How to Clean Up a
Mold Problem
Steps to
Mold Clean-Up
Protecting
Your Health During Toxic Black Mold Clean-Up
Cleaning Mold
in the HVAC System
Steps to Mold
Clean-Up
Note: See "Finding
Mold" for tips on where to look for mold.
1.
Resolve
Moisture Problem
Most
importantly,
the source of the water accumulation must be identified
and fixed or fungal growth will continue to occur.
If you have a high relative humidity in a room or area (55% or
higher), then you should strongly consider a dehumidifier. To
determine the relative humidity, you will need a relative
humidity sensor, also known as a moisture meter or hygrometer
(Relative Humidity
Sensor Buying Guide).
If
you experienced severe flooding or a water leak, then you want
to remove or pump out the standing water, followed by drying
the area. If
the area is really wet, you will want
to use fans and dehumidifiers (What
to look for in a dehumidifier). You
may also want to move wet items away from walls and off
floors.
The quicker you address the problem, the less extensive
the damage will be since it may only take 24-48 hours for
toxic mold
to germinate and grow. Prompt
remediation of contaminated areas and materials should be the
primary response to water intrusion and indoor fungal growth.
Finding
Mold Growth
Preventing Mold Problems
2.
Minimize Dust and Seal Off Area (Negative Pressure)
Before
you begin cleaning and removing the mold, it is critical to
make sure that you take measures to prevent the mold spores
from spreading to other areas of the house or building.
Since mold spores will likely be stirred, becoming airborne
during the cleaning process, you need to properly contain each
area being cleaned, while also minimizing dust (a primary
means of transportation for mold spores).
Containment:
Each
room or area should be cleaned separately, one at a
time. Before cleaning each room or area, you should seal
it off as best as you can. This will prevent the mold from
disseminating to other areas of the home or building while
it is being cleaned, since cleaning can disturb and stir up
the mold, causing mold spores to become airborne.
Once
they become airborne, they can spread to other areas
to germinate and colonize, unless the area being cleaned
is properly sealed. See Cleaning
the Mold to find out how to avoid stirring the mold as it
is being cleaned.
Properly
sealing (or containment) of a room or area consists
of using plastic sheeting sealed with duct tape to cover
doorways, vents, and other openings to occupied areas of the
home or building.
If
possible, you should place an exhaust fan next to an
open (or partially open) door or window that is open to the
outdoors. This will create negative air pressure, which
will direct air flow outside, and therefore mold spores that
have been stirred during cleaning will also be channeled
outside. Just make sure the door or window is not near an
air exchange that brings outdoor air into the home.
You
should also turn off the HVAC system before cleaning
mold.
Minimizing
Dust:
Maintain
dust levels as low as possible during cleaning to prevent
spores from becoming airborne and spread to other areas. This
will reduce the risk of exposure for those who are cleaning
while reducing the potential for the mold spores landing and
germinating in other parts of the home or building.
You
may want to use an
air
purifier
to minimize the airborne particulate, which allows mold spores
to disperse to other areas of the home or building.
It is best to have multiple technologies to
address the multiple pollutant types created by mold. The
Multi-Tech Air Purifier is a great example of this.
3. Cleaning the
Mold
If
the surface(s) you are cleaning are dry, or mostly dry, you
should lightly mist them with water before
cleaning the mold. If the mold is too dry, then the mold
spores will have a much better chance of becoming airborne
while being disturbed during the cleaning process.
Once
the surface is lightly misted (if necessary), then clean the affected
area(s) with soap to remove
as much of the mold as possible, and then apply a disinfectant
to kill mold spores that are left behind
(Review of Mold Disinfectants). Thoroughly clean all surfaces
in the area that contain visible mold, and even surfaces that
do not have visible mold, since mold spores are microscopic
very
durable, and can remain dormant for months or even years.
Once
a surface has been cleaned and disinfected, it should be
completely dried.
In which case, if mold spores are left behind, and are introduced
to moisture again in the future, then you will have
another significant mold growth problem on your hands.
Non-porous
material
such as metals, glass, hard plastics, and semi-porous
materials include wood, concrete, etc, that are structurally
sound with some visible mold growth may be cleaned and reused.
If
the contamination is not too severe, porous material
may be cleaned and reused.
If the damage is extensive and the mold growth has visibly
destroyed porous
items beyond repair, they may need to be removed and replaced.
Examples of porous materials are ceiling tiles,
insulation, wallboards, carpet, soft furnishings, clothes,
papers/books, etc.
All
material that has been cleaned should be completely dry and
visibly free of mold before it is reused and before sensitive
individuals are exposed to it.
The
Multi-Tech Air Purifier will help to clean the mold with the UV light and
the added ionization can help to neutralize the mold. The hepa
filter will also catch mold spores.
Review
of Mold Disinfectants
4.
Remove the Mold
Carefully remove
and discard
mold and mold-infested materials into heavy-duty
plastic bags.
Do not transport the bags throughout the house, especially
other clean areas. Doing so will risk further spreading and
regerminating of the mold.
Instead,
it is a good idea to get the bags outside through
a window
or other opening
accessible to the room/area being cleaned, if possible.
These
bags with the mold contaminated materials can be taken to any landfill.
5.
Verifying the Mold Clean-Up Job was Successful
1.
First and most importantly, you must have completely
fixed the moisture problem to rid the home of excess water.
2.
Mold removal should be complete. If this step is
completed properly, there should not be any visible mold and
musty/mildewy odors present (mold may cause staining and
cosmetic damage).
3.
There should not be any more signs of additional
moisture/water damage or any recurring mold growth in the
home/area. If
either of these problems resurface, there may be an underlying
or hidden problem and a more extensive investigation of the
home is necessary.
4.
Physical symptoms of the occupants should be
greatly reduced and even ceased.
Protecting Your
Health
During Mold Clean-Up
Exposure
to molds can occur during clean-up procedures since mold
counts can be extremely high in the contaminated area.
However, there are ways you can minimize
your exposure
to mold during clean-up procedures.
It is not
recommended
for those who may be at
increased risk for experiencing adverse health effects
to perform the clean-up procedures or be in or around the area
during clean-up, such as those with any kind of lung or
allergy-related health conditions (like asthma or allergies).
Also, if the mold growth is extremely severe, you may need a
professional to remediate the problem. If you do require a
professional mold
remediation contractor,
make sure they are certified, and have multiple references you
can check to validate the quality of their work.
1.
Wear Respirator
Wear
a medium-efficiency or high-efficiency filter dust mask or
respirator to protect against the inhalation of mold spores.
For the best protection, choose a respirator designed
for particle removal such as the model N95
or TC-21C particle
respirator.
2.
Clothing
Wear
protective clothing that is easily
removed,
cleaned,
and that covers all areas
of the body
to prevent against any dermal (skin) exposure.
You may even want to choose a protective outer layer
that can be discarded such as a Tyvek suit.
Other personal protective equipment that should worn
are rubber gloves
and eye goggles.
3.
Evacuate
Ask
any family members or houseguests to leave the area during
clean-up, if they are not
part of the clean-up process.
Especially if they are in a high risk group for
experiencing adverse health effects from the exposure to mold.
4.
Work in Short Intervals
If
the damage is extensive and requires many hours of cleanup,
work over short time periods and rest in a fresh air location.
5.
Moldy Materials
Enclose
all moldy materials in sealed, plastic bags before carrying
them away.
6.
Seal Off Area
Hang
plastic sheeting to separate the work area from the rest of
the home. Also, use plastic to seal off ducts in the area
where you are working, to prevent spores from traveling
through the ductwork into other parts of the home or building.
7.
Containment
Remove
the outer layer of work clothing inside the work area, and
wash it separately or bag it for disposal.
8.
Air Out / Dry
Air
the area out well after cleaning is finished.
It may be helpful to use
air purifiers and
dehumidifiers.
9. Air Purification
Using an air purifier will reduce the spores
in the air that can be inhaled, or carried to other parts of
the home or building to regerminate.
It is best to have multiple technologies to
address the multiple pollutant types created by mold. The
Multi-Tech Air Purifier is a great example of this.
The Multi-Tech can efficiently remove
smaller particles from the air with its HEPA air filter, while
killing mycotoxins produced by mold with its germicidal UV
lamp.
Cleaning
Mold in the HVAC System
For
the most part, the same cleaning procedures listed above
apply to cleaning the HVAC system. Here are some additional
things to remember though:
1.
Clean the cooling coil (using same procedures listed above).
If there is any rusting, then it should be replaced.
2.
Clean the drain pan (using the same procedures listed above).
If there is any rusting, then it should be replaced.
3.
Remove and properly dispose of any interior insulation
(insulation inside the ductwork).
4.
Replace the filter, preferably with a HEPA filter.
5.
Have the ducts professional cleaned only if they are very
dirty. Make sure your duct cleaning professional does not
allow the dirt and dust from the ducts to enter into the rest
of the home or building.
Preventing
Mold Growth in the HVAC System
What's
Next?
You should also start employing methods to Prevent
further Mold Growth (prevent it as much as humanly
possible anyway).
Relative
Humidity Sensor Buying Guide - The most
important way to prevent indoor mold from becoming a problem
again is to control the moisture in your home or building. In
order to control moisture, you need to be able to monitor it.
Monitoring the relative humidity is one of the most important
means of knowing whether you have excessive moisture
levels. |
