5 Simple Tips for Cleaning a Small Mold Infestation
Mold has been found. Now what?!
Don’t panic! The first thing that needs to be determined is whether or not the infestation is large or small.
Ask yourself, is the area affected with mold small and contained? How much mold can be seen and how much more may be unseen?
If the answer is only small amounts and the area is indeed contained, there are 5 easy tips tips according to Vicki Lankarge in her book “What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold & What to Do About It” that can help you to rid yourself of any further mold problems:
5 Easy Tips for Small Area Mold Remediation
- Make sure you’re free of allergy symptoms and/or asthma
- Wear a mask and rubber gloves during clean up
- Using water and detergent, scrub mold off nonporous surfaces and dry completely. (Perhaps a little bleach wouldn’t hurt as well)
- Absorbent materials may have to be discarded if they are moldy. It is likely that hidden mold lurks beneath the surface and will grow back and fill in the crevices
- Dispose of any sponges or rags used to clean the mold (It is best to double bag any mold contaminated items and remove them from the home entirely)
When do I need a mold professional?
If the area is small enough, there won’t be any need for professional help as it can be taken care of with do-it-yourself methods.
Further Recommended Reading :
Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team
Source: Lankarge, Vicki. “What Every Home Owner Needs to Know about Mold & What to Do About It.” 50-53.
I am 23 weeks pregnant and My bedroom window had ben leaking water from the rain and molded in the window sill. I cleaned that up with bleach. That was a couple weeks ago. I just found green white and brown mold on the wall carpet and head of my bed where it was pushed up against the wall under the window. I had my mom spray bleach on everything. am i and my unborn baby going to be okay having ben exposed to mold? do i need to throw away my bed or is there a way i can clean it?
Candace on January 26th, 2008Candace -
You have done the first steps already. Now that you’ve dealt with the symptoms, and removed the visible mold, the next step is repairing the problem that caused mold growth in the first place - the leaky window.
Once the window is repaired, your mold problems involving the window should be over with.
As far as your bed goes, you’ll need to be the judge of that. Was your bed heavily infected with mold? Remember that mattresses are very porous and soak up water easily. If your mattress was soaked with water and visible mold was seen on the surface, it would be a safe assumption to make that there is a bigger mold infestation within your mattress.
Have you experienced any of the common mold exposure symptoms? If yes, visit your doctor and ask him or her what should be done. If not, then you should definitely be fine, as long as you are not continually exposed to mold.
For some additional information regarding your pregnancy, I recommend reading the following Does Mold Affect Pregnancy?
If anyone else has anything to add, feel free to comment!
Thank you Candace and Have a Wonderful Day!
Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team
Joslyn on January 27th, 2008As a long time insurance broker specializing in mold and other environmental risks, please recognize nearly all contractors who “assess or respond to mold or bacteria in any way” have NO General Liability coverage. Meaning if they burn down the house or cause bodily injury while responding to or assessing mold, there is potential General Liability no coverage to respond to the claim. This huge coverage gap is the result of the Fungi or Bacteria exclusion found in not only all contractors coverage but building owners too. Insurers placed this exclusion in GL policies 3-4 years ago and nearly all insurance agents are unaware of its potentially dramatic impact.
Paul Duggan on February 9th, 2008Thank you Paul for your professional insight!
Do you know if anything is being done to correct this?
Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team
Joslyn on February 9th, 2008So many penetrations are not properly flashed out there especially the windows. After seeing thousands of homes during my home inspection days, it amazes me that so many builders would rush through the flashing details. The poor homeowners then have to deal with the cost and turmoil of having to rip open walls, deal with mold and have to correct the problem when the builders had the opportunity to actually SEE problem areas from the start. If you’re looking to purchase a 1980’s built home, be extra observant. There was a lot of rush construction during that boom as well.
G. Campbell on February 14th, 2008I e-mailed earlier re; the framed walls with moldy boards. I neglected to mention, that these boards were installed in the house in this condition. We live in the tropics and the boards were rained on, wet and sat covered in plastic for a few days before being used. I’m thinking maybe after being in a dry house for a while it might not come back if i put out the effort to bleach the boards. No? And is bleach the best product. It sure seems to disappear the mold. I am hoping it’s for good. I’m worried because the dry wall folks are coming soon, so i want to resolve this before we button up.
Susan Blankenbecler on September 13th, 2008Thankyou, Susan