It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors; some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust. The mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present. Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors. If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the water problem. If you clean up the mold, but don't fix the water problem, then, most likely, the mold problem will come back.
Read more about mold at www.epa.gov/mold
- The key to mold control is moisture control.
- If mold is a problem in your home, you should clean up the mold promptly and fix the water problem.
- It is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
Source: EPA
You may ask yourself..."What are signs of Mold?", or ..."Should I test for Mold?"
I say..Investigate! Don't test!.. The simplest way to find a mold problem is by looking for mold growth and by using your sense of smell to find the source of a suspicious odor. If you see mold or if there is an earthy or musty smell, you should assume you have a mold problem. Signs of excess moisture or the worsening of allergy-like symptoms by family members should be additional clues you have a mold problem.
Look for visible mold growth. They may appear cottony, leathery, velvety, or granular, and have various colors. Mold often appears as discoloration, staining, or fuzzy growth on the surface of building materials or furnishings. When mold is visible, testing is not recommended.
Search areas with noticeable mold odors. Search for signs of excess moisture or water damage. Look for water leaks, standing water, water stains, condensation problems. For example, are there any watermarks or discoloration on walls, ceilings, carpet, woodwork or other building materials?
Look behind and underneath materials, such as carpeting, vinyl flooring, furniture, stored items in bins and boxes, in cabinets or under flooring. Sometimes destructive techniques may be needed, such as making a hole in a wall, to inspect for possible mold breeding places.
Should I test for mold?
Most experts do not recommend testing for mold. Instead, you should simply assume there is a mold problem whenever you see mold or smell mold odors. Testing should never take the place of visual inspection and it should never use up resources that are needed to correct moisture problems and remove all visible growth.
Sometimes, mold growth is hidden and difficult to locate. In such cases, a combination of air (outdoor and indoor air samples) and bulk (material) samples may help determine the scope of mold contamination and where clean-up and removal is needed. However, mold testing is rarely useful for trying to answer questions about health concerns.
Molds such as fungus mold and slime mold are found most of the time in areas that have high humidity levels such as bathrooms, kitchens, damp basements and laundry rooms. It is most beneficial and preventive maintenance, to try and keep mold from growing in these potential mold-breeding areas. If it's too late, you can try mold remediation and mold removal.
Since mold and mildew release mold spores in the air that can float throughout the house, severe allergic reactions such as watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing, nasal congestion and fatigue, can occur. When mold begins to reproduce inside a home, it can eat away at the structure, cause thousands of dollars in damage, and possibly make someone in your family ill from mold exposure. There are several mold cleaning, prevention, and mold removal methods to deal with this persistent problem. I suggest using a combination of these products below, to reduce mold to safe levels throughout your home.
Step 1: You should start with a dehumidifier, since basements must be dried out, and humidity levels should be maintained at about 50% relative humidity or lower to prevent mold and mildew growth.
Step 2: An Air Purifier with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Absolute) filter will help filter your indoor air. HEPA air cleaners help eliminate airborne mold spores.
Step 3: The use of a HEPA Vacuum Cleaners, because vacuuming with HEPA filter vacuums can reduce mold spore concentrations in damp areas and carpets. A HEPA vacuum properly traps mold spores that can remain or be spread into the air.
Step 4: If you have a steam cleaner that would also help. A Vapor Steam Cleaner will clean, disinfect, deodorize, and kill dust mites and mold. They are the perfect tool for allergy sufferers and those with multiple chemical sensitivities- especially mold allergies.
Step 5: Buy cleaning supplies that inhibit the growth of mold and mildew without the use of harsh chemicals or toxins. There are many healthy and free of harsh chemicals cleaning products out there to help attack and prevent mold build-up in your home. I recommend products like Vital Oxide Mold Remover or Allersearch Aller Mold to attack mold areas. Some of these cleaners control mold and bacteria by oxidizing it instead of bleaching it.
Step 6: Mold test kits will help you identify a number of molds which contribute to asthma, allergic reactions and respiratory health problems so you'll know where your problem areas are.
Step 7: Another beneficial mold killer is a UV Sanitizer, to eliminate more than 99% of all household mold, germs, bacteria, viruses and other allergens.
Step 8: Mold can start to grow within 24-48 hours in mildew-prone areas of your home. The use of a Steam Mop would quickly clean up dirt, stains and grease and kill mold, spores and bacteria.
Most people do not really understand what is in the air they are breathing. They don't realize that air they breathe, has particles that contain mold, mildew, pet dander, microscopic plastic particles and many more pollutants. Combine all those air contaminants and you can see that all of these particles can be harmful to your health. But, how do you reduce or get rid of them...safely?
By using an air purifier filter in your air purifier, you can capture as much as 99% of the particles in the air that are related to health issues. This is the main cause, airborne pollutants, that are causing you or a family member, a host of health problems. Most people do not realize how simple it is to remove these contaminants. By using good ventilation methods and by purchasing an air purifier that uses a high quality air purifier filter, you can breathe easier in your home.
In the world of air purifier filters, the HEPA filter is tops. The HEPA purifier filter removes the most pollutants, up to 99.97%. This means that your air is much cleaner than ever before, simply by using a good quality air purifier filter. HEPA air purifier filters are also capable of removing cigarette smoke, which helps remove the odors that many non-smokers dislike.
Some air purifier filters are more expensive, depending upon the quality of the filter. For example, HEPA filters are always more expensive. Nevertheless, these air purifier filters are of a much higher quality than other standard air purifier filters, which makes them worth the additional cost. When it comes to your family's health, it is a good idea to find the best filters possible for your air purifier.
When looking for the perfect air purifier for your home, look online for your selected machine. Change them as scheduled by the manufacturer or as needed in order to ensure your air purifier works at full capacity. When working properly, the air purifier will help ensure the air quality for your family is the best possible. Never compromise when trying to ensure the health of your family.
Whenever working with mold and mildew, you should always wear protective gear. Don't touch mold or moldy items with your bare hands. Always wear gloves that cover up to the middle of your forearm. Non-ventilated goggles, are a must to keep mold and mold spores from getting into your eyes.
The first step in cleaning up moldy areas is to find the source of excess moisture and water. Look for any roof or plumbing leaks or flood damage that still needs repair. Check the air ducts in your home for mold as heating/ventilation/air conditioning systems can spread mold throughout the rest of your home. Complete this step first.
Next, determine if the area of mold growth is small enough that you can remediate it yourself or if you should hire a mold remediator. If the area of mold growth is more than 1 to 10 square feet, you should definitely hire a pro. When looking for a specialist in carpet and rug cleaning, make sure that they specialize in dealing with mold problems.
The final step, is to begin the cleaning process. A very small area on a carpet can be cleaned with a simple solution of detergent and water in a steam-cleaning machine. Wet the surface and suck up the water, repeat until the water starts coming out clear. If detergent and water doesn’t work try some Molderizer or some other organic mold cleaner.
Another method to try is quite a bit more extensive. You can use a sanitizing agent such as hypochlorite, or household bleach. The solution is made with 1 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water. This solution can be used on hard surfaces as well as carpets and rugs. To be effective the solution must remain on the surface for 15 minutes. For indoor or outdoor carpeting and rugs you must remove them from the home and place them on a flat area outside. Hose both sides thoroughly to remove dirt and soil. Dump several buckets of the bleach solution on each side and scrub with a broom. A better solution would be repeatedly scrubbing the carpeting with Borax laundry detergent [a natural mold cleaner] mixed into warm water. You need to scrub both sides of carpeting and padding in the mold-growth areas. Rinse well, and remove as much water as possible with a wet/dry vacuum. Allow the carpet to dry thoroughly.
Always dry the area completely by opening all windows, using a heater, fan, or dehumidifier. This is very important, or the mold will just grow back. Remember to check for colorfastness in an inconspicuous area 24 hours before doing a complete carpet cleaning.
It is a good idea to know what kind of flooring is under your carpet. If it is something that will be ruined by wetting the floor, even for a short time, you might want to reconsider or be very careful not to use very much water.
Materials, such as carpets and rugs, may have to be thrown away if they become too moldy. Mold grows in the spaces and crevices of porous materials and can keep growing back. It may be difficult, if not impossible to remove. Replacing carpet may be the only way that you can guarantee that mold will not still grow in the area.
1. The key to mold control is moisture control.
2. Scrub mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely.
3. Fix plumbing leaks and other water problems as soon as possible. Dry all items completely.
4. Absorbent or porous materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may have to be thrown away if they become moldy. Mold can grow on or fill in the empty spaces and crevices of porous materials, so the mold may be difficult or impossible to remove completely.
5. Avoid exposing yourself or others to mold
6. Do not paint or caulk moldy surfaces. Clean up the mold and dry the surfaces before painting. Paint applied over moldy surfaces is likely to peel.
7. If you are unsure about how to clean an item, or if the item is expensive or of sentimental value, you may wish to consult a specialist. Specialists in furniture repair, restoration, painting, art restoration and conservation, carpet and rug cleaning, water damage, and fire or water restoration are commonly listed in phone books. Be sure to ask for and check references. Look for specialists who are affiliated with professional organizations.
Should I use bleach?
Biocides are substances that can destroy living organisms. The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup. There may be instances, however, when professional judgment may indicate its use (for example, when immune-compromised individuals are present). In most cases, it is not possible or desirable to sterilize an area; a background level of mold spores will remain - these spores will not grow if the moisture problem has been resolved. If you choose to use disinfectants or biocides, always ventilate the area and exhaust the air to the outdoors. Never mix chlorine bleach solution with other cleaning solutions or detergents that contain ammonia because toxic fumes could be produced.
Please note: Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold, it must also be removed.
For more information on mold, see our website at www.epa.gov/mold
Source: Environmental Protection Agency
Besides causing structural damage to your home, molds can also adversely affect your health. You can be exposed to mold by touching moldy materials, eating infected foods, and breathing in microscopic mold spores in the air. You can inhale millions of spores within a couple of minutes without even knowing it. Mold allergy symptoms may include skin rash, runny nose, irritated eyes, cough, congestion, and aggravation of asthma.
According to a 2005 study, exposure to mold in damp homes can double the risk of asthma development in children. A 1999 Mayo Clinic study found that allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) was diagnosed in 93% of cases of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a condition that affects an estimated 37 million Americans.
Most health problems caused by molds are related to allergic reactions. Nevertheless, molds can also infect your body, colonize and grow in asthmatic mucus within your lungs. the result is a serious lung disease similar to pneumonia. People with chronic lung diseases and weakened immune systems are more prone to fungal pulmonary infections.
Which kinds of mold are allergenic?
Not all molds are allergenic. Just like pollen, certain mold spores are allergenic because they are small enough to float in the air and elude the defense mechanisms of your respiratory system. The most common allergenic, indoor molds include Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys.
What is mold?
Molds are microscopic fungi, related to mushrooms, yeast, and mildew—and they can be found everywhere. Fungi use enzymes to digest food and reproductive cells called spores to reproduce. Molds play a vital part in the decomposition of leaves, wood, and other dead plant matter. Mold is used in the making of bleu cheese, and mold is the start-up source of penicillin, one of the earliest and most widely used naturally-occurring antibiotics. Unfortunately, mold is also one of the most common allergens on earth.
Where does mold grow?
Mold spores need moisture to grow. Molds can grow on wood, ceilings, wallpaper, paint, carpet, sheet rock, and insulation, and these fungi use their powerful enzymes to dissolve home materials just like they dissolve decaying plant matter. An area with high humidity sets the onset for extreme mold growth and thereby poses a risk to your health. Kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements, and crawlspaces are notorious for mold growth. If any part of your home has experienced water damage, then you'll certainly will find mold there. The EPA estimates that one-third to one-half of all U.S. buildings have environments damp enough for the growing of mold. Although indoor humidity is normally lower in the winter time, indoor mold allergy may be more dominant during the winter in some homes due to tight, energy-efficient seals. Molds grow everywhere outdoors as well, and depending on their location, many people suffer from seasonal mold allergies.
Are you looking for relief from your allergy symptoms? If you are, you may want to examine air purifiers. Air purifiers are a great way to seek relief from many of the most common allergy symptoms. In fact, some individuals see a complete elimination of allergy symptoms when they are in a home that has an air purifier.
If this is the first time that you are interested in buying an air purifier, you may be looking for guidance. After all, there are hundreds of air purifiers currently available for sale. If you are overwhelmed with all of your options, you will want to continue reading on. A few tips to help you buy an air purifier are outlined below for your convenience.
When looking to buy an air purifier for allergies, it is first advised that you examine HEPA air purifiers. Air purifiers that use HEPA technology come highly rated and recommended. All air purifiers capture and hold potentially harmful particles from the air, including mold, dust mites, and pet dander, but some do it better than others. It has been said that HEPA air filters trap around 90% of particles in the air, on average. This percentage is much higher than most other air purifiers and air filters.
Another great way to go about buying an air purifier that will produce good, quality results is by asking those that you know for recommendations. You can and should speak to your neighbors, coworkers, family, friends, and well as your doctor. Air purifiers have increased in popularity over the past few years. This is mostly due in part to the fact that many want to improve their health and the air insider their homes. If an individual that you know uses an air purifier, ask them for information on their purifier. Do they like it? What are the pros and cons of owning?
Another tip to help you choose an air purifier for allergy relief is by doing research online. If you like the price of an air purifier that you see available for sale locally, you may want to refrain from buying it right away. Instead, write down the make and model and do the research online when you get home. Many air purifiers are rated and reviewed online. Reading reviews and examining ratings can help you save money by avoiding air purifiers that are not worth their cost or too costly to maintain.
When looking to buy an air purifier for allergy relief, it is important to take quality into consideration. As previously stated, rating, reviews, and recommendations can help you gauge the quality of an air purifier. It is also important to restate that not all allergy air purifiers are created equal, as they do tend to produce different results. If you suffer from allergies, you will want to seek the best relief possible. Also, examine air purifiers for allergies that come with warranties. Generally speaking, a warranty means that a manufacturer completely stands behind their product, which should help to give you comfort and peace of mind.
Cost should also be examined when looking to choose an air purifier. When it comes to cost, it is always important to remember that you get what you pay for. You can expect to pay more money for high end air purifiers, but most find it more than worth it. To help you save money, consider shopping online or at least comparing prices online first. It is also important to examine the long-term costs of owning an air purifier. If filters are used, how often do they need to be replaced? What are the cost of them? Remember that you often end up paying more than just the sticker price when buying an air purifier.
The above mentioned factors should all be taken into consideration when looking to buy an air purifier. As a reminder, not all air purifiers are created equal, so make sure that you are buying the best.
Indoor air can be polluted enough to harm your family's health. If you're worried that the air in your home may put your family at risk, do a little investigating to find the likely culprit. Walk through your house and ask yourself a few questions to discover if the indoor air is causing a problem.
Do health symptoms improve when you step outdoors? Do they return when you come back into the house? If so, you may have an indoor air pollution problem and should explore the following potential sources.
1) Is anyone smoking indoors? Have smokers step outside when smoking.
2) Can you see or smell mold or mildew?
3) Are there leaks or standing water anywhere...in the basement, kitchen or attic?
4) Is humidity regularly above 50 percent?
5) Have you recently remodeled your home or bought new furniture, carpeting or have you painted?
6) Do you have fuel-burning appliances, such as a gas stove, water heater, or fireplace fully vented to the
outside?
7) Are household chemicals, paints or solvents stored indoors or in an attached garage or basement?
8) Is there an attached garage or basement where cars, lawnmowers or motorcycles are stored?
9) Have you used pesticides recently?
10) Is there an attached garage or basement where cars, lawnmowers or motorcycles are stored?
11) Have you tested your home for radon gas? Although radon doesn't cause noticeable,
physical symptoms, you should test your home for this dangerous substance.
12) Has food garbage been covered and removed?
13) Do you use odor- covering chemicals or "air-freshening" devices?
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