Mold Removal

The mold removal tips and techniques you need to know.

Before you take mold removal into your own hands there are some important facts you should know. You only want to go through the mold removal process once, so make sure you do it right the first time to rid yourself of toxic mold for good. Here is a basic mold removal outline:

Since exposure to mold can occur during the cleaning stage, mold counts are typically 10 to 1000 times higher during the mold removal process, take steps to protect your health during cleanup.

* Use rubber gloves.

* When handling or cleaning moldy materials, consider using a mask or respirator to protect you from breathing airborne spores. Respirators can be purchased from hardware stores.

* Wear protective clothing that is easily cleaned or discarded.

* Try cleaning a small test patch of mold first. If you feel that this adversely affected your health, you should consider paying a licensed contractor or professional to carry out the work.

Your first step in the mold removal process is to identify and correct the moisture source. Ultimately, it is critical to remove the source of moisture first, before beginning remedial action, since Mold Growth will return shortly if an effected area becomes re-wetted. Make sure to wear gloves when handling moldy materials and bag and discard the moldy substances allowing the area to dry for a few days. This includes removing any substances that are porous and can trap molds, such as paper, rags, wallboard, and rotten wood since they may be decontaminated and should be thrown out. Most harder materials such as glass, plastic, or metal can be kept after they are cleaned and disinfected.

This brings us to step two of mold removal: Clean, disinfect, and dry the moldy area. So before disinfecting contaminated areas, clean the areas with soap to remove as much of the mold (and food it is growing on) as possible. After thorough cleaning and rinsing, disinfect the area with a solution of 10% household bleach (e.g., 1½ cup bleach per gallon of water). Using bleach straight from the bottle will not be more effective in mold removal. (Remember to never mix bleach with Ammonia as the fumes are toxic!)

And finally, make sure to bag and dispose any materials (including cleaning materials) that have moldy residues, such as rags, paper, leaves, or debris. This step is important in the mold removal process since any remaining materials lying around can release Mold Spores in the air and infect the area all over again. If you have any questions and concerns please contact a professional.

And be sure to check out our pages about Mold Testing, Household Mold, Effects Of Mold And Mildew, and What Is Mold elsewhere on this site.