If there is suddenly green or black mold on the wall, you will be horrified. The most important thing now is to act immediately and remove the mold – but with what means? The North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Center explains whether alcohol is sufficient to remove mold, when chemical mold killers are necessary and what you should do with old mold.
Removing mold
Is mold on the wall even a problem? Yes: mold spores should definitely be removed. But which means is the right one for removing mold?
Since spores and the metabolic products of mold can be harmful to health, and mold removers also pose risks to people, no one can make your decision about the mold control method for you.
However, you can follow the following guide to removing mold:
1. For new infestation: Remove mold with chemical mold removers, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide
If the mold infestation on the wall is relatively new, superficial removal with anti-mold agents is usually sufficient. There are very fast-acting mold removers with chlorine active ingredients that destroy the spores in up to ten seconds. These chemical agents are highly effective, but they are not recommended due to the potential health risks.
Alcohol-based cleaning agents and mold removers (80 percent ethanol – watch out for fumes!) and hydrogen peroxide (three to ten percent) are largely harmless against mold – or a five percent soda solution from the pharmacy. These agents can usually be used to loosen and remove the mold.
If you cannot initially prevent the moisture from growing, it is better to use a chemical mold remover (follow the instructions carefully!). Otherwise you will expose yourself to the progressive proliferation of the fungal spores, which are harmful to your health.
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