Remove Mold, Do Not Just Kill It

Unfortunately, when most people think about mold and mildew in their homes, they immediately want to know how they can kill it. While killing the mold can solve part of the problem and stop it from continuing to spread throughout the rest of the house, it will not stop it from affecting your health. About 29% of the population is allergic to mold or mildew (which are the same thing, in general) and even though the mold has been killed by whatever cleaner you decided to use for the job, the body still recognizes mold and its spores as something foreign that it should defend itself against.

So, if killing the mold is not the problem, then what is? Removing it completely from the property is often the only solution to be found. This can mean simply scrubbing it off a surface or removing everything in the home found to be contaminated with it. Mold that has embedded itself into a slab of drywall is extremely difficult to remove and you are often much better off simply replacing that portion of the drywall instead of trying to get rid of the mold. The mold is likely still alive in the center of the piece, so the contamination will only return to the surface, anyway.

Moldy clothes can sometimes be saved if they are not stained too badly, but items like leather that become molded are often unsalvageable due to their organic nature. The role of mold in the outdoor environment is to decompose dead organic matter and without it, dead tree stumps and carcasses from many, many years ago would still litter the forest floor, so it is a necessary part of the natural world. This does not mean that we have to allow it to thrive in our homes, though.

Where there is water damage, mold usually follows. Molds require moisture of some sort to survive and grow and any water that is spilled in your home needs to be cleaned up as soon as possible. Mold will start to grow on moist items within about 48 hours, so getting it cleaned within this timeframe is recommended. Try to prevent plumbing leaks and wet floors and walls as much as you can and keep the humidity in your home down to help prevent mold growth.




Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.floodingnc.info
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