Trouble with mold? Here's how to fix it

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Trouble with mold? Here's how to fix it

BY BARBARA J. ISENBERG

The Wichita Eagle Kansas.com - KS

http://www.kansas.com/212/story/70279.html

It lurks in dark, damp places, behind your dryer or under the sink.

It comes in all different colors and textures: black, pink, yellow-

brown; fuzzy and smooth.

It's mold -- and with all the rain and flooding we've had recently,

your home may be a prime spot for it to grow.

In reality, mold isn't all bad. After all, penicillin is made from

mold. Mold tells you when your food has gone bad. And it grows all

over the planet.

But mold in large quantities can be harmful, especially to people

breathing in the mold spores.

Still, " toxic black mold " is an often overused term, said Curtis

Redington, Wichita's environmental quality specialist.

" The name doesn't matter and the color doesn't matter, " Redington

said. " What really matters is how much water you have. "

Mold grows anywhere there's water and is always indicative of a

water problem, said Joyce Barrett, indoor air quality coordinator

with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

On Monday the state health department issued advice on how to deal

with mold because of recent heavy rains.

" It really doesn't matter what color it is, " Barrett said. " The fact

is, any mold is undesirable and what really is significant is, you

must go to the water problem. "

First, dry everything out

The first step to any significant mold growth -- larger than 10

square feet -- is to completely dry out the room it's growing in.

Use large fans and rent dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the

air, Barrett suggested. If it's not humid outside, opening the

windows also helps.

Keeping a light bulb on in the basement will likely not help and

will only waste electricity, Redington said.

The next step is to thoroughly clean anything that has come in

contact with mold. That means throwing out anything upholstered or

made of fabric.

" Paper, carpet, fabric, drapes, anything made of soft material has

to be discarded, " said Redington. If the affected area measures less

than 10 square feet, simply put the debris in the trash, Redington

said.

Any mold-covered surface between 10 and 30 square feet should be

covered in plastic, then discarded to keep the mold from spreading

into the air.

Carpet should be cut into smaller pieces and put in trash bags.

If mold covers more than 30 square feet of space, hire a

professional to get rid of the mold and moldy belongings.

Materials made of wood, cement or anything nonporous can be cleaned

with soap and water. Do not use bleach, Redington and Barrett agree.

" The whole key is moisture control and returning your indoor

environment so that it is at least as clean as the outdoor

environment, " Redington said. " Soap and water will work far better

than bleach and water, without the additional safety hazards. "

Most people do not use bleach correctly, Redington said, and can

cause more harm to themselves than the mold itself.

Besides, he said, bleach " doesn't kill the spores of mold. "

Barrett said she recommends scraping the mold off a hard surface,

especially if it is fuzzy, then wiping with soapy water.

But don't forget the final step:

" The key is to dry it out thoroughly, " she said. " If you leave water

there, the mold will just grow back. "

A respiratory menace

Mold doesn't just look icky; it can also cause allergic reactions

and sickness.

If you smell mold -- which can smell like pungent, damp earth --

look for water first, said Janice McCoy, health protection

coordinator for Sedgwick County.

Mold growth can lead to sneezing, wheezing and general allergies.

People with asthma might have more frequent attacks and people with

chronic lung disease could have a more severe reaction.

" If you get rid of the mold, the allergies should clear up quite a

bit, " McCoy said. " But if you have something more serious, like

shortness of breath, see a physician. "

Reach Barbara Isenberg at bisenberg@....