To prevent mold and mildew on the outside of your house, keep shrubs and trees trimmed away from the house.
To remove mold and mildew from your house:
- Mix up a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water and spray in a pump up sprayer. Allow to remain on for 10-20 minutes, then rinse using a garden hose.
OR
- Mix up a solution of TSP (trisodium phosphate) in a bucket, following the directions on the box. Scrub the house with the mixture, using a long handled scrub brush, and rinse.
Watch this video to find out more.
Further Information
- Removing Mold and Mildew Outside Your Home (video)
- How to Clean Vinyl Siding (article)
- How to Prevent and Remove Mold in Your Home (article)
- How to Rid Your Home of Mold and Mildew (article)
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Denise asks: How can I keep mold from growing on my house?
Danny Lipford: If you live in a part of the country that gets a lot of rain and has high humidity, you’re going to have a little mold to deal with on the outside of your home. Here’s a few ways you can control it.
First of all keep all of the vegetation trimmed back from the painted surfaces. That’ll discourage the growth of mold. Then if you have some mold and you have to clean it, well, here’s a few tricks there.
You can use bleach and water. You’ll want to use one part bleach, 10 parts water to create a good cleaning mixture. Or you can do like the professional painters do, and use TSP or trisodium phosphate for a great cleaning solution.
Then, to keep yourself off the ladder as much as possible, use an aluminum extension handle, a stiff bristle brush to do all the work.
Do those same solutions you post for on your house work on removing mold and mildew on roof shingles. My shed has a terrible bunch of mold/mildew on them How can i get rid of that??
Can these same solutions apply to vinyl sided houses?
I don’t want to damage the vinyl.
Thank you.
I have mold on painted surfaces of carport. What is safe to use since I powerwash yearly due to high humidity.
Could you tell me how to clean back splash outside of house, below roof, before gutter with a hose and long handled brush? It just doesn’t look clean, but old. I did it last year with a mold cleaner, and sprayer hose, very difficult for me to handle by myself.
Thank you.
Elsie Stiggins
Will the one part bleach ten part water hurt the plants and hedges?
Phil…
I always choose the Outdoor bleach from Clorox. Truthfully, any bleach can harm plants, but I always am careful to spray only the house, then as I rinse it, the even more diluted solution only affects the immediate perimeter of the building. But I have to say, I’ve never had one plant, bush, tree, etc. have any problems when using Outdoor bleach with the 10:1 ratio..
How do I remove mold from my outdoor sub siding without getting it wet with water? I’m concerned about hurting the house subsiding if it was to get too wet
My wife doesn’t like to use bleach on anything. She thinks that solution of water, vinegar and, a little Joy soap will work. What do you think?
P.S. Our siding is vinyl.
We just moved in in the fall..there are 2 bushes at the base of the steps..plan to take out the evergreen bushed..want safe removal of green moss growing..ideas???
How do I get rid of the green mold growing on the dirt around the siding of my house ? From the siding of my house, I have planted some phlox this year green molds suddenly appeared all over the dirt.
Water has seeped behind the aluminum siding & the wood underneath is now wet & moldy. How do I get rid of the mold?
Hi, Dee,
We haven’t covered that topic yet, but you might try this resource from our friends at The Family Handyman: https://www.familyhandyman.com/cleaning/mold-and-mildew/how-to-remove-mold/view-all/
Let us know how it works for you!
Can the mold from the outside of my neighbor’s trailer travel to my trailer? Also, how dangerous is it to live next door to a trailer that is covered with mold?
After being power washed with a bleach mixture to remove mold, within months, the mold is back on my wood siding. I live in the northeast. What can I do to get rid of the black mold completely? The entire house gets covered with it.
Hi, Jan! We recommend Wet & Forget for outdoor mold removal.
Thanks for your question!
I have green mold on my heating/ac fan outside. Can I spray it with bleach solution and wash it off with water hose without affecting the fan parts inside?
we also have mold on our air conditioner. i think that clorax will wash it off safely. i hope i’m right .
I have yellow mold on the outside of my brick home. I was told it requires carefully removing it as it is more toxic. Could you help me understand? People built around us and now our yard is always wet. Mold is a very big problem for us.
Hi, Sherry!
The color of mold doesn’t matter so much as what it can do to you.
Aspergillosis is a possible side effect for people with weakened immune systems who breathe in the stuff.
Cavities in the lungs can form after prolonged exposure to these toxins.
We recommend hiring a mold remediation specialist immediately.
Stay safe!