Fungus or mold appears in conditions where high humidity prevails and there is no normal ventilation. Therefore, mold often appears in basements, on the walls of apartments, filled with furniture, in baths or showers. The fungus not only reduces the aesthetics of the room, deprives a person of comfortable living conditions, but can also be dangerous to human health. For an active fight against fungal mold, experts advise using copper sulfate. How the substance is used and how it is prepared is described in this article.
What properties does copper sulfate have?
It is widely used in:
- medicine;
- construction;
- agriculture;
- Food Industry.
In everyday life, this element is used for:
- fight against fungus indoors;
- destruction of fungus on wooden surfaces;
- elimination of rust in places of leakage;
- removal of various salts from the surface of building materials;
- prevention of rot and mold.
The main properties of copper sulfate are antiseptic and fungicidal.
How to determine
Old-timers say that in the old days, when a fungus arose in the house, the houses were simply burned.
But at the moment, the emergence of almost all antifungal agents and their use in the fight against this enemy helps to perfectly solve the problem.
In order to get rid of the unwanted "neighbor in the house", you need to find what he is.
There are various types of fungal mold:
- white bacterial fungi that live in paper;
- blue fungi destroy wood structures;
- dark mold chose walls and ceilings for itself.
Causes of mold and mildew on the walls
Mold is a type of microscopic fungus, which is a plexus of branched filaments in structure. They are widespread. Their varieties are found in soil and in the environment in large quantities. The composition of 1 m3 of air from the street includes dozens and sometimes thousands of mold spores.
When spores get on human skin or into their respiratory system, they negatively affect health, up to the occurrence of chronic diseases that require long-term treatment. The likelihood of an illness increases with a high concentration of the fungus in the air and prolonged contact with it. Black species cause allergic reactions, which, if not acted upon, can develop into a serious problem (bronchial asthma).
But mold colonies do not appear in all rooms. Their preference is high humidity. A relative humidity of more than 65% is considered to be elevated. It occurs in two cases:
- When walls, corners or windows freeze through, condensation occurs from the temperature difference.
- Lack of adequate ventilation, oxygen circulation in the home.
So, the fungus often occurs due to:
- dampness in the apartment;
- poor ventilation;
- insufficient heating of individual parts of the room.
A home can be dry and comfortable, but a damp wall or damp corner is enough for mold to develop.
Harm to the human body
As already mentioned, the fungus produces spores that have the highest volatility.
They enter the human body, poison it and cause allergies.
The fungus will especially badly affect the body of small children. The baby's immune system, which is not yet fully strengthened, may not cope with the "uninvited guest" and the body will react with a disease - bronchial asthma.
Here are the other unsafe consequences of having a fungus in the house:
- the toxicological effect on humans can be manifested by such symptoms as constant weakness, irritability, fatigue, headaches;
- fungal spores can even seep into food and cause cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal poisoning;
- the most powerful action is an allergen that causes colds, bronchitis and bronchial asthma, skin diseases.
Instructions for use
Copper sulfate is a chemical. Therefore, it can harm human health if safety precautions are violated.
You must follow the rules:
- Use protective equipment.
- Handle the reagent with care and attention.
- Leave the premises after processing. Ventilate at the end of the mold removal procedure.
- If you feel unwell, be sure to consult a doctor.
Carefully! When working with copper sulfate, plastic or glassware is used. Copper sulfate will damage metal containers. Iron, steel or aluminum will turn black due to the displacement reaction after a couple of minutes. The enamel will also be damaged.
Preparation of working solution:
- add 100 grams to a 10-liter container with warm water. copper sulfate;
- stir thoroughly until complete dissolution;
- a little dye is added to see the difference between treated and untreated surfaces.
The mixture is ready to use. It is advisable not to change the recipe, proportions. It is better to do additional surface treatment. By increasing your concentration, you increase your risk of harm to your health.
Preparing walls for processing
Before using the solution, the surface is prepared:
- It is necessary to organize ventilation in the room (windows open, the hood turns on).
- Clean the area affected by mold from decorative coatings. Tear off the wallpaper, scrape off the plaster or paint with a spatula.
- Thoroughly sand the cleaned surface with sandpaper.
- A gas burner can be used to bake the surface.
- Before using copper sulfate, the surface affected by mold should be treated with soapy water and allowed to dry. This will be especially effective when dealing with black mold. Laundry soap will enhance the effect of the chemical.
Soap solution recipe: 40 grams of laundry soap is crushed and dissolved in one liter of water.
After processing with this solution, be sure to dry the wall.
Treatment and application of the product
Copper sulfate from the fungus is applied to the damaged surface in the same way as in conventional painting. Use a brush, roller, spray or foam sponge.
The application algorithm is as follows:
- Using one of the listed tools, apply the solution to the prepared surface.
- Dry the treated area, taking a break for several hours.
- Do not rush to apply the next layer of solution. A well-dried previous layer increases the chances of getting rid of mycelium for a long time.
- Repeat the treatment of walls from fungus with copper sulfate from 3 to 5 times, depending on the depth of the ingrained mold. The room should not be used at this time.
The complete processing cycle takes 2-3 days. When the solution dries, the room is completely habitable and non-hazardous. After that, you can make the room attractive by carrying out the usual repairs (wallpapering, painting or laying tiles). It is not superfluous to add a little copper sulfate against mildew to wallpaper glue or putty solution.
Processing order
The procedure and instructions for use should be followed when treating a room with a fungicidal composition:
- Dissolve from 100 to 400 grams of vitriol in 10 liters of warm water, mix until completely dissolved;
- With a roller or a paintbrush, or just a sponge, apply the prepared composition to the entire surface to be treated, then dry;
- Dry for 5-6 hours or with a building hair dryer. You can apply the ready-made mixture with a brush, roller, sponge or spray;
- You can apply up to 5 coats, but after each coat the drying time must be maintained.
- It is possible to use the treated room not earlier than after 2 days; it must be well ventilated beforehand.
What can you mix with?
The formulation of the copper sulfate solution may vary slightly. To enhance the effect in a standard mixture of 10 l of water and 100 gr. copper sulfate can be diluted 200 gr. table vinegar. Adding any chlorine-based product or a few grams of tea tree oil will have the same effect.
It is categorically not recommended to mix copper sulfate with other substances.
Attention! The finished mixture of copper sulfate can be stored for a long time. In domestic conditions - up to 3 months. In a cold place - up to 1 year. The main thing is that the container is glass or ceramic, and the lid is tightly closed.
How much does it cost and where can you buy copper sulfate
Copper sulfate is not a scarce commodity. It can be purchased at any hardware store, as well as specialized outlets for gardeners and gardeners.
Copper sulfate packaging design can be different
Copper sulfate is an inexpensive antiseptic. When buying in bags (25 kg), the price ranges from 139 to 193 rubles / kg. The cost of a small package in different retail outlets may differ:
- 50 g - from 25 to 32 rubles;
- 100 g - from 33 to 65 rubles;
- 200 g - from 75 to 106 rubles;
- 500 g - about 240 rubles
Preventive measures
To eradicate mold in a room forever, you need to avoid conditions favorable for its reproduction:
- The main one is regular ventilation of the room. Good ventilation is a reliable protection against mold. Also, hypothermia of the walls should not be allowed.
- Avoid increasing humidity for a long time. Continuous washing or long-boiling pots indoors are not allowed.
- Defective plumbing or plumbing is an additional breeding ground for fungus in the home.
- When arranging furniture against walls, you need to leave a gap of several centimeters for free air circulation. This is especially true for the outer (facing the street) walls.
- If there is high humidity in the room, then it is advisable not to place indoor plants there.
- After replacing old wooden windows with new plastic ones, you need to think over a ventilation system. This is especially true for rooms made from "non-breathing" materials (ceramic tiles, plastic or MDF panels, non-woven wallpaper).
By following these simple rules, you can forget about mold.
Where to complain if there is mold in the apartment
First of all, you need to contact the housing and communal services or the management company, which is responsible for the condition of the building. In the complaint, indicate the essence of the claim, the date and time when you want to see representatives of housing and communal services on your territory, as well as attach photographs of the damaged surfaces.
The complaint should be sent by registered mail, and the addressee must sign the receipt that he received the correspondence. Otherwise, the document will have no legal force, as well as calls with verbal complaints that “we are cleaning and fighting, but the fungus is not removed”.
If the representatives of the organization did not appear at your address at the appointed time, draw up an act in the presence of witnesses, which is sent to higher organizations for further investigation. The same must be done if the employees of the management company refuse to take action.
We recommend: What can be cleaned with a melamine sponge and is it true that the product is unsafe?
Safety at work
Using copper sulfate, you need to adhere to dosages and not violate safety rules when working with chemical reagents:
Recommendations:
- Work only with gloves.
- Avoid contact with skin or mucous membranes.
- Provide special eye protection. glasses.
- Protect the respiratory tract from solution vapors (respirator or tight gauze bandage).
- Work only with good ventilation. Provide ventilation after treatment.
- At the slightest discomfort, an immediate appeal to a medical institution (symptoms - an allergic reaction, headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness).
- Storage of copper sulfate is allowed only in sealed containers, out of the reach of small children and pets.
Important! Copper sulfate is a highly toxic substance. Safety when working with him is a guarantee of good health.
conclusions
- A mold plantation on the wall of an apartment is ugly and very harmful to the health of others.
- Copper sulfate is used in many industries, but its most effective use is to fight fungus.
- With high-quality treatment with copper sulphate of the surface affected by mold, an excellent result is achieved. Even under favorable conditions for the fungus, its appearance on the surface treated with vitriol is excluded for several years.
- The preparation and use of a copper sulfate solution is a simple and affordable tool for everyone.
- Preventing mold control is a few simple rules that do not require much effort.
- It must be remembered that copper sulfate is a chemical substance, and basic safety precautions should be followed in handling it.
Where does the rot come from?
Dry mold spores are simply airborne with dust and can be carried onto shoes. The spores are extremely small and cannot be found with the naked eye. When the dispute falls into a favorable environment, it begins to develop. At first, 1-2 slightly noticeable dots appear, but soon a colony of mold covers a rather immense area. If, of course, allow her to do this, and not start to fight outright after the discovery of these tiny settlements.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself
First of all, it is necessary according to the ability to deprive the mold of a comfortable habitat.
The development of mold is facilitated by the local climate of the premises, in which:
- heat;
- high humidity;
- poor ventilation.
If you ignore the occurrence of the most common type of fungus - dark mold, this can result in an abundance of health problems for family members.
Moreover, allergic reactions are the safest of those diseases that can appear.
Long-term coexistence with mold can lead to:
- dermatitis, eczema;
- conjunctivitis, stomatitis;
- bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, asthma;
- nose and internal bleeding;
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- damage to the liver and kidneys.
Symptoms of the action of mold on the human body - unreasonable nausea and vomiting, headaches, a constant feeling of lethargy - may remain unrecognized for a long time, something else, some other irritant, may be incorrectly considered their prerequisite.
Mold not only poisons the human body, it can cause severe damage to furniture, clothing, and various other things.
The fungal infection spreads along the walls, floors, and ceilings of the house. In this case, virtually any destruction is subject to destruction, be it brick or concrete, wood or stone.
Having discovered the presence of this quiet destroyer, it is of principle to give him a worthy rebuff as soon as possible.
