How To Remove Mould Spores From The Air

​CONTENTS

• Symptoms of mould spores to look out for 
• How long do mould spores stay in the air?
• Do air purifiers remove mould spores?
  • Regulate the humidity levels within your home
• Further removal tips
  • Open a door or window
  • Utilise ventilation appliances 
  • Start Cleaning
  • Cleaning your furniture and carpets regularly
• Considerations when it comes to mould spores
• Know when to call in the professionals
  • ICE SHIELD®
• Get in touch today

Here at ICE Cleaning, we are mould removal specialists and have helped both commercial and domestic clients with this issue. We can significantly improve the air quality in your property with our remediation services, and have years of experience in providing excellent results for customers. Get in touch with us today on 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk to book your mould removal - we are able to be on site in just an hour in cases of emergency to help you.

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Have you ever found yourself continually sneezing or sniffling within your own home? Maybe your eyes have become more sensitive or watery? If you’ve researched all of the general problems it could be but found no match, there’s a chance your house may contain mould spores. 

They can be found everywhere: they float in the air of every type of climate. Believe it or not, various mould fungi are actually incredibly beneficial to us humans, such as penicillin.

However, there are other strains – such as standard black mould – that are incredibly hazardous to human health and can actually lead to a range of respiratory issues, even among the healthiest of people.

It can take anywhere between 20-50 hours after the mould spores have landed on a damp or wet area for the infestation to start and the mould strain to become hazardous. This fungus thrives on moisture and can rapidly reproduce through lightweight, tiny spores that travel through the air.

Small amounts of mould spores aren’t harmful. We naturally breathe in non-hazardous particles every day. However, when large amounts of airborne spores land on damp spots within your home, issues may arise if they are not dealt with promptly. 

Removing this fungus is never an easy job, especially without access to the right equipment or technology. Mould spores are completely invisible, making it difficult to know if you have fully eradicated the danger or if you have just halted the growth. 

Symptoms of mould spores to look out for

If you detect damp in your property, it may be an indication that you have a concentration of mould or mould spores within your property. If this is the case, rapid action is required.

While you can attempt to DIY the situation, you may be putting the health of both yourself and your loved ones at risk. To give yourself peace of mind and to limit any hazards, you should call on the professionals to perform a mould remediation. They will be able to significantly improve the air quality within your home.

How long do mould spores stay in the air?

These reproduction units are nature’s recycling team; they are forever floating in the air searching for organic materials to decompose. 

Mould spores remain airborne for an indefinite period of time. It’s important to recognise that if a damp spot is present and unattended for longer than 24 hours, there is a high possibility that mould could fester and airborne spores begin congregating throughout the premises.

A high concentration of these units can be extremely hazardous to humans. No matter how healthy the individual, it is essential to treat all forms of mould.

Do air purifiers remove mould spores?

Air purifiers have been proven to significantly help the removal of spores within the air. But while they are used on festering mould within your property, the device itself will not treat the leading cause of the fungus.

According to an article by ‘Healthy but Smart’ , an air purifier draws the air into its filters and captures tiny airborne particles such as smoke, dust and mould spores. Clean air is then circulated throughout the room, leaving the air feeling drier and more hygienic.

Once you have found the leading cause of mould within your apartment, it’s advised that you use an air purifier to filter out harmful mould spores that need a little more nudging to leave the environment. However, this technology should only be used at the end of the mould remediation process for maximum and long-term effect. 

An air purifier is not a piece of technology you will need daily. It can be an expensive purchase to use in a one-time situation; therefore, we would always advise that you rent an air purifier or hire a service such as our technicians here at ICE Cleaning to implement the technology. 

Regulate the humidity levels within your home

We all know that mould loves and thrives off moisture. Maintaining humidity levels throughout your property will help prevent it from forming.

Rooms that are generally a cause for concern when it comes to high humidity levels are bathrooms and kitchens. You should ensure that you have a fully functioning exhaust fan in both of these rooms, especially when taking a shower/bath or cooking in the kitchen. 

If humidity levels are controlled within your home, it could significantly reduce the chances of mould forming.

In our mould remediation we use High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, a leading industry technology for treating mould spores. Depending on the size of the property or room affected, the treatment may only take a day

Further removal tips

If you are unable to rent or get hold of an air purifier, other methods can help you reduce the number of mould spores within your home. Below we have listed a few ways that won’t cause too much financial damage.

Open a door or window

One of the most simple ways to lessen the chances of mould spores taking over your house is to physically direct them to an exit in your apartment.

Leaving a back door or window open can increase the property’s airflow, allowing the spores to disperse into the atmosphere.

Utilise ventilation appliances

If you have any ventilation appliances built into your apartment, we would encourage you to turn them on to maximum capacity for a couple of days. This will increase the chances of removing all highly concentrated air spores within your home.

Additionally, for the first day or two while the ventilation system is turned on, you should stay out of the premises for as long as possible to limit the possibility of you breathing in any spores. 

Start cleaning

When you begin cleaning your house, make sure you have the correct personal protective equipment on.

Otherwise, you could become ill through inhaling too many chemicals from both the products being used and the invisible toxic particles present in the air.

Cleaning your furniture and carpets regularly

Carpets can often be covered in mildew and mould spores. By vacuuming the entire carpeting or if possible, steaming your carpet, you can help treat fungus growing on the surface.

This will stop mould spores from being thrusted into the air, and help prevent you from inhaling high concentrations of toxins. 

You should also consider vacuuming and steam cleaning:

• Rugs
• Sofas
• Other fabric furniture

While all of these tips can assist in decreasing the number of mould spores within your property, they are only a short-term solution. To properly tackle mould spores, you must get to the root cause by engaging in the use of a professional cleaning company.

Considerations when it comes to mould spores

It's important to understand that removing mould will also create hazardous spores to evaporate into the air in greater quantities than that already present.

You must be wearing the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) before attempting to tackle the mould yourself.

We advise that all elderly, young, and immune-compromised individuals stay away from the premises whilst the cleaning is in process and, if possible, avoid returning to the property for at least a day. 

Remember, just because you have eliminated the visible appearance of mould, it does not mean that the problem has disappeared. If you have not found the cause as to why your property was a home for mould, then the situation will simply continue to occur.

Know when to call in the professionals

While it may be financially cheaper to DIY a mould infestation, you will never know if you have effectively treated the problem, or if it is just going to return in a couple of days.

When you call us, our specialists will assess your entire property and locate the primary source of the mould. This could be down to something as small as:

• A leak in the wall
• Leaking taps
• Low airflow throughout the property
• Lack of exhaust fans 
• Lack of heating throughout the property
• Rainwater and/or drains that fall onto the house

Once our mould remediation technicians have located the cause, we can advise the best way to go about preventing mould spores in your house, and begin the cleaning process. 

ICE SHIELD®

During our remediation service, we offer a complimentary application of our ICE SHIELD® treatment. This is scientifically proven to kill 99.9% of harmful bacteria and viruses on surfaces it is applied on for a period of up to 28 day days.

The technology works by combining a persistent solution with fogging technology. It is effective within 10 seconds and is suitable in all kinds of settings, from industrial to domestic. If you wish to have this added to your regular cleaning routine, just ask one of our agents about it when you speak with us!

Get in touch with us today

If you would like to book our mould removal services, we can be contacted on 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk. One of our friendly customer service team will be on hand to help with whatever you need.

We look forward to hearing from you!