It has been a great summer; wall to wall little league baseball and great music at Senasqua on Friday nights. While our backs have been turned though moldy nature has made furry little attempts to reclaim our homes. You could think of mold as the first careful reconnaissance party that goes out to scout the enemy before an invasion. The enemy is your house. People want to build up to the sky. Nature and gravity want us all in the dirt. Mold spores get into everything but they get a great foothold in the heat and barbaric humidity of summer. A French friend of mine says that the only good mold is in a good Roquefort. Here’s what you do.
Bleach is to mold what kryptonite was to Superman. There are expensive products that kill mold but they don’t kill it more dead than bleach will, which along with salt is the best bargain in the grocery store. Get a little spray bottle and mix 4 parts water to 1 part bleach. Then just spray the mold and forget about it. It will vanish in a few minutes. The fact that you are using the bleach as a mold assassin that doesn’t mean that it won’t wreck your clothes. Be carefull-and open a window.
Kitchen and bath paints have mildecide in them already. You can add more if you want. They only work on the top coat of paint to prevent spores from getting established. They won’t remedy an already existing patch of mold. Also, painting over mold is a bad idea because the stuff is tougher than kudzu. It will grow back right through the paint and be harder to deal with because it will have its roots and foundation protected by the paint. You could keep a mild solution on hand to spray problem areas periodically as a preventative.
Have Fun Painting
By Joe Adami, Local Painter. Email any questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 914-980-7216
