How Mold Starts After a Washer Leak—and How We Stop It

If your washer leaked and now you’re noticing a musty smell or dark spots near the floor, you might be dealing with mold. It happens fast—within 24 to 48 hours, mold can begin to grow behind walls, under vinyl, or in subflooring. And if you’re in Grove City or nearby areas like Columbus, Hilliard, or Westerville, you're not alone. We’ve seen it all—and we’ve fixed it all.

Why Mold Grows So Fast After a Washer Leak

Your washing machine dumps a lot of water when it leaks—sometimes dozens of gallons. That water often seeps:

• Behind baseboards

• Into drywall

• Under vinyl or laminate flooring

• Into the subfloor

And if it’s not dried out quickly and properly, mold spores (which are always in the air) land on these damp surfaces and start feeding. The IICRC S520 Standard says visible mold often means the underlying material has been wet for more than 48 hours.

Signs You’ve Got Mold from a Washer Leak

• Musty smell that doesn’t go away

• Warped baseboards or flooring

• Black, green, or white spots along walls or trim

• Allergy symptoms that get worse at home

If your leak happened a few days ago and you’re seeing any of these signs, mold is likely already growing.

What We Do to Stop It

At Total Home Water Restoration, we follow the IICRC S520 and S500 standards for mold remediation and water damage cleanup. Here’s how we handle a washer leak with mold:

1. Inspection and Moisture Reading

We use moisture meters and thermal imaging to find exactly where the water spread—and where mold could be hiding.

2. Containment and Air Scrubbing

We seal off affected areas with plastic barriers and run HEPA air scrubbers to keep spores from spreading through your home.

3. Removal of Damaged Materials

Wet drywall, baseboards, and flooring? We take them out and bag them safely so mold doesn’t spread.

4. Cleaning and Antimicrobial Treatment

We clean all surfaces with EPA-registered products that kill mold at the root. We don’t just spray bleach and hope for the best.

5. Drying the Area

High-powered air movers and dehumidifiers dry out what’s left—fast. We monitor everything until it’s dry to IICRC standards.

6. Repairs and Rebuild

Once everything is clean and dry, we can rebuild whatever we removed—flooring, drywall, trim, paint, you name it.

What It Looks Like in Real Life

We recently helped a family in Hilliard after their washer overflowed in the upstairs laundry room. They thought they caught it early, but water had run under the vinyl flooring and soaked into the subfloor. By the time we arrived two days later, mold had already started. We removed the vinyl, treated the mold, dried the subfloor, and replaced the flooring within a few days. No lingering smell. No more mold.

Need Help Now?

If you’ve had a washer leak in Grove City, Columbus, or surrounding areas, call us right away. Waiting only gives mold more time to spread.

📍 Total Home Water Restoration
4141 Hoover Rd, Grove City, OH 43123
📞 380-246-1837

We’ll treat your home like it’s our own. That’s our promise.

From disaster to done right. We fix it like it’s our own home.