. You can usually see mold on the ceiling, which may be black, green, brown or orange. Other signs include cracking and peeling of paint, discoloration, repeated black lines, protruding surface and/or a damp musty smell.
When molds are found, they must be removed quickly. Clean up the mold quickly and solve the root cause of the problem, so as not to affect health or cause permanent damage to the house. It is easier to clean up as soon as possible, and the ceiling is less likely to be moldy again.
Find a safe way to contact mold. Use a four-legged ladder, footstool or other solid objects that can stand. It is best to have rubber or non-slip feet to avoid slipping. If you don't have anti-skid feet, you might as well buy an anti-skid pad to put under it (especially if the floor is already slippery, such as tile floor).
Check the ceiling building materials. If the ceiling is made of porous building materials, such as popcorn ceiling (paper, styrofoam or asbestos), wood, gypsum board, etc., it cannot be cleaned. Mold will breed again soon. You need to remove the affected ceiling and install a new one.
Porous ceilings, including popcorn ceilings, need to be removed and reinstalled to solve the moldy problem. [2] Put the ladder in a proper position. Put a footstool or a four-legged ladder under the moldy part of the ceiling. Stand on it so that you can touch the ceiling. Check whether you can reach the mold and whether the location is safe.
Because you need to raise your hands to remove mold, you must have good physical strength and flexibility. If you have problems with your arms, neck, back or wrist, clean the ceiling with your hands up high, which will definitely hurt after a while. You might as well have a rest after cleaning for a while, or find a stronger person to help you. Scrape off the paint with a paint spatula. If the ceiling has been painted, but the paint starts to peel off, you should use a paint scraper to remove the remaining debris first. Make sure there is no mold under the debris before you can clean them thoroughly.
Wear gloves to protect your hands and change into old clothes. Wear gloves to prevent hands from touching detergents and molds. Wear old clothes that can be washed with hot water to remove spores that fall on your body or spread through the air.
Prepare the mildew-removing liquid. Many solutions can remove mold. The most commonly used solution is 2 tablespoons borax, 60 ml vinegar and 480 ml hot water, which can not only kill mold and deodorize, but also reduce the possibility of mold breeding again.
Borax is a natural cleaning product, which does not emit dangerous smoke, and has natural effects of deodorizing, killing fungi and inhibiting mold growth. It is also a mineral with low toxicity, which is quite affordable. Vinegar is a weak acid, which can kill 82% of mold species, and it is natural and safe. It is non-toxic, does not emit dangerous smoke, can deodorize, is cheap, and can be bought in supermarkets. You can spray vinegar directly on the surface and let it penetrate into it.
Bleach is very effective against mold, which can remove stains caused by mold, but it also emits unpleasant smoke, which will damage the building materials that come into contact with it and cannot penetrate porous materials. Chlorine in bleach will remain on the surface of porous materials, and water will penetrate into it, making it wetter and more suitable for mold growth. If you want to use bleach, you must first dilute it with 10 times of water. Hydrogen peroxide can replace bleach. It is very safe, will not damage the environment, has anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects, and can remove stains caused by mold. Spray 3% hydrogen peroxide directly on the mold.
Ammonia can be used on hard surfaces, but not on porous surfaces. In addition, it is highly toxic and cannot be used in combination with bleach, and it also emits toxic gases. If it is used for cleaning, it must be diluted with the same amount of water first.
Baking soda can kill mold, which is safe, deodorize, and even absorb moisture to prevent mold growth. Because the mold it kills is different from vinegar, it can usually be used in combination to make a mold removal solution. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda to every 240ml of water. Tea tree oil is an effective natural mildew remover. It is expensive, but it is harmless to people and pets, and has the effect of resisting fungi and bacteria. Be sure to use Melaleuca alternifolia leaf oil, and add 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil to 240 ml of water to make a mildew-removing solution.
Wear goggles, masks or gas masks. They can protect the eyes from the detergent dripping from the ceiling and splashing on the eyes during cleaning. Some fungicides are slightly corrosive, so be sure to protect your eyes. In addition, dead spores are easily spread through the air, so you must wear a mask or a gas mask to avoid inhaling these unhealthy spores.
When cleaning the ceiling, ensure good ventilation to avoid inhaling spores in the air. You can even spread plastic films on other parts of the house to prevent spores from spreading. Cover the doorway and ventilation pipe with plastic film, and let the fan operate against the open window to blow spores out of the house. Spray the cleaning liquid on the ceiling mold visible to the naked eye. Pour the cleaning liquid into the spray bottle and spray it directly on the ceiling mold. Don't spray so much that it drips on you.
Wash the mold with the rough side of sponge scouring pad. Wipe back and forth to remove mold. Take a break if necessary, especially if the mold spots are large. You may also need to come down and shift the footstool or the four-legged ladder to reach all the molds.
Wash the sponge frequently to prevent the spread of mold. In the process of wiping, change a new rag, or constantly rinse the cloth you are using. Otherwise, you may not be able to completely remove the mold, but instead transfer them to all parts of the ceiling.
Spray the mildew remover again. After removing the visible mold, spray a layer of mold removal liquid on the ceiling again to reduce the possibility of mold breeding again after a few days.
? Wait for the ceiling to dry. If there are fans, you can turn them on. If the weather is warm, you might as well open the window, let the wind dry the ceiling and take the spores outside.
Sandpaper the ceiling. The ceiling changes color? Planning to repaint the ceiling? Then you have to sand it first. Use sandpaper to polish the moldy parts before, remove residual mold, and provide a good foundation for new paint.
The color of the new paint is different from the original color, or it will highlight the second-polished part, so it is necessary to repaint the whole ceiling? Then you must polish the whole ceiling. Repaint the ceiling with special mildew-proof paint. Paint the ceiling with waterproof paint to prevent mold from breeding again (especially if air condensation is the main cause of mold). Ask the hardware store for the paint brand that meets your needs and follow the product instructions.
Tips
Clean up the mold as soon as possible after it is found, so as to avoid the situation becoming dangerous and/or causing permanent damage to the house. First test the effect of cleaning liquid in a small area of the ceiling to ensure that it will not damage the ceiling. Before cleaning up the mold, find out and solve the root of the problem to prevent the mold from breeding again.
warn
Don't just paint the moldy ceiling. Mold will go through the paint and continue to breed! You have to clean up the mold first.
You need to prepare
Four-legged ladder or footstool sponge and/or rag, bucket or bottled water, goggles mask or gas mask, so this is really, really useful! Share it with everyone!
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