How To Clean Black Mold From Window Tracks The Easy Way!
I get it there are always tasks to do around the home and the last one you might think about is any of the widow tracks.
But because they are subjected to lots of different environments, open windows, closed windows, steam, dust, and a number of other ones too that these places can quickly develop a mold problem.
But don’t panic with these mold removal tips you will be able to clean black mold from window tracks.
Cleaning any sort of mold is important as it’s not good for your health or the health of your family.
Vacuum Loose Debris First
As with any area of your home, if there is loose debris it’s important to pick this up first as it can harbor the cleaning process.
If it’s a small window track you will want to use the most narrow crevis tool that comes with your vacuum.
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However, sometimes that’s not always small enough, I have had some success with putting an empty toilet roll tube on the end of my vacuum hose and molding this into a narrow shape suitable for getting the dirt out.
Make sure you are using a vacuum that has a Hepa filter on it as you don’t want to release mold spores into the rest of your home you want them trapped in the filter.
This does mean that you will need to clean the filter after dealing with mold so it can’t spread anywhere.
Spray Affected Area With Tea Tree Oil
I like to use a tea tree oil solution to kill any mold in my home. It’s 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil to one cup of water. I mix this well and spray it onto the affected area.
I then let it sit, wiping too quickly doesn’t give the product the chance to actually do the job that it’s there for.
Ideally, you want to leave it for five to ten minutes this will mean that it has had a chance to get to work on the mold.
Protect Yourself From Mold
When it comes to cleaning mold it’s important that you protect yourself from the spores found in mold.
As a minimum, you want to be wearing protective gloves that you can throw away when you have finished.
It would be beneficial to your health if whilst cleaning you took the opportunity to wear a face mask as these will protect your lungs from breathing in mold spores.
Mask-wearing is something that’s more acceptable in society so don’t feel embarrassed about taking care of your health.
Do You Need To Scrub?
Do you need to scrub the area? Use an old toothbrush that you can throw away after dealing with the mold.
I think it’s important not to throw plastic away which is why I look for bamboo toothbrushes for my cleaning.
If you do need to scrub make sure the room is ventilated and you are wearing a face covering as the likelihood of mold spores being released increases if you have to do any form of scrubbing.
You want to take care not to scrub in areas that don’t have mold, just doing the mold areas will reduce the chance of spreading the mold to a new area of the window track.
After using the old toothbrush you are going to want to throw this out, it has been contaminated by mold spores and you don’t want this in your home.
Wipe the Window Track With A Disposable Cloth
Why I use disposable cloth for cleaning mold is simple, there are going to be viable mold spores in that cloth and you don’t want to run the risk of contaminating the rest of your cloths.
You should wash any washable cloths at a high temperature, but I just feel it’s not worth the risk to my home to potentially spread mold onto other cloths when they are washed together.
Also, I don’t want mold spores getting into my washing machine and potentially finding a suitable spot to set up a home in.
The Wiping Of The Track
It might help you if I describe the wiping process in more detail too. The idea is to remove all the debris and mold without spreading it further.
Take the process slowly and gently remove the mold with each wipe, if you can fold the cloth over as you don’t want particles to drop back into the track as you go to make another pass at the track.
If you can’t fold the cloth you want to put this directly into in trash bag. This removes the possibility of any of the potential spores in your cloth being able to escape into your room with the potential of setting up home again.
Spray To Protect Against Mold
When you have cleaned your window track from mold, I like to go back over the area with some tea tree oil in the diluted form and let it dry before closing the window.
I do this because it will help protect from mold spores setting up home in this spot for a while. I don’t want to have to repeat this process often, so the longer it’s protected from coming back the better.
I also want the area to be completely dry before shutting the window so that the metal parts of my window track don’t go rusty.
A rusty track could prevent the window track from working properly and that will cause a maintenance issue this is not something I want to have to deal with because I didn’t complete the task correctly.
A rusty window track is unsightly and it does become a cosmetic issue in the home too.
Resources To Help Protect Your Home From Mold
As with life things often come together and if you have mold in one place it’s best to check to see if it’s anywhere else in your home.
Check out these resources on getting mold out of your home.
