Wet carpets toxic hazard, lung association warns

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Wet carpets toxic hazard, lung association warns

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News - ,British Columbia,Canada

By Lavigne

News

Jan 10 2007

Many Greater residents are plugging their nose as they

plunge down the basement steps.

No, they're not preparing to dive into standing water, they're

blocking out the sour smell of mouldy carpet.

That pungent, rancid, musty, gross, get me out of here, that's

disgusting smell, signals the presence of mould – and it doesn't

take a green thumb to grow it.

According to the executive director of the BC Lung Association mould

is like that lazy friend from college, it just hangs around waiting

for an opportunity to plant itself and never leave.

" It's everywhere, spores are floating around all over the place, "

Mc said. " If it stays damp you're very likely to get

some mold growth. "

It doesn't take long to set up shop. Mould can bloom in as little as

24 hours.

Record rainfall in the first week of January has left many

homeowners dealing with wet basements – the ideal playpen for toxic

mould.

Depending on the type, breathing in mould can have negative health

effects.

" That musty smell? That's volatile organic compounds and that's the

kind of stuff that irritates people, " Mc said. " (Health

effects) can range from running nose, itchy eyes to respiratory

issues. Some moulds are very dangerous and very toxic. Like scary

toxic. "

The best thing to do is pump out standing water, wet vacuum the area

and completely dry out the carpet.

If carpet is completely soaked, Mc recommends pulling it up

altogether and hanging it to dry, that way the underlay, which can

act like a sponge, also has a chance to dry.

And if you have to rip it up, you might consider wearing a particle

mask, Mc added.

According to the Canadian Lung Association, consumers should also

beware of anti-mould treatments; they may be more dangerous to your

health than the mould being removed.

For more information, visit www.lung.ca.

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