Toxic Mold: Causes and Cleanup
If spores fall on a moist or damp surface, especially in dark places, they can grow. Therefore, the most important factor in mold prevention is moisture control. Any water damaged area should be dried within 24-48 hours in order to prevent mold and mildew growth.
Keeping this in mind, those who live in areas of high humidity should always be on the lookout for mold growth. When relative humidity (RH) levels exceed 55%, it promotes the growth of mold and other fungi.
Water pipe leaks are common causes of mold problems because they provide lots of moisture, and can go undetected for days, months, or even years if the leak is minor enough. By the time a leak is discovered, it can often be too late, and the mold will have had plenty of time to grow in a hard-to-find place, such as in a wall cavity.
The majority of us have built in defenses against antigens present in mold, but some of people are more sensitive than others. Regardless, a moldy home is not a healthy home. Those who are at risk include infants, the elderly and asthmatics who are being treated with steroids. The groups that are in the most danger includes those with pre-existing respiratory diseases like tuberculosis and cystic fibrosis, and people with compromised immune systems.
While the most common health problems include symptoms similar to hay fever, others experience respiratory difficulties or skin and eye irritation. More extreme reactions are rare and have yet to be linked directly to mold exposure.
Nonetheless, mold is undesirable in the home, and any mold should be removed. Just as one throws away moldy fruit without eating it, mold in your home should be treated with equally disdain.
Cleaning up after you’ve discovered a mold problem is very important. The first thing you should do is assess and resolve any moisture problems you may be experiencing. If the source of the water accumulation isn’t repaired, fungal growth will continue. You should seriously think about buying a dehumidifier if you discover a room or area that has a high relative humidity. In order to find out the relative humidity of a given are, you’ll need to use a relative humidity sensor, which is also known as a moisture meter or hygrometer.
In the event of severe flooding or water leakage, you should remove or pump out any standing water, then dry off the area. If the area is very wet, fans and dehumidifiers should also be used. You should move wet objects away from walls and off of floors as well.
Prior to the cleaning and removal of mold, steps should be taken to prevent mold spores from spreading to other areas of the house or building. While you’re cleaning, mold spores will probably become airborne. Therefore, you need to contain the room that is being cleaned. You should also try to minimize dust, as it is the primary means of transportation for mold spores. To properly seal a room or area, use plastic sheeting and duct tape to cover doorways, vents, and any other openings that lead to occupied areas of the building. You should also try to vent air from the room that is being cleaned to the outside of the house, and turn off the air conditioning system before cleaning the mold.
If the surface that is being cleaned is mostly dry, you should spray it with water before cleaning. This helps prevent the mold from being stirred up and spreading through the house in the air. It also helps reduce symptoms of exposure in those who are helping in the clean up process.
At this point , your area should be ready to be cleaned. You should start by cleaning the area with soap, trying remove as much mold as possible, and then you should use a disinfectant to kill any mold spores that have been left behind. Because mold spores are microscopic, you should clean areas that do not show visible signs of mold as well as those that are obviously contaminated. This will help prevent future mold outbreaks.
Recommended disinfectants are bleach(diluted to 1:10 ratio, requires prolonged exposure), alcohol(ethanol, isopropanol 60-90%), hydrogen peroxide, to name a few that are easy to get and use.
You should carefully move any mold-infested materials into heavy duty plastic bags. Ideally, the trash bags would not be transported through the house, rather they should be moved outside through a window or other opening. Regardless, you should seal the plastic bags before moving them.Bags that are filled with mold contaminated materials can be taken to your local landfill.
It should go without saying that people who are at risk of experiencing adverse health effects should not be around during clean-up. In fact, anyone who is not helping with clean up should be asked to leave the area.
Wearing a medium efficiency or high efficiency filter dust mask or respirator will help to protect you from inhaling mold spores. The ideal a respirator should be designed for particle removal. You should wear protective clothing that can be easily removed and cleaned. Your protective clothing should cover your entire body to guard against mold exposure. For especially nasty jobs, you may even consider using a disposable outer layer, such as a Tyvek suit. Rubber gloves and eye goggles should also be used.
If your cleanup job is expected to take several hours, you should work in short intervals, and rest in a location that provides fresh air.
After the cleanup be sure that everything is dry and mold free before allowing others to come in to the area. Steps you can take to discourage mold growth are as follows:
use a dehumidifier in moist rooms.
Don’t put carpet in rooms that tend to be damp.
Insulate pipes to discourage condensation.
Signs of a successful cleanup are as follows:
You should have fixed the moisture problem that cause the mold growth in the first place.
Mold removal should be complete. If this was done properly, there will not be any visible mold or mildewy odors, though toxic black mold may cause staining.
There shouldn’t be any signs of water damage, and you should not be experiencing recurring mold growth in the area.
Physical symptoms of the occupants should have been reduced or may even have stopped completely.
