Fairfax County VA Home Search Website Blog

The first sign of mold you notice may be a musty smell in your home or condos in Arlington VA.  After looking around, you spot what looks like mold.  Don’t panic.  You can remove unhealthy mold from your house without paying an arm and a leg.

Check to be Sure It’s Really Mold
Mold can look many different ways, depending on the type.  Some are grayish-white or black, and can look like a dirty smudge.  If you’re in doubt that a spot is mold, you can do a test with chlorine bleach.  Simply put a drop on the spot.  If the color immediately fades away, you have mold.

Mold needs moisture to grow.  If you find mold, you know that you also have a water leak that is a problem in your Arlington VA home.  So first, you’ll need to find the source of the leak and repair it.  After that, you can begin getting rid of the mold.

How To Kill Mold
A lot of people think mold clean up has to be expensive.  The truth is that most mold problems can be eliminated with chlorine bleach.  Bleach is a strong chemical, so for safety you’ll need to wear gloves, an air filter and goggles while you clean.

Remember, when cleaning with bleach you need to work in a well-ventilated area, and never mix bleach with another cleaner, especially anything that contains ammonia.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends using bleach to kill mold on hard, non-porous surfaces.  Killing mold with bleach is a simple process:

• Thoroughly soak the area in full strength bleach
• Let it soak for fifteen minutes
• Scrub the area with a mixture of one-part chlorine bleach, three-parts water and one teaspoon of dishwashing soap

Finishing The Clean-up
Once everything has been washed, you’ll need to do another inspection of your home.  Look for moldy papers, clothes, or anything porous that could be a good home for mold.  These things will need to be bagged and thrown away.

Allow two to three days for the surfaces to dry.  Then, continue to inspect the areas for mold re-growth, and pay attention for any moldy odors.

Congrats, you have eliminated the mold problem in your home or condos in Arlington VA and saved a bundle of money by doing the cleanup yourself.

If you’re ready to sell your Arlington VA home or condo, I’d love to help.  I can give you tips that will help your home sell for more money.

Thinking of buying a new home or one of the condos in Arlington VA? Now is a great time with such low interest rates on a 30 year mortgage.  Let me help you find a home you’ll love (and is free of mold).  Call me today at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com now!

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939