subject: How Can I Get Rid Of Mold In My Closet? Get The Answers You Have Been Looking For [print this page] Did you open the door to your closet today and recoil at the nasty "musty" odour coming out at you? Have you found staining on items which you know were clean when you put them away? If your answer to these questions is yes the chances are you may have mold growing in your closet and on your clothing or linen or whatever the contents of the closet may be.
What causes mold growth? The prime cause of mold is a build up of moisture which in turn makes surfaces damp or wet - there can be a number of factors which cause this. The first one is poor building maintenance, things such as leaking pipes, broken gutters and so on allow water to creep into the building making walls, floors, ceilings etc. wet or damp making them prime areas for mold to thrive.
The second issue is due to the atmosphere inside the building, where there is excess moisture in the air it will be converted to water droplets when the air begins to cool. The water droplets will settle on cold surfaces and creating perfect mold growing conditions. The greatest factor in this scenario is usually inadequate ventilation, although there are a number of other contributary factors to take into consideration.
Mold growth in a closet can be caused by either set of circumstances but in every case the most vital course of action is to ensure the area is dried out quickly and thoroughly in order to stop the mold growth - obviously this is only possible once the cause of the problem has been put right.
Cleaning the mold has to be executed in a safe and controlled manner. Protective gear is hugely important, you should invest in goggles, gloves and a face mask. It will also be necessary to seal off the area to stop any mold spores have become airborne spreading to other areas of the building. One other critical safety point - under no circumstances be tempted to brush any dried mold off a surface, this will cause mold spores to disperse into the air making them potentially dangerous to human health.
The simplest and safest way to tackle mold in a closet or in any other area is to use a spray bottle containing a mold cleaning solution - you can use one of many natural products or commercial mold cleaners. Spray the area, wipe it clean then allow it to dry out completely. If ventilation is poor or non existent and is the cause of the mold growing in your closet then this too needs to be rectified. You should consider having vent panels fitted in doors or the roof, or simply leave the door open regularly.
Mold on clothing can often be removed by laundering or using natural products again from a spray bottle, there are also many commercial products available for this purpose. Hanging mold stained garments outside in direct sunlight works extremely well after most of these treatments.
