Can You Remediate Mold Yourself?

Short answer: sometimes, but only for small jobs. A little surface mold on a hard, nonporous surface like tile or glass is usually fine to clean yourself. Anything bigger than about a square foot, anything on porous material like drywall or wood, or anything tied to a water problem is a job for a professional.

Here’s why DIY falls short on a real mold problem.

First, most mold is a symptom of a moisture problem. If you clean the mold but don’t fix the leak or the humidity behind it, it comes right back. Finding and fixing that source is half the job.

Second, mold puts roots into porous materials. Wiping the surface doesn’t reach them, so the mold keeps growing under the surface even after it looks gone.

Third, cleaning mold the wrong way can make it worse. Disturbing it sends spores into the air, where they spread to clean parts of your home. Without containment and air filtration, a small problem can turn into a bigger one.

So if you’ve got a tiny spot in the corner of the shower, go ahead and clean it. But if the mold keeps coming back, covers a large area, is inside a wall or ceiling, or someone in the home isn’t feeling well, that’s the point to call a professional.

If you’re not sure which kind of problem you have, we’re happy to take a look. We do chemical-free mold remediation across Ann Arbor, Southeast Michigan, and Toledo. Call734-439-8800 or email peaceofmind@moldprollc.com.