After a home has experienced water damage, it’s important to make certain all moisture has been removed. This is a time when black mold developing is a real concern. It is possible for black mold to develop with even the best efforts. It can ruin flooring, walls and more. Black mold could lead to harmful indoor air quality. This could cause a number of health issues including asthma and a variety of respiratory problems. There are ways people can safely remove black mold from their home.
Mold Testing
A home may seem to be completely clean up after water damage is removed. Black mold may have developed in places that are not visible. It could be in between walls, underneath flooring as well as behind showers and more. These are places that are very difficult to reach. There are kits available that will test a home’s air for black mold. This could determine the location of the black mold.
Mold Removal Gear
One of the first steps is to obtain the proper black mold removal gear. This equipment is designed to protect people from mold spores that are airborne. It’s possible to get a respirator at a local hardware store or online. A person should have gloves and goggles to wear as well as long pants and long-sleeved shirts. When the mold removal process begins there should be no other people in the home.
Plastic Sheets
Areas of a structure where black mold have been detected should be sealed using heavy-duty plastic sheets. This will make it possible to contain any airborne black mold spores. If these areas have windows, they should be open. Using an exhaust fan will force mold spores to go out of the window.
Prepare Cleaning Solutions
Experts recommend having a bucket filled with a bleach solution and another filled with a general cleaning solution. The general cleaning solution should be a biocide designed to kill black mold in deeply affected areas. Both of these solutions can be put into separate spray bottles. There are commercial fungicides designed to treat mold. They can be used instead of bleach or with bleach.
Scrub Visible Black Mold
Wear protective gear and spray a sufficient amount of cleaning solutions over the entire black mold area. Spray the affected area with the diluted bleach solution first and let it there for approximately 15 minutes before scrubbing it clean. Repeat the process on the area with a general cleaning solution. Scrub with extra strength paper towels or disposable rags. It is important the rags used are not saved or reused. The used paper towels and rags should be disposed of in heavy-duty plastic garbage bags.
Vacuum Area
When the surfaces scrubbed clean of black mold dry, it’s time to vacuum off the dead black mold spore bodies. This will require at least a minute of vacuuming per 1 square foot of an area that had black mold. When this is finished, it’s important the vacuum filters be disposed of in heavy-duty plastic garbage bags. It is okay to put them out for regular garbage pick-up by a sanitation company.
Preventing Black Mold
Once the black mold has been removed from a home, it’s important to avoid conditions where it could return. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends individuals maintain the humidity in their living area between 30 and 60 percent at all times. Humidity can be measured with a moisture meter. These can be purchased at almost any hardware store.