Get rid of mold before it gets more costly

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Get rid of mold before it gets more costly

The Bay Area Citizen*

10.16.08

http://hcnonline.com/articles/2008/10/16/bay_area_citizen/news/10mold

16.txt

Disaster recovery specialists caution that mold and mildew can begin

to grow within 24 hours after a flood and can be found throughout

the house, including the attic, basement and crawl spaces.

Health officials encourage those who realize they have mold to act

quickly to eliminate the problem.

Taking steps to clean up mold properly ensures a healthy home,

especially for those who may suffer from allergies and asthma.

All materials are likely to become moldy if they are wet for too

long. Thus, the first step in the mold cleanup process is to

consider the condition of all items in a flooded area:

Wood furniture and other porous materials can trap mold and may need

to be thrown away.

Harder materials, such as glass, plastic and metal, can be cleaned

and disinfected.

Carpeting is a problem because drying it out does not remove mold

spores. Carpets with heavy mold and mildew need to be discarded.

All wet surfaces should be cleaned, disinfected and dried as quickly

as possible. Specialists offer the following suggestions to ensure

safe and effective cleanup:

Open windows for ventilation and wear rubber gloves and eye

protection for cleaning. Consider also using an N-95 rated mask if

heavy concentrations of mold are present.

Wash all areas and washable items that came in contact with

floodwaters with a non-ammonia soap or detergent.

Rinse thoroughly and disinfect the area with a solution of 10

percent household bleach and 90 percent water. Never use bleach with

ammonia. The fumes are toxic.

Cleaned areas need to dry for several days. Heat, fans and

dehumidifiers help.

All odors should be checked out. It is possible for mold to hide in

the walls or behind wall coverings. Find all mold sources and

properly clean them.

Materials that cannot be cleaned, such as wallboard, fiberglass and

cellulose insulation, should be removed and discarded. Then clean

the wall studs where wallboard has been removed, and allow the area

to dry completely.

Additional information on cleaning up after a flood is available at

the following web sites: www.fema.gov, www.redcross.org,

www.epa.gov, www.cdc.gov, www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem and

www.dshs.state.tx.us.