Mold RemediationWhen a mold problem develops in your home, two things must be accomplished: (1) detection and diagnosis of the problem and (2) eliminating the source of the mold. The source and its location may be very obvious, such as a plumbing leak that has black or green growth around it. If the source is not obvious, you might need to hire an expert to do testing to find the cause of the mold problem and tell you how to solve it. I recommend hiring a well qualified expert who does testing and diagnosis only. If you hire an all-purpose remediation person who does both testing and cleanup, he may specialize in cleanup and be dismal at diagnosis. These "experts" may test and find a problem that is not the real source but is something that has been contaminated by the real source. After the "problem" is cleaned up or otherwise addressed, the "expert" may consider his job done. However, you will have made no progress on solving health problems because the real mold source will still be present. Many people I've talked to have had to determine both the cause of and solution to their own mold problem. Incorrect diagnosis of the cause of the problem is very common. Perhaps the mold-allergic person is better than the expert because the sufferer has an internal mold sensor that tells whether the problem is really solved. Therefore, believe your own sensor no matter what a test or expert says. Unfortunately, sometimes it is impossible to reach "zero" with mold, and individuals can become so extremely sensitive to mold they have been living with for an extended time that some treatment or desensitization may also be needed for the internal sensor to say, "All is well." Beware of the negative mold test if your internal sensor does not agree with it. Some species of mold emit spores sporadically; if an air sample is taken at any other time, the mold will not be detected. If there are a very small number of spores present, test results can look normal (i.e. show what would be expected from outdoor air) but a person who is highly sensitive to mold can still be reacting. Believe what your body is telling you. Here is the experience of an allergic engineer. Dust testing on his house revealed a high mold count, but the source could not be found. At that time, Johns Hopkins University did dust testing on samples that patients collected themselves. He sent them seven samples from various areas of his house, including his attic, for testing. The basement had the lowest result, other parts were intermediate, and the attic result was the highest. He was sure there had to be water leaking into his attic, but three roofers could not find a leak. Finally, the fourth roofer looked at the top of the joists. A tiny leak was landing on the top of one joist and running along the joist. The volume of water was too small to drip down to where it could be easily detected. This engineer is a good example of how we may need to be persistent when we, the patients, can tell there is a problem because we are reacting to it, although the rest of the world says "nay." Therefore, hire experienced, competent people to do mold testing and diagnosis. (My only advice for how to find such a person is by word-of-mouth from satisfied clients). When they collect samples for testing, they should sample all possible areas that could be problematic. The testers should interpret the results of the testing and offer suggestions for solutions to the problem. Since mold remediation is challenging, it is helpful to have an attack plan. The first step in eradicating the mold problem is to eliminate what mold needs to grow: water and food. [1] This may involve hiring a plumber, roofer, or other repair service. If there is condensation forming in your home, a HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) repairman may be needed. Your mold tester should be able to recommend a company that has experience with the type of problem you have. After water issues have been addressed and contaminated construction materials have been removed, the area should be allowed to dry for a few days and then thoroughly vacuumed with a HEPA (high efficiency particle air) vacuum. [2] If the problem is beyond the scope of services provided by such repairmen, your mold tester should be able to refer you to a service agency to do cleanup. However, if you or a non-allergic family member is going to do the cleanup, there are precautions you should take. The first step is to remove all moldy materials wearing an N-95 [3] mask, disposable gloves, and possibly protective clothing. If you do not wear protective clothing, remove and wash all your clothes when finished. Also read the California Department of Public Health article "Mold or Moisture in My Home: What Do I Do?" [4] to learn which materials must be removed and discarded and which might possibly be disinfected and saved. After you have finished disinfecting or removing contaminated materials, let the area dry for two to three days and then vacuum thoroughly with a HEPA vacuum. A 20% solution of hydrogen peroxide with a little liquid dishwashing soap added can be helpful for detection of mold, and in mild cases may also work for cleanup. I have used it in the kitchen and bathrooms for general cleaning to detect any mold I am not seeing. The recipe for making it is found below. This hydrogen peroxide solution is not a problem for the respiratory system, but it is hard on skin, so always wear disposable gloves when working with it. Spray it on suspicious areas. (I use it in bathrooms and kitchens on non-porous surfaces that it will not damage). If foam appears in a minute or so after you spray it on, this indicates organic matter, possibly mold. I have found that if there is a serious mold problem, the foaming is immediate and very vigorous. A spatter of dried tomato sauce or normal bathroom soiling produces only a few bubbles. The first less-than-helpful remediation man we had said if you keep spraying and wiping it will eradicate the mold. My experience was that this has a chance of working long-term only if the problem is very mild. More often than not, and for serious problems, if you spray the area again in a few days, foaming will occur again. In any case, the peroxide solution is good to use to scrub the area impeccably clean before proceeding. If you spray and wipe repeatedly and it keeps foaming, or if an area foams again after a few days, you will have to use "big guns" such as CloroxTM. (Do this yourself only if you are not sensitive to CloroxTM or get someone else to do the work). Use it with all the windows open to minimize its irritating effect on the lungs. After thorough cleaning, dampen the problem area with CloroxTM, let it dry, and leave it overnight or longer. After you wash it off, spray with the hydrogen peroxide solution again to test for foaming. More often than not, CloroxTM has been effective long-term for me. However, mold may return, even after this treatment, if the area often gets wet. Areas constantly re-exposed to water, such as around sink fixtures, will likely have a relapse eventually. A neighbor told me that she and other volunteers use vinegar to clean at her 125 year old church. After hearing this, I decided to use vinegar every time I clean around the sink fixtures, and it has worked well. I keep a spray bottle of 6% vinegar near the kitchen sink and in the bathrooms for routine cleaning and only use the peroxide solution occasionally to check for relapses (which have been mild and infrequent). Once the mold problem is eliminated, consider using filtration to make and keep the environment as pure as possible. Consider purchasing portable HEPA filters, especially for bedrooms. We replaced our 34½ year old furnace with a new LennoxTM furnace that has a filter to remove particles down to 0.1 microns, which is smaller than the smallest mold spores. In addition, the filtration unit contains an ultraviolet light to kill mold, bacteria and dust mites. The furnace also has a heat recovery ventilation unit (HRV). This brings n fresh outdoor air, filters it, transfers the heat from the same volume of stale air to the fresh air, sends the fresh air out through the vents to the house, and discharges the stale air outside. Hydrogen Peroxide Solution
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| [1] | Mold or Moisture in My Home: What Do I Do? California Department of Public Health Environmental Health Laboratory. Click here to open PDF. |
| [2] | Mold or Moisture in My Home. Click here to open PDF. |
| [3] | N-95 means that the mask removes 95% of particles that are 0.3 microns in size or larger. The most important factor in how well an N-95 mask works to remove particles is how well it fits one's face and creates a seal at the mask edges. For example, I was advised to use an N-95 mask for cleaning that might stir up dust containing mold spores. The one-size-fits-all N-95 made by 3MTM that was recommended did not seem to work for me and also had a strong glue smell. When the mask was several months old, the glue smell had abated, but the mask smelled like perfume. When later I learned that fit was all-important, I ordered a size medium MoldexTM medical mask because it was free of PVC and latex. I hoped that I would be able to tolerate it because the manufacturers were aware that some chemicals should not be in masks. The mask fit well and I got a good seal on my face, but the MoldexTM mask also smelled like perfume. I could wear it for about five minutes before the perfume caused as much of a reaction as the mold from which the mask was supposed to offer protection. However, this mask seals well on the face and is a good option if perfume sensitivity is not a problem. For information about where to order MoldexTM masks, click here. |
| [4] | Mold or Moisture in My Home. Click here to open PDF. |