Mold is a tenacious, unwelcome houseguest. It climbs up bathroom walls, invades carpet and infests drywall. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, six varieties of household molds are common, and three can produce toxins. The CDC linked one of them, stachybotrys atra, to 10 cases of lung disorder in infants five years ago and 100 cases since. Unfortunately, it's impossible for home owners to distinguish between toxic and the benign molds - they all look like black or gray sooty patches.
In small quantities, all molds, can be cleaned with a mild bleach solution if they exist in small quantities. In fact, most people never realize that toxic molds are present in their home because they clean them up before they have a chance to grow big enough to present a hazard. For mold to grow it needs nutrients and moisture.
Prevention of mold growth is the cheaper and easier solution to dealing with this household problem, when possible:
Clean, disinfect, and dry surfaces.
Repair any leaks.
Reduce moisture in the home through ventilation.
Keep relative humidity in your house between 40 - 50% year round.
Increase airflow in home by moving furniture away from walls and opening closet doors.
No matter what type of mold is in your home, your safety depends on the size of the infestation. If there's a black mass more than 2-foot square, or if the mold has gotten into the carpet, insulation or drywall, remove these materials and reduce incoming moisture before replacing them. Or, contact a mold-abatement expert; look in the yellow pages under "Flood Assistance" or "Asbestos Abatement."
Remedy the Situation
Once you have identified mold growth in your home, follow these steps to remedy the situation:
Identify and correct the moisture source (e.g. leaky roof or window).
Clean, disinfect and dry the wet area. (Should be cleaned quickly; mold will grow with 24 to 48 hours).
Wash the area with soap and water before disinfecting.
To disinfect, use a solution of 10% household bleach (e.g. 1-cup bleach per 5 gallons of water) and a little detergent. Let cleaned areas dry overnight.
Remove any materials affected by the mold.
Remove porous materials that have been damaged by mold, such as sheetrock, carpeting and plywood.
Bag and discard the materials at the work area rather than possibly spreading contaminants throughout the home.
Provide continuous and controlled ventilation in work area.
Never scrape dry mold; that sends potentially toxin-carrying spores flying.
It is a good precaution to always wear gloves and high quality respiratory protection, when cleaning areas affected by mold growth and when removing damaged materials.
Once you've removed the mold growth and fixed the source of the problem, maintain vigilance to make sure you and your home don't sustain further damage by checking for early signs of reoccurring mold.
