What is that musty smell? You ask yourself this while crinkling your nose when you walk into your bathroom. This smell didn’t exist a few weeks ago. The truth is that this scent usually indicates a mold problem. If it’s just a small amount of mold you may be able to take care of it on your own with a few safety precautions. If it’s an infestation, that’s another story. You’ll have to call a mold remediation company.
Mold spores are easily spread and can relocate to other areas of your home therefore it can be tricky to treat. Here is everything you need to know about the mold remediation process.
1. Locate the Mold
The first step in getting rid of the mold and keeping it away is locating it and locating the source of moister that it is thriving off of.
Moisture
Mold grows in dark, damp areas. So, if you have some sort of water leak in your bathroom that has not been addressed, chances are that mold will grow there. As soon as you locate mold, you need to start looking for sources of moisture. Locating the source of moister give s a good starting point for the remediation service. They will be able to address and fix the cause of excess moisture.
The Extent of the Problem
Another way you can help the mold remediation expert is to document the extent of the mold infestation. This will give them information on where they need to start and what approach they should take for the most efficient treatment plan.
2. Prepare the Area in Question
Once you’ve figured out the affected areas that will need mold remediation treatment, you need to start preparing the area. Remove content from the room to prevent mold spores from spreading onto them and contaminating them. Ensure that the area is not blocked so that the mold remediation team has access to the area. If your belongings can’t be removed, then you should cover them with a sheet. in addition, you should also seal off all of your vents before the workers start their job. The spores will be released into the air once they are disturbed.If you don’t seal off the vents, mold spores will travel through your home and they can make your family sick. They can also contaminate other areas and regrow which will lead to the need of additional costly remediation services.
3. During the Remediation Process
There isn’t much that you’ll be able to do while the remediation process is going on. You and your family will not be able to live in the home because of the risk of breathing in spores. The workers themselves will take necessary precautions to protect their health while working in the home. This includes wearing protective suits and wearing protective head gear. The workers will have air movers in place that will strategically blow the spores outside of your home and as far away from your home as possible.
4. Cleaning Mold Covered Belongings
Belonging that came into contact with mold needs to be treated and sanitized before you can bring those items into your home again. If you bring those mold covered belongings back into your home, it will reinfect your home and require mold remediation all over again. These items need to be either cleaned or thrown away completely. Things like metal, plastic, and glass can easily be cleaned with a little bit of bleach and warm water. These are non-porous materials so the mold is strictly on the surface of the items. Due to the nature of those materials, mold can not penetrate inside of them. For other materials like paper or carpet, the chance are high that mold has already found its way into the material. Our experts can help look through these items and help decide if it can be salvaged in any way possible. If the item is not salvageable, it’s best to discard the item.
5. HEPA Vacuuming
After everything has been cleaned and the mold has been treated, the room needs to be vacuumed. A HEPA vacuum should be used to vacuum the area. This particular type of vacuum helps ensures that there are no traces of spores left in the room. Contents should be vacuumed as well in case mold spores have settled on the items.
6. Disposing of the Mold
After vacuuming the room and it’s contents, you need to safely empty the vacuum. The best place to do this is outside of your home. The HEPA vacuum filter should be emptied into a sturdy plastic bag and sealed. Again, this should all be done outside of your home, you do not want to risk some of the spores falling out inside of your home and reinfecting it. As an extra precaution, you should then shower and wash you clothes in case the spores fell on to you or your clothes while you were emptying the vacuum.
Everything You Need to Know about the Mold Remediation Process
When you catch the first signs of mold, you need to get the situation handled as soon as possible to prevent an infestation from developing. Mold is not a wanted guest in your home, it could make you or your family sick. These steps can help prep your house before and after the mold remediation process. Need to find someone to handle the remediation process? Contact us to get started. If the infestation can’t wait, call 877-730-1948 for immediate service.