You might already feel that mold (mould) is starting to infest your house. To start your witch hunt for mold, you better start with looking for mildew first. Mildew is a surface type mold that is visible and often black in colour.

Mildew Can Be Mistaken as Dirt

They can be confused for stubborn dirt due to their colour. To know if a black stain on your wall, gutter, or wall you see is mildew or dirt, put a few drops of bleach on it. If the stain gets whiter or starts to form bubbles, there is a high chance that it is mildew (although regular dirt might react like this way to bleach as well).

Mold Infestation Indicator

Thankfully, mildew does little damage to the surface they inhabit. However, they are good indicators that mold infestation is imminent. By the way, to remove mildew, you can use a scraper (or a screwdriver if the mildew infestation is rather small) and scrape the patches off the surface.

Finishing Mildew with Bleach Solution

Once the patches are gone, completely eliminate the mildew by using a bleach solution. Mix one half cup of bleach with four cups of water. Add some detergent until the solution gets a bit foamy.

Get your handy-dandy scrubber, dab a cup of the solution onto the mildew, and scrub the remaining mildew off the surface. By the way, if you are weak to allergens, you need to wear gloves and mask to protect you against any floating mold on the air.

Aftermath

Once you’re done, look for the root cause of mildew. If the mildew you found was in the bathroom, you better check for any leaks or if the room’s exhaust fan is working well. In case that your bathroom doesn’t have one, then make sure that the window is kept open to ensure proper ventilation.

If the rising humidity in your house is the culprit, make sure that you air conditioning is working well. In case that there’s nothing wrong with your AC and mold has been a recurring problem in your house, you might want to spend a few dollars on getting a dehumidifier.