Articles and News

Effective mold removal

Mold is often visible. If you notice the musty smell of mold, locate the source and fix the moisture problem. Then remove the mold and clean the surface. Follow with a disinfectant. Rinse, dry quickly. Here are points to consider for cleaning and disinfecting household surfaces for mold and mildew:

• Testing for mold type is usually not necessary unless the information is needed for health or insurance purposes. It's more important to fix the moisture problem and remove the mold. If the mold area is larger than 10 to 15 square feet, professional assistance is recommended.
  
• Take steps to protect your health during mold removal. Use a mask or respirator that will filter out mold spores. Usually it will be designed as an N95 or N100 particulate respirator with a N10SH approval No. TC-21C or TC-84 A.
  
  
• Wear eye protection, rubber gloves, and clothing that can be washed immediately. Caution: Breathing large amounts of dusty, moldy material in cleanup can cause a temporary "flu-like" illness with onset four to six hours after exposure.
  
• Remove mold from hard surfaces, such as hard plastic, glass, metal, and counter tops, by scrubbing with a non-ammonia soap or detergent. (Do not mix ammonia and bleach products; the fumes are toxic!)
  
• It is impossible to completely remove mold from porous surfaces such as paper, sheetrock (drywall), and carpet padding. These materials should be removed and discarded. Dampen moldy materials before removal to minimize the number of airborne mold spores.
  
• Scrubbing may not completely remove mold growth on structural wood such as wall studs, so it may need to be removed by sanding. Wear protective gear and isolate the work area from the rest of the home.

After the mold is removed, disinfect the area using a chlorine bleach and water solution or another disinfectant. The amount of bleach recommended per gallon of water varies considerably. A clean surface requires less bleach than a dirty surface. A solution of ¼ cup bleach to 1 gallon of water should be adequate for clean surfaces. The surface must remain wet for about 15 minutes to allow the solution to disinfect.