Finding mold growth in your home is never fun! It’s unpleasant to look at, unpleasant to smell, and can mean that there’s a major problem somewhere in your house.
As unpleasant as mold is, there are some easy ways to kill it. While extensive or repeated mold growth should still be handled by a professional mold remediation team, basic mold growth can be treated at home. Use borax for mold and make your mold disappear.
What is Borax?
Borax is a mineral, specifically a salt, derived from boron. It’s technical name is sodium tetraborate, and it is usually mined from dried lake beds. Boron looks like a white powder, and is not dangerous unless mixed with hydrochloric or sulfuric acid.
Borax is not boric acid, which is a much more dangerous chemical. It does have a high pH (9.3) and so is significantly alkaline. This is actually the main reason why you can use borax for mold.
Does Borax Kill Mold?
Borax is a solid mold killer. If you have a significant mold infestation, you might want to clean the mold with borax, then leave a layer on the surface to prevent further growth.
Borax kills mold because of its high pH. Most mold prefers to live in an environment where the pH is between 3 and 7 (7 being neutral), though a few kinds can survive slightly higher than that. Borax’s pH is high enough that it creates an inhospitable environment for mold, thus destroying spores before they begin to grow.
How to Perform Borax Mold Removal
It’s easy to use borax for mold removal. Start by putting 1 cup of borax in a gallon container or spray bottle, then fill the rest with water. Shake it well until the borax is completely dissolved.
Once it has dissolved, pour it into the spray bottle if you didn’t mix it there. Spray it on the surface affected by mold. Scrub the mold off the surface. Then spray it with borax again and do not clean it off this time.
This may not be the most effective way to use borax for mold removal on porous surfaces, like wood. Instead, boil down ½ cup of borax and 2 quarts of hot water. When the mixture becomes slightly thickened, paint it on the surface where you want to kill or prevent mold.
Don’t remove the borax. You can even paint over it with mold-resistant paint, if you so desire.
Using borax for mold removal can help you remove mold at home quickly and easily. As always, call us at Core24 Services if you need help or you have an extensive mold removal project.
833-267-3247