Tips and Techniques for Mold Cleanup

When you see mold growing inside your home, the most important thing to do is to perform a thorough clean up of the affected areas right away so that mold spores do not spread further and in other areas. But before any mold cleanup can take place, you must first determine how large or small the infestation is. 

Does mold cover only a small area and is it contained within that area?
How much mold can you see?
Do you suspect that there may be more mold that is hidden that you cannot see? 

If the mold growing is only in small amounts and it is contained in only one area, then you can clean up the mold yourself following these tips and techniques. 

Find and repair the source of the excess moisture. Fix any plumbing leaks and roof leaks, dry up large spills and any areas that have water overflow and control high relative humidity to remove any excess moisture.

Enclose the affected area by placing heavy plastic sheets over doors, gaps and openings to prevent the circulation of airborne spores through other areas of the home. 

Use protective gear, such as rubber gloves, goggles, disposable coveralls, rubber boots, and a respirator mask, preferably a N95 respirator, to protect yourself head to toe and keep you from breathing in mold spores and prevent it touching your skin and getting into your eyes.  
Scrub mold off nonporous surfaces using water and detergent, and then dry completely. You can use a mixture of bleach and water in small amounts, but never mix bleach with any other cleaning products.

Discard porous materials such as drywall, ceiling tiles, carpeting, padding, books, clothing and other items made of paper or cloth if they are moldy or show any signs of mold or water damage.

Replace absorbent materials that have some staining and cosmetic damage as it will be hard to clean them and get them restored to their original appearance.

It’s best to throw away absorbent materials have many holes in their surfaces that may be hard to clean. It’s very likely that hidden mold may be lurking in Porous materials have many holes in their surfaces that may have hidden mold lurking underneath, and if not cleaned properly, they will continue to grow within the crevices, so it’s best to throw them away. 

Clean moldy items using a scrub brush or soft cloths and a diluted household bleach solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Take extra care not to breath in bleach fumes or to get it on skin or in your eyes. 

Use plastic trash bags to transport all moldy discarded items to help prevent mold spores from spreading throughout the house.

When cleaning process is done, make sure to dry all wet surfaces completely within 24 hours. Position fans directly on surfaces to help dry them out on the inside.

Vacuum surfaces using HEPA filters to catch any more mold spores or moldy residue that may be left behind.

Remember to vacuum your furnace to help get rid of mold spores that may have floated in during the cleaning process.

Throw away sponges, rags and other porous cleaning materials used during mold cleanup, including all disposable protective gear.

Immediately dump items of clothing used during mold cleanup into the washing machine with hot water and detergent.

Call in professional mold removal services in Toronto or remediators for serious mold problems, such as mold that covers an area more than 10 square feet and mold that is scattered over several large areas. And remember, the best technique to prevent any more mold from growing inside the home is to always control excess moisture. Mold will not grow when there is no moisture. However, it will keep growing back as long as the moisture problem is not fixed no matter how many times you get it cleaned up.