How To Remove Mold From Painted Walls

Mold is one of those things that can just happen and when you see it you must take action even if you have to be careful when you need to remove mold from painted walls.

Sometimes there is an obvious reason for the mold and other times it just randomly seems to appear.

So, how to get rid of mold is important in any mold situation, continue reading for the solution to this problem.

What Causes The Mold?

Often, the simplest reason is the problem of mold and it’s simply not enough ventilation getting through your home. If you have humid conditions like for instance in your bathroom then you are going to have a potential mold problem.

But, not necessarily in your bathroom though. If the build-up happens in a hallway or landing you might find the mold there instead.

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You must check your home for a potential water leak just to make sure there isn’t a reason for the mold to appear, other than a lack of ventilation.

How To Resolve A Mold Problem

If you have mold on a painted wall in your home you are going to need to take some sort of action to remove that mold and prevent it from coming back and that means killing the roots of the mold too.

The first step is to try and see if there is an obvious problem that is causing the mold. Sometimes there are other times you have to play detective and try to work out if there is a bigger problem that needs addressing.

Then you need to remove the visible mold from the wall. To do this you are going to have to test the product that you are going to use in an area that isn’t visible as you walk into a room. You want to know if the product is going to damage the paint on the wall.

If you test the product that you intend to use and it removes the paint then you know that there is painting in your future.

How To Clean Mold Off Interior Walls

You can purchase a commercial cleaner, often these will just be bleach based and you can pretty much guarantee that the mold is going to come back. The reason is that the mold roots haven’t been killed.

The best option for removing mold and preventing it from coming back is to use tea tree oil, not only will this remove the mold but it will kill the roots too.

If you wipe at the mold with a dry cloth you are potentially just going to spread the mold and this will mean the mold spores will be released into your home and could potentially find a new place to live in your home.

Spray the solution onto your cloth and pat it into the mold. You want to kill the mold first, if you rub at it all that is going to happen is spores will be released and that can mean more mold to deal with.

Once the area is damp with the cleaning solution you can then start the process of wiping the mold away. Repeat a couple of times to make sure that you have got all the mold spores.

Related article: How To Remove Mold From A Bathroom Ceiling

Products You Can Use To Get Rid Of Mold

There are only a couple of products that are good at getting rid of mold.

Obviously, you might be able to tell I love tea tree oil as a mold killer but you can also use hydrogen peroxide as a mold killer too. I don’t recommend products with a high percentage of bleach as this won’t kill the mold and you will have to repeat the process more often.

If you have mold in a porous surface then it’s really difficult to kill the roots of the mold, it’s not impossible but it is going to take some time.

Related article: How To Use Tea Tree Oil To Kill Mold

Can Mold Damage Paint

I think the simple answer is yes it can, you might deal with your moldy areas and find that some of the paint has been removed as well as the mold.

If this happens you are going to need to touch up the paint. If you use a product that is made of part bleach then there is possibly going to be less paint damage but the mold is going to come back.

I think I would rather do repainting than constantly looking to see if the mold is back and treating the colour rather than the actual problem.

Sometimes mold can cause staining, these mold stains will need covering up with anti-mold paint to avoid it bleeding through your newly painted wall.

What Protection Do I Need?

When you are cleaning mold it’s important to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands but if you have a face mask it might be something to consider especially if you have any respiratory conditions or health conditions that could be made worse.

Ventilation is always good because if mold spores are released they won’t settle because the airflow will keep them moving.

In the future, if you have a room with high humidity like the bathroom or kitchen open a window or get some proper ventilation installed to prevent the mold from coming back.

If you are sensitive to essential oils like tea tree then be careful when mixing the solution, it should be one cup of water to 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil.

What Not To Use If You Have Mold

If you have mold in your home, please don’t use a scrub brush to remove the mold, it will spread the mold spores quickly around your home.

Mold removal needs to be a thought out process, it’s an organic material and it lives in harsh enviroments, wear protective clothing and pick your choice of mold remover carefully.

Why Have I Got Mold?

The most common answer if you have mold on a painted wall is poor ventilation, which causes high moisture levels which is the perfect environment for mold to grow.

The most important step is to check for other areas of mold, look behind furniture and ensure that another spot of mold hasn’t developed in another small area of your home.

Check the affected area for mold growth and the surrounding areas too, if you have killed the mold in one place it might have released spores and affected other areas.

It doesn’t always mean that there is a problem with the structure of your home or your cleaning process.

What it can mean is there just isn’t enough airflow through your home and that means high humidity levels and which is perfect for mold to grow.

There are many reasons why mold has appeared and they all need to be addressed because mold can cause allergic reactions in some people and it really isn’t good for the health of anyone.

Related article: The Best Ways For Tackling Mold On Window Sills

Why Do I Have Mold On Exterior Walls

When you have mold on exterior walls this is more difficult to just kill off, after all, you will have airflow as it’s outside, so I often think first of a problem with the structure rather than high humidity levels causing the mold.

Once you address the structural issue is best to paint with mold-resistant paint, you might even use an anti-mold paint first just to ensure that the mold is dead before painting as you don’t want your hard work going to waste if the problem isn’t cured first.

Related article: How Do To Get Rid Of Mold And Damp

Mold Near Food Sources

I don’t know why but if mold appears close to a food source like a pantry it makes me nervous. I don’t want to risk mold spores being left behind and that does mean I will wipe down any and all the food, well as much of it as I can. Often, just with warm soapy water and I will ensure they are dry before putting them away.

It’s just to be on the safe side as I don’t want to have any health problems because a mold spore settled on an area that was close to or inside a pantry or cupboard that stores any sort of food.

Let’s Recap…

When you notice mold on painted surfaces you want to look for causes, in case there is an issue and the problem is because of water damage.

If the mold is in a high moisture environment then chances are that it’s due to poor ventilation and installing an exhaust fan would improve the situation in the future.

If you can’t afford to install a fan then open the window when you have a shower or use the kitchen and create a lot of steam.

When cleaning mold always wear protective gear as you don’t want to inhale mold spores.

If you are using household cleaning products to clean the mold, it’s important to check back often in case the mold returns. This is because cleaning products that are part bleach aren’t going to solve the problem long term.

If you want to reduce the chance of mold growing on any wall in your home open windows and let the airflow through your home.

If you live in rented accommodation mold isn’t acceptable and should be reported immediately to your landlord.