Molds can thrive anywhere with humidity and moisture; thus, learning how to remove mold from plastic outdoor furniture might come in handy. This guide will help you learn how to do so in the most effective way possible.
The Basics Of Mold
First of all, you need to learn how to distinguish mold from other forms of stain. Who knows, you might be wasting your cleaning agent on something that merely resembles a mold.
Molds are, of course, easily described by their shape but they often differ in terms of color and toxicity. If you want to be well-equipped with the basics of mold, you can read through this article about mold identification.
If you are worried about being in contact with toxic molds, particularly with the black ones, you can consult this article on how to identify black mold easily. Through this, you can easily prevent any worst-case scenario from happening.
Speaking of untoward situations, you must always take safety precautions in dealing with molds — whether they are branded as toxic or not. Any type of mold has the capacity to cause respiratory issues or trigger allergic reactions especially if you or anyone in your household has a compromised immune system.
Clad yourself in safety gear such as gloves, goggles, and N-95 masks or P-100 respirators. If you think that you are not capable of handling large amounts of mold, then leave the task to a mold remediation specialist.
If you are new to mold removal, this article provides a walkthrough of what you need to know before hiring a mold remediation expert. This way you can avoid spending a fortune on ineffective mold removal.
Removing Mold From Plastic Outdoor Furniture
For the following steps, you will need soap or detergent that does not contain ammonia. You should also apparently prepare water to dilute the cleaning solution. Also, as chlorine bleach is known for its toughness in getting rid of stubborn stains, you should also prepare an ample amount of that.
Other things you will need include a bucket or spray bottle, sponge, old cloth, and scrub brush. You may also need rubber gloves although this is merely dependent on your style of cleaning.
Step #1. Get rid of visible mold
Begin by washing the plastic furniture to remove the molds that can be seen in plain sight. Use a soap or detergent that is free from ammonia. This is because you will be using bleach in the next step and mixing the two chemicals together may lead to any untoward incident.
Step #2. Use a solution
Fill your bucket with a full gallon of water mixed with a half-cup of chlorine bleach. If you are dealing with a larger amount of mold, then use a full cup of chlorine bleach. If you want to use a spray bottle, mix ten parts of water with one part bleach using a small cup.
To dampen the plastic furniture, drench the rag on the mixture. You can also opt to give a few sprays on the affected area. Make sure that you have your gloves on while doing this task.
When it is done, let the solution sit for 15-30 minutes to penetrate. If the mold is too stubborn to remove, you can reapply the bleach solution while waiting.
Step #3. Scrub and rinse
Once the timer is over, get a hard-bristled brush and scrub the mold-infested area. Do this vigorously until the mold is completely out of sight. This step is essential because any lingering mold might lead to another regrowing colony.
Afterwards, rinse the plastic furniture with clean water to get rid of the residue of the solution. You can also wash the furniture with an ammonia-free soap or detergent to completely clean the infested area.
Step #4. Dry it completely
Of course, after every rinsing comes the drying part. This should be done in an area with access to direct sunlight in order to completely allow the furniture to dry. You should check if it does not have any lingering moisture left as that may be a chance to breed again for molds.
Other alternative methods
You can also choose to scrape the mold-infested area with a sharp razor. However, you need to be careful in using this as it might damage the plastic furniture.
This method is undeniably easier than the one mentioned above. To make it more convenient for you, you can use a little sunlight exposure to loosen the mold spores and make it smoother to scrape up.
If you are hesitant to use bleach because of the possibility that you might inhale the fumes, you can replace it with vinegar. This is a safer and more natural alternative that is as effective as bleach in removing stubborn mold stains. However, it cannot be entirely considered as a disinfectant.
Conclusion
To make our homes more presentable to see, it is important to learn how to remove mold from plastic outdoor furniture. Do not wait for more mold colonies to grow and make this guide as useful as it should be!