Proper Equipment for Do-it-Yourself Mold Removal
The killing and removal of mold by professionals is known as mold remediation. This can be timely and therefore a costly solution to your mold problem. For many homeowners, however, a small mold problem is just as easily taken care of by themselves. There are necessary items needed when attempting a do-it-yourself mold removal, including having the proper equipment and attire. Mold is a serious threat to human health, and even dead mold can cause allergy or asthma problems in those with good health.
By using the proper equipment, and wearing the proper attire, homeowners can make sure they kill and remove the mold in the safest, most effective way. The following is a short list of recommended products to use when performing a do-it-yourself mold removal.
- Protective clothing and gloves: Long sleeve shirts and long pants are necessary when dealing with mold. Protective gloves should be worn at all times, and shoes should be washed off before entering a mold-free environment. In addition, protective masks should be worn to avoid inhaling the dangerous mold spores.
- Effective cleaning materials: Bristle brushes, paint scrapers, and a good commercial-grade cleanser are needed to wash the surface that will be treated thoroughly. If bleach is to be used as a disinfectant, it is especially important to clean the surface of any dirt, and repeatedly rinse any organic material, which could deactivate bleach’s cleaning power. For large areas, a hose with a sprayer attachment will work well. Never mix bleach with ammonia; deadly fumes could result.
- Mold killer: When using bleach to disinfect the surface and kill the mold, full strength should be used, however, adequate ventilation will be necessary in this case. Bleach is the least effective mold killer however, and thus an alternative such as H2Orange2® should be used.
- Clean-up materials: Once the mold and moldy material are removed, they will need to be disposed of in large garbage bags. A wet/dry vacuum could be used to clean up large areas, but the vacuum must be removed from the area and washed with an appropriate product to avoid contaminating other areas with mold spores. It is important to know that the spores float freely in the air, and simply removing them mold from the surface is not enough. The spores must be removed from the entire environment.
- Preventative sealers and stains: When removing mold from porous surfaces, it is always wise to apply a sealer or stain with a mold retardant to prevent a recurrence of the mold. It is extremely important that all traces of mold are cleaned, killed, and fully removed first, or else it will only grow back and show through the stain or paint.
- Replacement for damaged surface: Occasionally mold will not be able to be removed from the surface that it has damaged, such as carpet and wood. When materials are heavily damaged by mold, they should be replaced instead of bandaged up, as keeping them around could be dangerous to your health.
Having the proper equipment and knowing the necessary steps to take will help the do-it-yourself mold remover accomplish what would otherwise cost quite a bit to hire a professional. For large-scale project, a professional may be needed. However, a small mold clean up can be easily completed by the do-it-yourselfer.
