Mold (Bolor, Mofo, or Fungos in Portuguese) in your home is dangerous to your health and should be addressed as early as possible!
You can kill all the mold properly for around €10 in supplies:
- Bleach
- Vinegar
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Spray bottle
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
I went away for only 7 days, and return to an enormous mold infestation in my home! This happens every year in December but I solved my issue!
Click here to skip to the right to the section on killing mold!
In this article I will cover 3 ways to go about removing mold from your home or apartment:
I will also cover some other tips and tricks, as well as helping find a good dehumidifier – most suck, and the ones at Worten or Fnac are awfully overpriced!
First, we’ll go over some really important basic information about mold. The worst months in Portugal for mold growth is from November-February, but it can occur at any time of year where the humidity levels are consistently high.
Mold is a fungus that thrives in moist conditions (80%+ humidity), both indoors and outdoors. Mold in the home or apartment in Portugal in winter is very common due to this high humidity and a perfect temperature. The spores are unfortunately all over the air outside as they travel from one contaminated household to another. It is truly a nonstop fight!
The growth of mold is usually visible, and it frequently emits a musty odor. It can also damage household items and have an impact on health.
Understanding how mold works
Mold can sometimes be black, white, spotted, or just about any other color. It can have a powdery, cottony, or velvety appearance.
Mold is a colony – you must remove the whole entity, not just a section. The spores hang around in the air, ready to reproduce when conditions are met.
As it is a fungus, mold thrives in humidities above 80% with high ambient temperatures above 15 Celcius – exactly what we have in the Algarve.
The following are types of mold that can grow indoors:
- Alternaria grows in damp places indoors, such as showers or leaky sinks
- Aspergillus grows on dust, powdery food items, and building materials, such as drywall,
- Cladosporium grows on fabrics and wood surfaces
- Penicillium on foods or materials with water damage.
This fungus reproduces by means of spores, which can be spread by floating around in the air or by animals. When mold spores drop on places where there is excessive moisture, such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs, pipes, walls, plant pots, or where there has been flooding, they will grow.
Many building materials provide suitable nutrients or a substrate that encourages mold to grow. Wood is especially vulnerable to this, but so is concrete, plaster, or even tile! Pretty much nothing is safe from mold…
Killing mold with household cleaners from the supermarket
The first step to not having mold is prevention – this requires controlling the atmosphere by way of dehumidifiers and even air purifiers. However, since you’re reading this article, it’s likely you’re past the prevention step and now on the removal steps.
You’ll want to deal with the mold as soon as possible! Mold populates at an alarming rate, exponentially faster with higher humidities.
As a home solution, there are many things which may kill the colony and prevent reproduction. Typically I have had excellent success with a 3-step process with chemicals found readily in any supermarket: Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and bleach.
WARNING: DO NOT MIX ANY OF THESE CHEMICALS AS THEY WILL OFFGAS TOXIC FUMES. USE SEPARATELY AND ALLOW A DAY FOR EVAPORATION BEFORE APPLYING THE NEXT LAYER.
Pro tip: The various China shops in Lagos carry empty spray bottle and garden bottle sprayers as in the photo below, which work even better for covering larger areas! Bricomarché also carries the sprayer and they only cost 5 euros or less.
Step 1: Killing Mold with Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide – H2O2 – Agua Oxigenada. Is my first step. You can find this in most supermarkets or pharmacies.
In Portuguese it is called: Agua Oxigenada. I opt for the strongest concentration available, which, pharmacies are more likely to carry. A bottle usually costs a couple euros at most.
In low concentrations it is safe on the skin, but higher concentrations can absolutely be corrosive. Hydrogen Peroxide is highly effective in dissolving organic compounds and tissue such as plant matter, skin, and, mold.
ALWAYS WEAR FULL PPE – Rubber gloves, mask, goggles, and full body covering! This is not to be understated!
When hydrogen peroxide is applied to a moldy surface, it rapidly reacts to form water, hydrogen, and oxygen, and causing the mold to oxidize and decompose, but not necessarily killing all the mycotoxins in entirety.
Using hydrogen peroxide to get rid of mold can discolor organic materials, so it’s important to test it on a small, inconspicuous area first before using it on a larger surface.
To use hydrogen peroxide to remove mold, follow these steps:
- Protect yourself: Wear gloves and protective eye gear to prevent skin and eye irritation.
- Prepare the solution: Pour undiluted hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle.
- Spray the solution: Spray the hydrogen peroxide directly on the moldy surface until it is fully covered.
- Let it sit: Leave the hydrogen peroxide on the mold for at least 10 minutes to allow it to penetrate and kill the mold.
- Scrub the surface: Use a scrub brush to remove the dead mold and rinse the surface thoroughly with water.
- Dry the surface: Wipe the surface with a clean cloth or let it air dry completely to prevent new mold growth.
Hydrogen Peroxide is nice to use for smaller mold colonies as it may kill most of them and is the least harsh/toxic chemical and doesn’t leave a bad odour. Though for larger mold problems I then move onto vinegar on the next day:
Step 2: Killing mold with vinegar
Vinegar – Acetic acid – CH3COOH – Vinagre. The next step I do is a treatment with cleaning vinegar – also commonly found in supermarkets for cheap. Household vinegar works fine, but cleaning vinegar is stronger, more effective, and cheaper.
One downside of vinegar is the aroma lasts for quite a while, so ample ventilation is definitely encouraged. Vinegar works by the highly acidic nature killing and providing a hostile environment for mold.
Following the same steps as the Hydrogen Peroxide step, it’s quite simple:
- Protect yourself: Wear gloves to protect your skin from the acidic vinegar.
- Prepare the solution: Pour undiluted white vinegar into a spray bottle.
- Spray the solution: Spray the vinegar directly on the moldy surface until it is fully covered.
- Let it sit: Leave the vinegar on the mold for at least an hour to allow the acid to penetrate and kill the mold.
- Scrub the surface: Use a scrub brush to remove the dead mold and rinse the surface thoroughly with water.
- Dry the surface: Wipe the surface with a clean cloth or let it air dry completely to prevent new mold growth.
Be cautious to not breathe in the vinegar fumes/spray as it is also quite damaging to our lungs! This applies to all of the chemicals discussed in this article.
Step 3: Killing mold with bleach
Bleach – Sodium Hypochlorite – NaOCL – Lixiva Traditional. Mold removal with bleach is only best on non-organic, hard, and impermeable surfaces like tiles and tubs.
In Portuguese, bleach goes by the name Lixíva Traditional (traditional cleaner) and is readily found in almost any store.
After the first steps with Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar, the mold should at this point be completely killed, however a third pass with bleach does 2 things: Kills the remainder, and whitens the surface.
However, on porous surfaces, such as wood, bleach is unable to kill the mold since it spreads its roots deeply into the permeable surface. In this case, the mold will continue to develop underneath the surface even after you try using bleach to kill it.
As bleach is… bleach – do not use it on anything you do not want to whiten! This goes for both organic materials and even hard stone like marble or granite – bleach is an extremely strong acid, and can damage many materials. It is safe to use on the standard Portuguese white walls/ceilings.
As you use bleach to kill mold, be extremely careful not to mix it with other cleaning products, especially those containing ammonia, as this can produce toxic chlorine gas.
To use bleach to remove mold from non-porous surfaces, follow the same steps:
- Protect yourself: Wear gloves, full body covering, and protective eye gear to prevent skin and eye damage.
- Spray the solution: Spray the bleach solution directly on the moldy surface until it is fully covered.
- Let it sit: Leave the solution on the mold overnight with adequate ventilation,
- Dry the surface: Wipe the surface with a clean cloth or let it air dry completely to prevent new mold growth.
I usually do the bleach step just to whiten the mold-stained surfaces in the home. At this point, your problem should be fixed, but it is still not solved as mold can just as easily re-populate in a weeks time.
The next step is to prevent development entirely! Click to skip to that section, or keep reading to see more about pre-made mold killers and professional mold cleaning.
Pre-made mold killing solution
In most hardware stores like Bricomarché you will find pre-made mold killing agents – in Portuguese they are called Limpeza de bolor or Limpeza de mofo. Typically costs a few euros and are a mix of compounds but sometimes it is just bleach with other aromas – check the label before using and as always, use protective gear!
These typically work quite well but in the end up being more expensive than buying a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and bleach separately. Those agents also can be used for cleaning other things!
Professional mold removal services
Of course you may hire a professional to remove the problem, which is evidently a good option if you do not want to do it yourself. This will usually cost much more and for larger problems cost hundreds of euros. Get a quote from the service before starting so you don’t get overcharged!
I do not have any recommendations for any businesses that do mold removal in Lagos/Algarve, but if you do, please mention in the comments below! A Google search for ‘serviço remover mofo Algarve’, ‘serviço remover bolor Algarve’, or ‘serviço remover fungos Algarve’ should hopefully point you to a reputable business!
Mold Prevention
So your mold is eradicated, for now, but the real key to a healthy home is not having it develop in the first place, or worse, come back after you spent so many hard hours to remove it. The real secret is dehumidifiers. Unfortunately, they are costly, but the only real way to reduce humidity effectively.
Tips to preventing mold from growing
If you want to prevent mold in your building, high humidity is a key reason for concern. Most experts advocate maintaining indoor relative humidity below 70%. Unfortunately, in humid winter climates like the Algarve this can be quite challenging.
- Keep humidity levels in your house as low as possible—no more than 70%—all day. A dehumidifier or air conditioner will assist you in keeping the level low. Humidity meters, or hygrometers, can be purchased for 5-10 euros a piece. I get mine for cheap off Amazon.
Unfortunately, most cheap (sub €100) dehumidifiers struggle to get levels under 80%, even in bedroom-sized spaces. I have 7 ~€50 dehumidifiers which each remove around a cup of water per day, whereas my €150 Midea dehumidifier removes more than 6 litres per day!
- Check that the air in your house is flowing smoothly. In the kitchen and bathroom, use exhaust fans that vent outside your home. Check that your clothes dryer vents are located outside your home.
However, ensure the air entering your home from outside is not higher than the humidity inside! No point in replacing air which is even more damp!
- Repair any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing to prevent mold from growing.
- Consider investing in a Split A/C unit for the best climate control results. This however is the most expensive solution as they can cost over 1000 euros with installation!
- Remove your garbage frequently! Mold grows extra fast on compostable waste – get rid of it before the spores populate.
- Consider using a paint with mold inhibitors in it. Anti-mold white paint is readily sold in every hardware store in the Algarve.
- Remove or replace saturated carpets and upholstery that cannot be dry immediately. Consider not using carpet in locations where there may be a lot of dampness, such as bathrooms and basements.
- Few days of strong sunlight? Check the humidity levels outside – if it’s 70% or lower, open all the windows and doors to get fresh, dryer air in!
- Don’t let air stagnate! Fresh air exchange is very important to reducing mold growth.
- UV exposure from direct sunlight also kills fungal colonies.
Good dehumidifiers in Lagos or Algarve?
Unfortunately, a good dehumidifier is expensive. I have bought 7 different dehumidifiers under 75 euros from Amazon, Worten, and Bricomarché – they all do a bit, but not enough.
The best value dehumidifier I got was this Midea dehumidifier off Amazon.es – the Cecotec ones are okay and the re-branded cheap ones do okay for very small areas, but for any real results you want a stronger unit. I have a hard time getting under 80% humidity with the smaller units.
If you have a 200m2, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house, then be prepared to spend a lot..! I have 5 cheap dehumidifiers in each bedroom and the shower bathrooms, then a large one for the general area. Total spend, about 300 euros…
This Cecotec dehumidifier is also pretty decent and has a bonus air filter on it, but only good for smaller bedrooms and bathrooms.
To Sum Up
In conclusion, mold removal is a critical aspect of maintaining a healthy and safe living environment.
The first step in mold removal is to identify the source of the problem and eliminate it. Then, use the cleaning cleaning agents, such as vinegar, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide, or pre-made mold killer to remove it.
It is also important to prevent mold from growing in the future by controlling humidity levels and fixing any leaks. Regular cleaning and maintenance can help keep mold away, as well as remove any water damage promptly.
Ventilation and dehumidification is a critical aspect of mold prevention, as it helps reduce moisture levels in the air. Mold in most homes in Portugal comes from inadequate ventilation and high humidity.
Invest in dehumidifiers. This Midea dehumidifier is by far the best bang for buck from my testing.
With proper knowledge and techniques, you can safely and effectively get rid of mold from your home, and prevent it from coming back!
I hope this guide helps you to remove mold in your Lagos home or apartment! Questions or thoughts? Add a comment down below!