Mold and mildew are each a fungus and thrive in a moist environment that has an organic food source. Mold can be found in dryer ducts, protected eaves, fences and siding.

Mold and mildew reproduce quickly and their spores easily spread through the air to form additional colonies elsewhere.

Mold and mildew on building surfaces cause offensive odors, rotting wood, discoloration, staining and other cosmetic damage. The health hazards include nasal congestion, skin rash, eye, nose and throat irritation. When performing mold cleanup tasks it is recommended that you wear a HEPA filter respirator, gloves and long sleeves.

Cleaning

Cleaning off mold and mildew will require something that will kill the fungi.

Bleach

The most popular product used is bleach in about a 5% solution. Put 8oz per gallon in your backpack sprayer. Liberally apply the weak bleach solution using the wand to apply the 5% solution to the area to be cleared.

This is also often the riskiest method due to the effect that bleach will have on many building surfaces, plants, earth and the professional.

• Using Bleach - Great care is required when using bleach as it is harmful to the skin, eyes, clothing and many building surfaces. Working with straight bleach and water can be done safely. Better yet, some bleach based cleaners offer a “buffered” solution, which will reduce the impact on the surroundings.
• Ammonia and Bleach - Be careful mixing bleach with other cleaners, avoid this practice if possible, bleach and ammonia create a poison and many over the counter solutions contain ammonia as an active ingredient. So, keep the ammonia away from the bleach, as the two are deadly when mixed together.

Note: Ammonia is often found in a window cleaner arsenal of products as it is used to clean spider webs, remove window tinting, and reduce streaking when cleaning glass.

Non-Bleach Fungicidal Cleaners

There are safer ways to tackle mold. There are a number of Fungicidal cleaners that are bleach free. A bleach free mold cleaner will be easier to work with and be safer for the surfaces and people handling the cleaning task. Depending on the products the non-bleach cleaners will be plant and soil safe allowing simple use around shrubs and flower beds. Check the label of the product you are intending to use for warnings.

Scraping

Some forms of mold, shotgun or artillery fungus can be difficult to remove. A stiff brush will help but on glass it is often quicker to scrape the fungus off. Have your scratched glass waiver signed before putting the scraper to tempered or strengthened glass.

Many products can be described as spray and rinse, use a 1-gallon pump sprayer or a larger backpack sprayer with the appropriate product mix in the sprayer and cover the area to be cleaned. Some people will use the product in a bucket and dip the brush repeatedly to apply the product, Some products will work better when agitated with a brush, especially with stubborn molds. Review the description of each product as that will help you decide how to approach cleaning your job site with the product.

Inside

If you are cleaning inside, after you finish removing the mold, let the area dry and use use a HEPA filter rated vacuum on the entire area. This will help to remove any mold colonies dislodged during cleaning and keep them from re-attaching and growing again.

Outside

Flush the area liberally with water, this is where a WaterFed pole can be useful with pure water as the pure water will help to attract and remove the mold colonies; flushing them off the surface. Insure good drainage for drying.

Protecting against future mold growth

Once the surface has been cleaned and is dry, it can be protected against future re-growth. The sealers or protectants listed here offer anti mold protection of various surfaces for periods up to three years.