# Cleaning Mold From Window Sill and Tracks



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Concrobium-32-oz-Mold-Control-025326/100654126


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

I actuallyy have some of the concrobium from when we dealt with another issue. But I didn't know how well it would work on the caked on mold in the window sills.. Can I spray it on it to kill it, THEN wipe off the mold? And put on another coat for protection? I read the back and it only says to clean it then spray it on. But I want a way to kill it before cleaning it up, to keep spores from getting into the air. Can I do this or should I spray it with like a vinegar solution first?

Also, how much caution do I need to take? I don't mind putting on some gloved and a mask and all of that. But our house is small, and i'm concerned about exposing my 4 1/2 year old to it. There are 5 windows with it on, some worse than others..one being in his room. I'm mad that I hadn't noticed this. But our windows have blinds and I just never thought to look. But I read it's common to have it around the window sills. Do I need to do all of the work of covering all the vents and sectioning off the room I'm working in? Covering stuff in the room? Or is it safe to just cover myself as I clean it? Should I do it when he's not here? Send him to grandma's while I clean it?


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

I know from my own research, it sounds like the types of mold that grow on window sills, is not usually the dangerous "black mold".. and isn't as toxic as that.. which was good to read. But when I was watching videos and reading about everything, they were still saying to block things and wear the protective gear. I don't have allergies but my husband and our son does.

It also seems like the issue of mold has been pretty blown up. Because in older homes and times, wouldn't mold have been more prevalent in homes? I have a feeling, it's probably not a big deal to just go at it and get it cleaned up. But I read all of this and it makes me worry... like I said because I have a young child at home. Especially with one of the windows being in his room. However, it's probably been there for awhile and we haven't had any issues with allergies or anything from the house. So anyway... just hoping you guys will be able to reassure me or help me a bit here.


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## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

You haven't shared much info about your home . Most _newer_ homes are "tighter" & don't get much air transfer . In other words , excess moisture from cooking , showers , houseplants , etc , doesn't escape . Mold can't grow without sufficient moisture . 

Just for your own piece of mind , you could get an in-expensive humidity meter (not sure if they are called "hydrometer") & see what it reads .


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

dd57chevy said:


> You haven't shared much info about your home . Most _newer_ homes are "tighter" & don't get much air transfer . In other words , excess moisture from cooking , showers , houseplants , etc , doesn't escape . Mold can't grow without sufficient moisture .
> 
> Just for your own piece of mind , you could get an in-expensive humidity meter (not sure if they are called "hydrometer") & see what it reads .


Our house was built in 94. We have no other mold issues. Except for the issue where I bought the concrobium.. it was from a toilet leaking. But the whole flooring was just replaced and fixed where that was. This is just in the window sills, which I was reading is from condensation from heat inside meeting the cold air outside.. We have had no health issues from it, even with someone who has asthma living in the house. I just noticed it and it concerns me. I want to clean it, but I want to lean it safely and not contaminate everything by disturbing the mold.


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

Just to add: we never even used the concrobium because we just had it fixed properly and redid our whole bathroom floor in the process (needed new tiles anyway). I've read lots of good things about it. I just want to know if I can use it to kill it first, THEN clean it and reapply it. Or use vinegar on it first. Just want to do it right and protect my son as well.

Once again.. I was reassured to see that the mold that grows on windows isn't usually the toxic black mold because it doesn't thrive on temperature changes. But I still want to feel safe.


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

i'm wanting to go to the store to get whatever else I need to do the job properly tonight.. if I need anything else. It's rainy today.. so probably not a good day to tackle it. But I want to as soon as I can.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Conchrobium is a pretty safe product. You can read all about is on their website. I would test in a small area first. Just in case it discolored your paint. Don't know what type of windows your using it on. Some cleaners will remove the finish from an aluminum painted window. You could use bleach as well. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

BayouRunner said:


> Conchrobium is a pretty safe product. You can read all about is on their website. I would test in a small area first. Just in case it discolored your paint. Don't know what type of windows your using it on. Some cleaners will remove the finish from an aluminum painted window. You could use bleach as well.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm not worried about the concrobium. I'm worried about mold spores being disturbed and flying through the house as I use it to clean it. I can wear gloves, goggles and a respirator, but can I do it while my son is in the house, use it in his room on the window sill/track. Can I do it without wearing special clothing, closing off rooms and vents? Throwing away the clothing? Will the items in the room be okay to just keep using? Also in the kitchen.. I know the product is safe. But i'm worried about the spores going all over.

Can I just spray the product, let it dry, then clean it off.. then add another coat to help protect. When I spray the product on the mold, will it kill it and keep it from spreading through the air?


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Consider positioning a fan on the window ledge to exhaust any undesirable contaminants.


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

SeniorSitizen said:


> Consider positioning a fan on the window ledge to exhaust any undesirable contaminants.



I'm not sure how to make this work? Our windows slide from left to right.. So when i'm cleaning the left side of the window I have to have it shut. I can open it to do the right side, obviously.

I can still position a fan somehow to blow out the window, when it's open.

But do I need to do all of those things I mentioned above? Will I need to throw away my clothes or section things off just to clean the window? Will spraying the concrobium be enough to contain it?

Like I said before, doesn't sound like the kinds that typically appear on windows are as toxic. I just want to be careful.


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## ryansdiydad (Aug 16, 2015)

Think you might be worrying about this more than you need to.. 

But if you want.. put the concrobium in a spray bottle and spray it on the mold.. let it do its thing.. then spray some more and wipe it off.. do not use another cleaning product before or after using the concrobium..

I have used concrobium on paint and it was just fine but best to test first


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

ryansdiydad said:


> Think you might be worrying about this more than you need to..
> 
> But if you want.. put the concrobium in a spray bottle and spray it on the mold.. let it do its thing.. then spray some more and wipe it off.. do not use another cleaning product before or after using the concrobium..
> 
> I have used concrobium on paint and it was just fine but best to test first



Thanks! So you think he concrobium will kill the mold the first time? 

Do you think I need to take any extra safety precaution? For my son? For me? Or is just me wearing the goggles, mask and gloves while I clean enough? Should I worry about the clothes Im wearing or anything that the spores may land on in the room? Or do you think the concrobium will prevent this for the most part?

Also do you think it will be okay if I can't open the window while working on the left side? It's been rainy today. And it's okay to be honest with me. I'd be happy to know i'm overreacting. lol


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

If you have the same kind of windows I have (sliders), you can lift up on the window and pull the bottom of the frame toward you. It should come out of the main frame and you can take the windows outside to clean the mold off.

We have the same problem with 3 older vinyl windows in our house. I use the Clorox (or Lysol) wipes to get the majority of it off and throw the wipes into a plastic grocery bag then tie it shut before throwing it away to keep spores from spreading. 

Mold Armor gets the rest of it off. If you use the Mold Armor in the house, keep the windows open and a fan running in the room with the door closed. The smell of bleach is fairly strong, but it does the job. Keep the kids out of there until the bleach smell is gone. Then, once a week or so, you can use Clorox wipes to wipe the areas where the mold was to prevent it from building up again.

One way to get into the corners and areas, where a cloth won't get everything, is an old, unused toothbrush.


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

gma2rjc said:


> If you have the same kind of windows I have (sliders), you can lift up on the window and pull the bottom of the frame toward you. It should come out of the main frame and you can take the windows outside to clean the mold off.
> 
> We have the same problem with 3 older vinyl windows in our house. I use the Clorox (or Lysol) wipes to get the majority of it off and throw the wipes into a plastic grocery bag then tie it shut before throwing it away to keep spores from spreading.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I never thought to see if they would come out.. but i'd hate to have the big hole when I do it.. and it's all over the track too.. I do not want to lose bleach at all. I'm planning to use the concrobium or vinegar.We will have to see if we can take them out though.. that would make a big difference.


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

It would also be easier to clean the track if you can remove the windows, and more thorough since you'll be able to remove any mold there.


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

gma2rjc said:


> It would also be easier to clean the track if you can remove the windows, and more thorough since you'll be able to remove any mold there.


It doesn't look like I can remove these like that. At least not easily.


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## ryansdiydad (Aug 16, 2015)

Yes the stuff should work... and it is supposed to prevent mold from returning.. it sounds like it's just a little mold... depending on the season and where you live mold spores are floating around in the outside air and people don't walk around in bubble suits... or burn their clothing after they come in from the outdoors... clean it up and don't sweat it...


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

ryansdiydad said:


> Yes the stuff should work... and it is supposed to prevent mold from returning.. it sounds like it's just a little mold... depending on the season and where you live mold spores are floating around in the outside air and people don't walk around in bubble suits... or burn their clothing after they come in from the outdoors... clean it up and don't sweat it...



Thanks! I went ahead and did 3 of the 5 windows that need done. Waiting on the other two because they are bedrooms, I may send my son to grandmas tomorrow evening or Wednesday to do those 2. Here's my take on it and a few questions:

It seemed to work well. The only thing that worried me, was when I opened one of the windows to clean the right side of it, I hadn't used the concrobium yet.. and there were a few really strong bursts of wind. I had my gear on.. but is that a cause for concern, if all of that new everywhere? I guess any time I've opened it as long as that's been there, that would have happened... and we are still here. Amazingly enough, we haven't been sick at all.. and we have two asthmatics in our house. So it's not a dangerous toxic kind of mold or we would have known. But the breeze did happen again as I was scrubbing it.

It was quite a job on a couple of them. It was more than just a little!! It was caked on pretty good. But it wiped off easily. There were a few specs/dots left I couldn't get and some in crevices I couldn't reach, but at the end of it all, I sprayed another layer of the stuff on all of them and tried to spray it in the crevices to dry. Our Living Room window doesn't even open all the way (not suppose to), so there's probably a 1 foot section of the track I couldn't get at all. Hopefully this will be okay right? Since I couldn't get it all in the crevices? 

Last, doing the one in the kitchen, everything should be safe to use/eat in there right? The mold spores wouldn't be a problem would they? I moved the food to the opposite side of where the window is. All that was out, that I didn't put in the pantry or fridge, were some tomatoes and bananas. so if so, they aren't hard to replace.

Thank you so much for answering my questions!


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## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

Are you even sure it's black mold and not mildew? I thought mold grew in dark places.


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> Are you even sure it's black mold and not mildew? I thought mold grew in dark places.


I'm sure it's mold. But it is true from all my reading that the dangerous toxic black mold does not grow on windows typically. Toxic black mold doesn't survive well on surfaces that take different changes like windows do.

I went ahead and got them all cleaned today. I wore my gear, but hopefully everything else is fine. The only issue I had, was when the wind was blowing it in at me and into my bedroom as I was cleaning it. I even did it with my son here. Just made him hang out in the living room while I did his room. I'm sure it will be fine. At least I hope.

I wasn't able to get all of the stains, or the unreachable areas.. I assume all windows would have this issue for everyone. The spine and where you can't reach by opening them.It wold be impossible to get it out without fully removing the windows. But I went over them all again with the concrobium for the protective layer. Think this will take care of it and it's okay that there are some spots we couldn't reach?


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

mhp8982 said:


> Think this will take care of it and it's okay that there are some spots we couldn't reach?


This is a good site you may have read already. https://www.cdc.gov/mold/stachy.htm#Q6

It sounds like the best person to consult would be your Pediatrician. In my experience MDs aren't as concerned with black mold as some. Perhaps because research just doesn't bear out the problems that some report.

Do you have a HEPA air filter? That's small enough to catch the mold spores you are concerned about. Hospitals use them to clean rooms where TB patients have been, where TB hangs in the air. ( Airborne)

There are studies that children that have the best resistance to allergies are those that play outside & come in contact with allergens. Those that are protected too much have more allergies. Weird but true.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140606091157.htm


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Hopefully by the next heating season you will have the window condensation problem solved.


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

SeniorSitizen said:


> Hopefully by the next heating season you will have the window condensation problem solved.


Yeah.. we will have it checked out. But since it was on all of them, I thought what happened was somewhat normal, from what i've read. I just neglected it a little too long.

I already finished it all.. so I don't see much point in contacting his pediatrician... especially since the mold on windows is almost never Stachy... because it doesn't grow well on windows. 

My son, hasn't had any issues with allergies.. and even the ones in the house who have bad allergies haven't had any trouble. We haven't even had a cold in quite some time. So I don't think it was anything of great concern. I just always get a little nervous when dealing with stuff like this. If you tell me I was overreacting, I will believe you! lol


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## RRH (Nov 24, 2016)

You are worrying to much.
But I would have just sprayed it with bleach a couple of times. Then after 24 hour you can see the black is all gone then clean off the residue.

But if you are really that worried and picky go to amazon and get sporicidin,
what the hospital would use in a surgical environment. Otherwise they use bleach also.


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## RRH (Nov 24, 2016)

So kill it first then clean


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## mhp8982 (Sep 3, 2010)

Thanks.. it's already done as I said above. I used the concrobium. It probably didn't need any of what I did. I probably could have cleaned it like i clean everything else and it would still be just fine. Oh well.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Quote:
Originally Posted by *SeniorSitizen*  
_Hopefully by the next heating season you will have the window condensation problem solved.
**************************************************************
_


mhp8982 said:


> Yeah.. we will have it checked out. But since it was on all of them, I thought what happened was somewhat normal, from what i've read. I just neglected it a little too long.


**************************************************
This well written article may help some of those thoughts we read about condensation being normal. Yes, condensation is a- _normal_ -fact of science but there are ways to control it and eliminate the need for mold concerns. 

http://chicagowindowexpert.com/2010/12/09/top-10-causes-of-window-condensation/


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