How To Remove Mold Spores In The Air: Powerful Ways To Get Rid of This Nasty Fungus

If you live in a place with high humidity throughout the year, you have no doubt had to contend with mold infestations a few times.

This is why you need to know how to remove mold spores from the air in your house. Mostly, people ask what they can use—an air purifier or dehumidifier to remove musty smell and mold spores.

The problem with mold is that it reproduces through these tiny spores. They travel through the air easily, floating from room to room.

If they land in a place with the “right” conditions, that is, dampness and warmth, they start another mold colony. Living with this infestation causes serious mold toxicity symptoms.

That is not all, because mold exposure causes sinus infections too. Really, this is a fungus that you truly want to get rid of fast.

But the good thing is that you can use these 5 steps to trap the mold spores while they are still in the air.

Better yet, you will also see how easy it is to prevent the growth of mold instead of waiting for it to grow and then trying to get rid of the colony.

Also read: Why is my dehumidifier blowing cold air?

5 Simple Ways to Get Rid of Mold Spores In The Air

Get Rid of Mold Spores In The Air

This is about getting rid of the mold spores while they float in the air before they land. That way, they don’t get to a space where they can start a new mold colony. These are 5 simple ways!

1. Use an air purifier to get rid of mold spores

Using an air purifier is one of the simplest and best ways to get rid of spores in the air. Of course, there is the air purifier electricity consumption to consider, but then we did not say “free” ways to get rid of mold.

The secret of how an air purifier removes mold spores from the air is how it works. This is simple! An air purifier has HEPA filters.

A true HEPA filter can capture pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. That is very small!

A mold spore has a diameter of 30 microns, so the HEPA filter is going to capture all of them.

But… just how does an air purifier work to clean mold spores out of the air?

The secret is in the ACH—air changes per hour. In our article on the Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier review, we saw that this air purifier has an ACH rate of 4.8 times an hour.

The air purifier has suction fans that pull in the air and pass it through the fans. The fans then whip the purified air into the room.

As a sample, if the air purifier pulls 4 liters of air, the air in the room is now 4 liters cleaner. It continues pulling in the polluted air, and with every release, there is less polluted air in the room.

In addition to removing mold spores, the air purifier will also remove formaldehyde from the air.

It also cleans out VOC (volatile organic compounds), smoke, odor, dust, pet dander, pet hair, dust mites, pollen, and others.

Also read: How Do I Stop Humidifier White Dust?

2. Install a HEPA filter in the air conditioner

Mold spores don’t necessarily have to come from your indoor spaces. They can also come from the outdoors.

Thankfully, this can be easy to control in apartments and houses that use air conditioners. Most of the air finding its way to your indoor space will have to go through the air conditioner.

Image of how to kill mold spores in the air with air conditioner

Thus, install true HEPA filters inside the air conditioner. They will capture 99.97% of the pollutants present in the air. Most importantly, they will clean all the mold spores out of the air.

Probably, this is not something that you can do on your own. You need to hire a technician to do the installation of the filters for you.

In the same way that you hire a technician to install a whole house humidifier, get one for the air conditioner.

Installing the filters is one thing. You also need to give the air conditioner regular maintenance. That way, it stays in prime operating condition.

Also, change the filters as often as necessary. You can find out from the manufacturer how often you should change the HEPA filters.

3. Use a dehumidifier to lower the humidity in specific spaces

Well, this is not really a way of removing mold spores from the air. It is more of a way to prevent the development of mold colonies in your home.

For mold to grow there needs to be moisture. There also needs to be warmth and nutrients for the mold.

Once it matures, it starts to produce spores, which float in the air to different areas of the house. But you can prevent this from happening.

If you have a 70 percent humidity level in the house, mold starts to grow. Actually, even when it gets over 60 percent, mold can start forming.

Thus, you should always maintain the relative humidity level in your house at 35 to 50%.

To do this, run the dehumidifier. If you have a whole-house dehumidifier, it will lower the humidity across all rooms.

If you do not have such a unit installed in your HVAC system, get a portable dehumidifier such as the Frigidaire 70-pint dehumidifier and use it in the kitchen and bathroom since that is where the humidity is highest.

Always maintain the right humidity level across all rooms. If you have a big portable dehumidifier, you can set it close to the door of the bathroom. Leave the rest of the rooms open so that they can draw moisture from most of the air.

To avoid the need to empty the unit all the time, you can get a dehumidifier with a drain hose.

4. Pay attention to the areas where mold spores can get in

If you live in a constantly humid place like Seattle, you should be aware that mold can grow in some spots outdoors. Thus, you must be careful to ensure that the spores from the outdoors do not get inside.

Mostly, these spores get inside the house through the doors and windows. Since you cannot keep the windows closed all the time, invest in good curtains. They can help keep mold and pollen from getting inside your indoor space.

Also read: Pure Enrichment humidifier not working

Also, clean the gutters because when leaves, dust, and other materials pile up, they can cause the growth of black mold. Eventually, once it starts producing spores, they will get inside.

Check the ventilation system too, because they can cause allergens and irritants. If there are spots of mold in your home, remove them. Running the air conditioner will just spread the mold spores, not cure them.

5. Remove the existing mold – clean up!

If there is no mold infestation at home, there will be no mold spores. This is why you must remove all mold from your home.

If someone in the family suffers from asthma, they could experience many symptoms including wheezing, coughing, breathlessness, and so on.

Even people without asthma can experience coughing, sneezing, itchiness around the eyes, and skin irritation.

If you start experiencing such symptoms, start hunting around for mold. You may have it. These are some of the mold exposure symptoms in babies.

So, roll up your shirtsleeves and clean the mold out of your home. To do that, you will need the following:

  • Rubber gloves
  • White vinegar (undiluted)
  • Scrubbing brush
  • Baking soda
  • Hydrogen peroxide

Cleaning mold using white vinegar

White vinegar is one of the most popular cleaning products on the market, especially when you want to kill germs and bacteria. In this case, you want to kill mold and mold spores.

To start, pour a good amount of white vinegar into a spray bottle and then spray it directly onto the infested area.

Let it stay for about 60 minutes so that the mold can soak it up and then clean it out with a soft-bristled brush.

Please note that the white vinegar will leave a strong smell behind. Therefore, you might have to keep the windows open for air circulation.

You can also use an air purifier to help things get fresher faster.

Image of how to get mold spores out of air

How to get rid of mold spores with baking soda

Baking soda is actually one of the best cleaning agents that we all have at home. It is also great for cleaning out mold at home.

Put a small amount of baking powder in the spray bottle and add water. Close the lid and shake the bottle to mix thoroughly.

Spay the solution on the mold and scrub with the brush. You can then wash the area and spray another dose of baking soda solution. The respray will stop the mold from growing again.

Cleaning out mold using hydrogen peroxide

To use hydrogen peroxide, put a little of it in the spray bottle (enough to be sprayed) and then spray it on the affected space.

Make sure the area with the mold is covered by hydrogen peroxide. You can then leave it for about 10 minutes so that the mold can soak it in.

Hydrogen peroxide bubbles, but it stops after some time. When the bubbling stops, clean the area with a piece of cloth, or a soft brush.

Using chlorine bleach to clean mold

Many times in this blog, we have said that you can use chlorine to clean dehumidifiers, humidifiers, and other appliances.

And now as it turns out, you can use bleach to clean mold from different surfaces at home. However, do not inhale the fumes.

Also, ensure that the bleach does not come anywhere close to white vinegar or ammonia. If they mix, they create poisonous fumes.

How to kill mold spores in the air FAQ

Mold is a very serious indoor allergen that can cause health implications. We quoted it as one of the effects of high humidity on health, in the past.

If you are still not sure about how to kill mold spores in the air, these questions and their answers might help.

What happens if you breathe in mold spores?

Many things happen when you have mold in your lungs. If you are allergic to mold, you will sneeze, and experience breathing issues, cough, and throat irritation.

With long exposure to mold, you can develop cancer, immune deficiencies, and poisoning.

How do you get rid of mold spores in the air naturally?

To draw mold spores from the air, you need to use an air purifier. It will pull the polluted air inside, clean it, and then release it back out. The second way is to clean out the surfaces affected by mold.

How long does it take to get sick from mold exposure?

It can take anywhere from 2 to 9 hours. However, this is usually for people who are sensitive to mold. Once they start, the symptoms can last 1 to 3 days. The common telltale signs include coughing and breathlessness.

How do you clean up mold in the air?

An air purifier with HEPA filters can get rid of mold spores from the air. Also, you can install HEPA filters in your air conditioner to help purify the air in your room completely.

Since HEPA filters can capture pollutants that are 0.3 microns big, they can capture all mold spores since they are 30 microns.

Will opening windows reduce mold?

Opening windows can help to reduce mold if the infestation is in your indoor surfaces. However, it can also bring in mold spores from outdoors if you are close to a wooded area or a water body.

How do you tell if there are mold spores in the air?

You can tell by the presence of mold in different places in your house when children start experiencing allergic reactions. They can experience skin irritation, itchy eyes, running noses, sneezing, and asthmatic complications (for people with asthma). Pets can also be affected by mold.

Can black mold travel through the air?

Black mold spores can float and travel through the air because they are so light in weight. The spores will land on different surfaces and if they find organic nutrients and dampness, they will create a new mold colony.

Final Thoughts

Mold spores floating in the air can spread the infestation to all rooms in the home. To prevent this, you should lower the humidity; and use an air purifier to remove the spores.

Of all the methods that we have looked at here, using an air purifier is the best one. It can remove all mold spores from the air.

Remember to inspect your house for mold if you live in a high-humidity place like Florida. Check the dark spaces in the bathroom and kitchen.

Also check out my articles on:

Is Pink Mold In Humidifier Dangerous?

Mold Growth Humidity Chart: The Fungus Grows!

At What Humidity Does Mold Grow?

Humidifier Tablets To Prevent Mold

Can A Dehumidifier Spread Mold Spores?

How To Clean A Dehumidifier With Vinegar: Kill That Mold Now!