Mold Removal & Remediation

Mold Removal & Remediation

When it comes to removing and remediating mold it's always best to hire a professional mold removal and remediation service.

However, if the mold in your home is not toxic and the area of mold growth is small (less than 10 square feet, or the equivalent of roughly a 3 by 3 foot patch) then you can perform the mold removal yourself if you wish.

The steps below are a do it yourself guide to the mold removal and remediation process.

Protective Equipment for Mold Removal
Mold Removal

The mold removal and remediation process is one of the times when mold spores are most likely to be disturbed into the air.

This is why you should wear protective clothing and equipment during the mold removal process.

Protective equipment for mold removal includes:

Dust filter mask or respirator
Goggles
Gloves
Protective clothing that covers your whole body and can be easily cleaned or disposed of

Contain Mold Spores During Removal

Before you begin removing the mold the room needs to be sealed off to contain any mold spores from spreading to the rest of the house. To seal off the room you are about to clean use plastic sheets with duct tape to cover doorways, vents and any other openings.

You also need to minimize dust as mold spores often stick to dust and are then transported around your home by the dust particles.

Negative Pressure While Removing Mold

You also need to use negative pressure in the room you are cleaning. To do this run an exhaust fan blowing out of a window, or partially opened door if you have to, to blow air outside of the house. This way mold spores that are stirred up during the removal process should mostly end up outside. Also make sure you turn off any air conditioning systems in the house before you begin cleaning up the mold.

Cleaning & Removing the Mold

Cleaning and removing mold is the time when mold spores are most likely to be stirred up into the air. To reduce this you should begin my moistening any dry mold growth as dry mold will allow many more spores to escape into the air when disturbed. Use a spray bottle of water to wet the dry mold slightly.

After this use a solution to clean and remove the mold from the surface. Different solutions will work better for different surfaces. This page describes several mold killing and removing solutions: Kill Mold

Prevent Mold Returning after Removal

Then use a mold killing solution to clean surfaces that had mold growth and even surfaces which were free of mold, because all of the surfaces in the room will have some amount of mold spores on them. These mold spores can grow into mold later if moisture accumulates in the room again so killing them will help prevent the mold coming back.

Cleaning Moldy Items & Materials

Non-porous materials (eg glass, metal, hard plastic) that once had mold on them can be used again after you have completely cleaned the visible mold from the surface. Because the materials are non-porous there will be no more mold below the surface so cleaning the surface mold will take care of the problem.

For porous materials (eg drywall, carpet, books) that have had mold growing on them you should decide whether they are salvageable on a case by case basis depending on how severe the mold growth is and how valuable the item is to you. If the item is not highly valuable to you and the mold growth is extensive so that the item is beyond repair then the best option is to dispose of it and replace it.

HEPA Vacuum to Remove Residual Mold & Spores

After you have removed the mold and disinfected the surfaces allow them to dry completely. Once everything is completely dry vacuum the room with a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner to remove any residual spores and mold. To find out more about vacuum cleaners and mold go to Vacuum Mold.

Disposing of the Mold

After the clean up process remove mold and moldy items, as well as the contents of the HEPA vacuum cleaner, from your home in completely sealed plastic bags. If possible do not take the plastic bags through the house but pass them directly to the outside through a window in the room or a door.

You should clean each room one at a time, completely finishing the mold removal process before moving onto any other rooms with mold growth and re-sealing and repeating the process.


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By: Mold Xpert

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