When we clean out our closets sometimes we run across an old piece of clothing that has a somewhat fuzzy material all over it. Finding something like this in your closet is probably not a good thing and if you picked it up, the thing that you need to do is to put it back down and go wash your hands with some antimicrobial soap. This piece of clothing was probably contaminated with mold and touching mold spores with your bare hands is not advised, since it can cause allergic reactions in some individuals.
Most pieces of clothing that become molded can be cleansed and the mold gotten rid of, but it usually ends up leaving some kind of stain behind. If you are having to clean mold off of white fabric, then you can probably try to use bleach to remove the stain with. Unfortunately, killing the mold with bleach usually does not work very well. Borax laundry detergent should kill the mold effectively after you have removed the majority of the growth with a brush of some kind. An old toothbrush can be used to do this with. Put a pre-wash stain remover on the fabric and let it soak around 45 minutes before you put it in the washer. Wash these items at least twice, but refrain from using an artificial heat source to dry them out. Instead, take them outside and air them out there. Putting the clothes in the dryer can set the stain further into the fabric and you will have a harder time making sure that it comes out completely.
Unfortunately, if you have an item that is made of real leather and it was covered with mold, it can probably not be saved. These things get discolored pretty easily and mold tends to do a number on this kind of organic material, because mold’s job in nature is to decompose it.
Upholstery and curtains that come into contact with mold colonies can be cleaned with the same method used on clothing. You can use a vacuum with a HEPA filter on it to collect all the mold off of your furniture and curtains and this will give you the peace of mind that the mold spores are not being put back into your air after they are collected by the vacuum. Be careful when you are emptying the container in the vacuum, however, and try your best not to stir up the spores. It is best to do this outside.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
There is almost nothing that plagues one’s house quite as badly as the pest called mold. Mold is usually very easy to find, because more often than not it is brightly colored and absolutely hideous. However, not all molds are as easy to detect. Some mold is actually very well hidden from the naked eye. There are a few types of molds, such as members of Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. groups, which are capable of being next to invisible. However, it is not impossible to find these molds. In fact, you can use one of the simplest objects in your house to your advantage. A flashlight.
While it may sound simplistic enough to use a flashlight to find mold, there is a trick to it. Using the flashlight will not help you to detect the mold unless you shine it in the right way. You cannot simply shine the light directly on the surface where you suspect mold, because you will most likely see absolutely nothing. Instead, you must shine the light along the surface. Doing this will make the difference between getting rid of the mold or just using up battery power for nothing.
Mold is very tricky because it likes to hide in little areas that are difficult to get to without tools. One of these places is inside wooden paneling. Using the light along the paneling can show whether or not the paneling is buckled and in need of removal or replacement. There may be drywall or perhaps even a cavity behind the drywall because some people like to replace water damage drywall with paneling.
Moisture does not exactly mean that there is mold in the area, but this does not mean that you should neglect to look in areas where there is moisture. This is because it will help you realize that mold has the potential to grow in almost every single area in your home. It will also teach you that the mold can especially grow in the places you cannot see it. It is very much like the phrase “knowing is half of the battle.” In this case, knowing can make the difference between a house devoid of mold and a house infested with mold. If you do not know how to find mold, then you cannot combat it.
Do not just look for the black mold that you may constantly hear about. You should know that some black molds are merely cosmetic and if you don’t have the mold tested to confirm whether or not it is dangerous, you could end up wasting thousands of dollars.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
While it may sound simplistic enough to use a flashlight to find mold, there is a trick to it. Using the flashlight will not help you to detect the mold unless you shine it in the right way. You cannot simply shine the light directly on the surface where you suspect mold, because you will most likely see absolutely nothing. Instead, you must shine the light along the surface. Doing this will make the difference between getting rid of the mold or just using up battery power for nothing.
Mold is very tricky because it likes to hide in little areas that are difficult to get to without tools. One of these places is inside wooden paneling. Using the light along the paneling can show whether or not the paneling is buckled and in need of removal or replacement. There may be drywall or perhaps even a cavity behind the drywall because some people like to replace water damage drywall with paneling.
Moisture does not exactly mean that there is mold in the area, but this does not mean that you should neglect to look in areas where there is moisture. This is because it will help you realize that mold has the potential to grow in almost every single area in your home. It will also teach you that the mold can especially grow in the places you cannot see it. It is very much like the phrase “knowing is half of the battle.” In this case, knowing can make the difference between a house devoid of mold and a house infested with mold. If you do not know how to find mold, then you cannot combat it.
Do not just look for the black mold that you may constantly hear about. You should know that some black molds are merely cosmetic and if you don’t have the mold tested to confirm whether or not it is dangerous, you could end up wasting thousands of dollars.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
Basement Mold Problems
It is a well known fact that old basements and mold damage go together like peanut butter and jelly. However, to new home owners it may not be as well known just how these damages are caused. And it may be even lesser well known how to combat the damage. Now, water damage, musty smells, and interior wall damage may be very obvious problems, but not all of the problems are as apparent. But they can indeed be removed.
Now, it is a very popular thing to employ your basement as a laundry room and it is usually a very efficient place to do this. However, you could be making your clothing a target for one of the biggest causes of home water damage: mold. Wet clothing is a veritable breeding ground for mold. If you throw in a basement, which is usually the most humid area you can find in a house, then the results could be disastrous. The reason is that mold likes to grow in places that are wet and humid. And if your basement does not have a good vent system, then humidity will build up from the machines running. This means that if the clothes are unattended for a certain period of time, you may find yourself buying some new clothes soon.
Now, while it can be difficult to prevent mold, it is not impossible. One way that you can prevent this from happening is to keep from blocking vents. This will allow for a better air flow and, as a result, the humidity will drop and keep your clothing safer. You should also make sure that any hot air with nowhere to go must be dealt with immediately. This heat has the potential to cause damage to any wood in the basement, and the damaged wood could create crevices for condensation to build up from humidity. This condensation and heat is almost guaranteed to start a mold colony. Installing an exhaust vent can be very beneficial to the remediation of this problem. It is also important that you keep doors that lead outside of your home closed as often as possible. This will help prevent more moisture from entering your house, and, therefore your basement. You can also invest in a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier and a good ventilation system should be a major help in keeping your basement mold free.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Orlando water damage restoration companies and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Now, it is a very popular thing to employ your basement as a laundry room and it is usually a very efficient place to do this. However, you could be making your clothing a target for one of the biggest causes of home water damage: mold. Wet clothing is a veritable breeding ground for mold. If you throw in a basement, which is usually the most humid area you can find in a house, then the results could be disastrous. The reason is that mold likes to grow in places that are wet and humid. And if your basement does not have a good vent system, then humidity will build up from the machines running. This means that if the clothes are unattended for a certain period of time, you may find yourself buying some new clothes soon.
Now, while it can be difficult to prevent mold, it is not impossible. One way that you can prevent this from happening is to keep from blocking vents. This will allow for a better air flow and, as a result, the humidity will drop and keep your clothing safer. You should also make sure that any hot air with nowhere to go must be dealt with immediately. This heat has the potential to cause damage to any wood in the basement, and the damaged wood could create crevices for condensation to build up from humidity. This condensation and heat is almost guaranteed to start a mold colony. Installing an exhaust vent can be very beneficial to the remediation of this problem. It is also important that you keep doors that lead outside of your home closed as often as possible. This will help prevent more moisture from entering your house, and, therefore your basement. You can also invest in a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier and a good ventilation system should be a major help in keeping your basement mold free.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Orlando water damage restoration companies and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
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