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Removing Mold
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Mold should be removed as soon as it appears.
1. Persons removing mold should be free of symptoms and allergies.
2. Always wear a quality respirator and rubber gloves during removal.
3. The affected area should then be thoroughly dried.
4. Dispose of any sponges or rags used to remove mold.
5. If the mold returns quickly or spreads, it may indicate an underlying problem such as a leak. Any underlying water problems must be fixed to successfully eliminate mold problems. If mold contamination is extensive, a professional remediation company should be consulted.
Note:
Bleach is not effective at eliminating mold. Bleach may clean mold off a surface, but it does not
kill spores or penetrate porous materials where mold hides. For proper mold killing
cleaners a mildewcide should be used to kill mold and mold
spores after all surface cleaning is completed. Additionally,
it is always best to force dry the area after applying
anything wet.
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 Who should do the cleanup depends on a number of factors. One consideration is the size of the mold problem. If the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (less than roughly a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch), in most cases, you can handle the job yourself, following the guidelines below. However, if there has been a lot of water damage, and/or mold growth covers more than 10 square feet, you might want to hire a contractor to do the cleanup. If you do, make sure the contractor has experience cleaning up mold. Remediation work by someone who is not experienced in mold removal can result in even worse problems than the original.
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 If you suspect that the heating / ventilation / air conditioning (HVAC) system may be contaminated with mold (it is part of an identified moisture problem, for instance, or there is mold near the intake to the system), consult EPA's guide Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned? before taking further action. Do not run the HVAC system if you know or suspect that it is contaminated with mold - it could spread mold throughout the building.
There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture. If mold is a problem in your home, you must clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture.
If there is a "golden rule" for mold it is; Control The Moisture and
You Control The Mold.
All this
information and more is available in a free booklet from the
EPA. To download your copy in PDF format click here.
Please note: in order to open PDF files you must have a
software program called Adobe® Acrobat Reader. Most computers
come with Adobe Acrobat® Reader already installed. If yours does not, you can download a free
copy of Adobe® Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site. Click
here to download a copy.
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Helpful links for cleaning mold.
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