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What Are the Dangers of Cleaning Mold on Windows?

Maintaining a clean house is essential to well being and to maintaining a property. Though proper and routine care helps stave off mold from windows and surfaces, extenuating circumstances may present where mold and mildew grow. When cleaning mold off of windows, it is important to know how to best protect yourself against the dangers associated with mold while getting the windows back to a clean and sanitary condition.

Things You'll Need

  • Bleach
  • Bucket
  • Water
  • Paper towels
  • Gloves
  • Face mask
  • Plastic knife
  • Trash bags
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Instructions

    • 1

      Gather supplies required to clean and remove mold. Commonly used cleaning chemicals suitable for removing mold and traces of mold include bleach, commercially available mold killers or liquid soap. Using bleach is the most prudent and cost-effective manner for killing mold. Mix together 1 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of hot water to create a mold-killing solution suitable for windows.

    • 2

      Protect yourself when cleaning windows to remove mold. Wear gloves to protect your hands from the potentially stinging effects associated with a bleach-based solution. In addition, to prevent the inhalation of mold spores, wear a disposable face mask to protect your lungs and nasal passages. Safety glasses are used to protect eyes from not only fumes associated with the bleach, but from loosened mold spores as well.

    • 3

      Use disposable cleaning supplies, such as cloths and paper towels, which can be properly discarded once the mold has been removed from the windows. To protect yourself and the rest of the area from a re-infestation of mold, particularly hearty mold types such as black mold, disposing of the supplies is important. Place all used items in to a trash bag and double bag them to help remove the mold spores from the area.

    • 4

      Clean the mold off the windows by scraping large sections with a plastic knife or paper towels. Use the bleach solution directly on the window by applying and wiping the area containing mold with a towel. Continue wiping the area with the bleach solution until the entire area has been treated. To remove any residue, and to make windows free of streaks once mold has been removed, go back over the windows with straight vinegar or a commercial window cleaning product.

    • 5

      Work with the windows open while removing mold to keep a constant flow of fresh air moving through the space. The fresh air will help distribute any airborne mold spores, helping to reduce concentrated amounts of mold you may come in to contact with.

    • 6

      Prevent mold by maintaining proper humidity levels and ensuring windows remain dry at all times. Drying off and removing condensation and moisture as soon as it forms is one way to help stave off additional mold occurrences.