Did you know that not all the mold on your walls is as visible as you would like it to be? If all mold was visible, then we probably would not need to conduct mold tests to determine if it exists or not, but there is a way to detect the lightly colored molds that can exist in our homes. Different members of the Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. groups can be next to invisible on some surfaces and are missed a lot of times when you do a casual inspection. You can detect these molds, but it involves the use of a bright flashlight and the knowledge of how to use it to your advantage.
The trick to using a flashlight to detect mold growth on a surface is that you shine the light along the surface you are looking at instead of straight at it. Shining the light directly onto the surface may reveal absolutely nothing. Using your flashlight carefully can make pretty large difference in whether you find the mold you are looking for or not.
Mold activity can also be hidden by wooden paneling that has been exposed to water or high amounts of moisture over time. Shining light along wood paneling can show that the paneling is buckled and possibly in need of removal. There may be drywall or a simple cavity behind the drywall, since sometimes people replace water damaged drywall with paneling to save money. Moisture does not always mean that there is a mold problem, but it does mean that you should at least look.
The point of this is to cause you to realize that not all incidents of hidden mold are actually inside the walls in places where we cannot see them without tearing out part of it. Realizing that mold can grow on surfaces such as wood paneling and we just cannot see them without looking for them properly can mean the difference between a clean house and an infested one. Some species that are lightly colored like this can be quite harmful and missing them simply because you do not know how to look for them can be pretty aggravating.
You should not only look for the black mold that you hear about on the news and in other media, since not all black molds are harmful to people or the buildings that they grow in. Ceratocystis is a black mold that is merely cosmetic, but mistaking it for Stachybotrys atra and calling in a removal service for thousands of dollars can be a tragedy.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Using Light to Detect Mold
Did you know that not all the mold on your walls is as visible as you would like it to be? If all mold was visible, then we probably would not need to conduct mold tests to determine if it exists or not, but there is a way to detect the lightly colored molds that can exist in our homes. Different members of the Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. groups can be next to invisible on some surfaces and are missed a lot of times when you do a casual inspection. You can detect these molds, but it involves the use of a bright flashlight and the knowledge of how to use it to your advantage.
The trick to using a flashlight to detect mold growth on a surface is that you shine the light along the surface you are looking at instead of straight at it. Shining the light directly onto the surface may reveal absolutely nothing. Using your flashlight carefully can make pretty large difference in whether you find the mold you are looking for or not.
Mold activity can also be hidden by wooden paneling that has been exposed to water or high amounts of moisture over time. Shining light along wood paneling can show that the paneling is buckled and possibly in need of removal. There may be drywall or a simple cavity behind the drywall, since sometimes people replace water damaged drywall with paneling to save money. Moisture does not always mean that there is a mold problem, but it does mean that you should at least look.
The point of this is to cause you to realize that not all incidents of hidden mold are actually inside the walls in places where we cannot see them without tearing out part of it. Realizing that mold can grow on surfaces such as wood paneling and we just cannot see them without looking for them properly can mean the difference between a clean house and an infested one. Some species that are lightly colored like this can be quite harmful and missing them simply because you do not know how to look for them can be pretty aggravating.
You should not only look for the black mold that you hear about on the news and in other media, since not all black molds are harmful to people or the buildings that they grow in. Ceratocystis is a black mold that is merely cosmetic, but mistaking it for Stachybotrys atra and calling in a removal service for thousands of dollars can be a tragedy.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Dallas Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
The trick to using a flashlight to detect mold growth on a surface is that you shine the light along the surface you are looking at instead of straight at it. Shining the light directly onto the surface may reveal absolutely nothing. Using your flashlight carefully can make pretty large difference in whether you find the mold you are looking for or not.
Mold activity can also be hidden by wooden paneling that has been exposed to water or high amounts of moisture over time. Shining light along wood paneling can show that the paneling is buckled and possibly in need of removal. There may be drywall or a simple cavity behind the drywall, since sometimes people replace water damaged drywall with paneling to save money. Moisture does not always mean that there is a mold problem, but it does mean that you should at least look.
The point of this is to cause you to realize that not all incidents of hidden mold are actually inside the walls in places where we cannot see them without tearing out part of it. Realizing that mold can grow on surfaces such as wood paneling and we just cannot see them without looking for them properly can mean the difference between a clean house and an infested one. Some species that are lightly colored like this can be quite harmful and missing them simply because you do not know how to look for them can be pretty aggravating.
You should not only look for the black mold that you hear about on the news and in other media, since not all black molds are harmful to people or the buildings that they grow in. Ceratocystis is a black mold that is merely cosmetic, but mistaking it for Stachybotrys atra and calling in a removal service for thousands of dollars can be a tragedy.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Dallas Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Smoke, Fire, and Water Damage Go Hand in Hand
The smoke, fire, and water damage that typically follow a fire are not very fun to have to deal with, but since the majority of us cannot afford a professional remediation service to come in and take care of these things for us, we tend to have to do it ourselves. Many of us who have to deal with this at some point in our lives simply “wing it”, but if you do a little research before you start trying to take on this necessary home improvement project, you should make it just fine.
The first thing that you need to do is make sure that it is okay to re-enter your home after the fire is over with. Talk to your fire marshal and ask him or her if the property is safe. If there is standing water left in your home after the fire truck has gone away, turn the electricity to the entire house off to avoid the risk of electrocution.
Any standing water should be swept out immediately, since mold can start to grow as little as 48 hours after the fire is over. It is important to get started as quickly as possible where standing water is concerned. The windows and doors of the house need to be opened to allow the air and remaining smoke in the house to get escape. Removing the smell of smoke from the house is not easy, but this can really help. If there is no wind that day, using fans to help blow the air outside can assist.
Pets should not be let back in the home. Any birds exposed to the event need to be taken to the vet, since they are particularly sensitive to changes in their living conditions.
Anything in the home that was wet from the fire hose should be taken out and let to dry, but try to keep them out of direct sunlight, since this can bleach certain items.
Any foods that were open when the fire started need to be thrown away, since they might be contaminated.
Wash down the leaves of any plants you own and remove the soot. Soot and ash on plant leaves can kill them.
Your walls and ceilings will probably need to be repainted, since the vast majority of smoke damage cannot be washed away.
Any furniture in the house that was not soaked by the fire hose will probably have soot and ash on it and you do not want to sit down on or rub up against these. Vacuum them with a vacuum cleaner attachment without any bristles, since bristles and brushes will only drive it further into the fibers. This also applies to carpet.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
The first thing that you need to do is make sure that it is okay to re-enter your home after the fire is over with. Talk to your fire marshal and ask him or her if the property is safe. If there is standing water left in your home after the fire truck has gone away, turn the electricity to the entire house off to avoid the risk of electrocution.
Any standing water should be swept out immediately, since mold can start to grow as little as 48 hours after the fire is over. It is important to get started as quickly as possible where standing water is concerned. The windows and doors of the house need to be opened to allow the air and remaining smoke in the house to get escape. Removing the smell of smoke from the house is not easy, but this can really help. If there is no wind that day, using fans to help blow the air outside can assist.
Pets should not be let back in the home. Any birds exposed to the event need to be taken to the vet, since they are particularly sensitive to changes in their living conditions.
Anything in the home that was wet from the fire hose should be taken out and let to dry, but try to keep them out of direct sunlight, since this can bleach certain items.
Any foods that were open when the fire started need to be thrown away, since they might be contaminated.
Wash down the leaves of any plants you own and remove the soot. Soot and ash on plant leaves can kill them.
Your walls and ceilings will probably need to be repainted, since the vast majority of smoke damage cannot be washed away.
Any furniture in the house that was not soaked by the fire hose will probably have soot and ash on it and you do not want to sit down on or rub up against these. Vacuum them with a vacuum cleaner attachment without any bristles, since bristles and brushes will only drive it further into the fibers. This also applies to carpet.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Removing Molded Carpet
Replacing carpet that has been contaminated with mold is something that nobody wants to have to do, but if you are forced to, you need to know that it is not too easy. Molded carpet is a hassle to clean thoroughly and even if you get the carpet cleaned, you still have to replace the padding underneath. The padding is not re-usable.
It can be done by someone who has never removed carpet before, since the process requires mainly some common sense.
You can start this project by taking the moldings that go around the floor of the room up and taking the door off of its hinges. Taking the door off the hinges serves to make more room for you to take the old carpet out and bring the new carpet in much easier than if the door was still attached. You can use a utility knife to cut up the carpet into strips that will make it easier to take up. Be careful, though, since you might have some nice hardwood floors underneath and you do not want to cut them.
Beginning at one end of the room, pull the carpet up off of the tackless strips and roll it up. You can install new tackless strips in their place if you want to put down new carpet afterward. These can be put down around the perimeter of the room, but do not install them in front of doorways. About ½’’ of space needs to be between the strips and the wall. The points of the tacks need to face the wall.
Remove the carpet padding in the same manner.
Check the floor out and see if the mold has done much damage to it. Mold can stain your floor like anything else, so it may need to be refinished. You can clean the stains up by using about five tablespoons of TSP (trisodium phosphate) in a gallon of water and scrubbing, rinsing, and drying thoroughly.
You do not have to re-install carpet back where the old carpet was, depending on the condition of the hardwood floor underneath. You may want to install a new hardwood floor or simply refinish the old one, but your budget may get in the way. If the molded carpet was in a moist area of the house such as your bathroom, laundry room kitchen, or basement, then you may want to avoid re-installing carpet so you do not have to go through this again, even though mold-resistant carpeting can be purchased. Mold-resistant varnishes exist for hardwood floors, also.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York Basement Water extraction and other states and cities such as
new york city mold remediation companies across the united states.
It can be done by someone who has never removed carpet before, since the process requires mainly some common sense.
You can start this project by taking the moldings that go around the floor of the room up and taking the door off of its hinges. Taking the door off the hinges serves to make more room for you to take the old carpet out and bring the new carpet in much easier than if the door was still attached. You can use a utility knife to cut up the carpet into strips that will make it easier to take up. Be careful, though, since you might have some nice hardwood floors underneath and you do not want to cut them.
Beginning at one end of the room, pull the carpet up off of the tackless strips and roll it up. You can install new tackless strips in their place if you want to put down new carpet afterward. These can be put down around the perimeter of the room, but do not install them in front of doorways. About ½’’ of space needs to be between the strips and the wall. The points of the tacks need to face the wall.
Remove the carpet padding in the same manner.
Check the floor out and see if the mold has done much damage to it. Mold can stain your floor like anything else, so it may need to be refinished. You can clean the stains up by using about five tablespoons of TSP (trisodium phosphate) in a gallon of water and scrubbing, rinsing, and drying thoroughly.
You do not have to re-install carpet back where the old carpet was, depending on the condition of the hardwood floor underneath. You may want to install a new hardwood floor or simply refinish the old one, but your budget may get in the way. If the molded carpet was in a moist area of the house such as your bathroom, laundry room kitchen, or basement, then you may want to avoid re-installing carpet so you do not have to go through this again, even though mold-resistant carpeting can be purchased. Mold-resistant varnishes exist for hardwood floors, also.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York Basement Water extraction and other states and cities such as
new york city mold remediation companies across the united states.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Water Damaged Clothing Cleaning Methods
One of the most devastating things that can happen to a home owner is a house fire. And more often than not, you would have to either replace or attempt to restore fire or smoke damaged items. If you choose to simply clean the items, you must make sure that you clean them thoroughly before you make use of them again. While it may be quite a chore to try and restore most fire damaged items in the house, clothing is an almost entirely different story. Cleaning smoke damaged clothing is a very simple thing to do, and is most dependent on when you decide to wash them, and with what cleaning agent you employ to wash them.
While it is very easy to clean to clean the clothing, the task in of itself can be very daunting and, quite frankly, boring. However, one thing that can make the task easier to accomplish in a timely manner is to simply sort out your clothes by fabric types. This will help to determine how to care for each individual fabric type. This helps to ensure that you do not cause more damage than there already was. There are some things that are important to have dry cleaned as opposed to the others that will simply need to placed in a washer in your laundry room.
It is best if you sort out the clothing in accordance to how much soot or ash the clothes have managed to absorb. You should group the lightly soiled items together with other lightly soiled items. And, obviously, you should clean them together as well. However, you should break the lightly soiled items down into other groups based on fabric types, because some fabrics may not need to be as strongly cleaned because it could cause more damage.
However, you should shake out heavily soot soiled clothing before you attempt to wash them. This will help to remove as much of the soot as possible. It is also very important that you break the more heavily soiled clothes up into groups, as you did with the lighter soiled clothes. You should also make sure and wash the items twice at the very least. This is to help make sure that the clothes are completely clean.
It is a good idea to use the full recommended amount of laundry detergent for each wash load. Depending on the clothing’s material, you will have to adjust the water’s temperature.
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.floodingct.info
http://www.floodedbasementnj.info
While it is very easy to clean to clean the clothing, the task in of itself can be very daunting and, quite frankly, boring. However, one thing that can make the task easier to accomplish in a timely manner is to simply sort out your clothes by fabric types. This will help to determine how to care for each individual fabric type. This helps to ensure that you do not cause more damage than there already was. There are some things that are important to have dry cleaned as opposed to the others that will simply need to placed in a washer in your laundry room.
It is best if you sort out the clothing in accordance to how much soot or ash the clothes have managed to absorb. You should group the lightly soiled items together with other lightly soiled items. And, obviously, you should clean them together as well. However, you should break the lightly soiled items down into other groups based on fabric types, because some fabrics may not need to be as strongly cleaned because it could cause more damage.
However, you should shake out heavily soot soiled clothing before you attempt to wash them. This will help to remove as much of the soot as possible. It is also very important that you break the more heavily soiled clothes up into groups, as you did with the lighter soiled clothes. You should also make sure and wash the items twice at the very least. This is to help make sure that the clothes are completely clean.
It is a good idea to use the full recommended amount of laundry detergent for each wash load. Depending on the clothing’s material, you will have to adjust the water’s temperature.
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.floodingct.info
http://www.floodedbasementnj.info
Venting Is a Good Thing
If you do not have a ceiling exhaust fan installed in your bathrooms, it will not be long before you realize why you need one. There are so many reasons that they are a necessary item. Have you ever tried to blow dry your hair in a steamy bathroom? If you could see yourself in the mirror it might help, but with all that moisture in the air it’s not likely. Then there are also those unspeakable bathroom odors that almost anyone would rather not speak of, but they go along with the natural procession of things and the exhaust fan is a marvelous invention, if only to dispel an unpleasantness that remains even after its last occupant is gone!
A bad hair-do will be the least of your worries if the moisture problem is not corrected.
A consistently steamy bathroom can result in shrinking the edges of wallpaper and peeling paint. These minor complications are bad enough in themselves, but with prolonged exposure, it can actually cause wooden window frames to swell, preventing them from opening easily, or not at all. Other wood, such as door frames, crown molding, and baseboards can swell and be damaged also, and then there is the scary mold that can grow on the ceiling and walls. It can be much cheaper in the long run to install exhaust fans rather than wait around for more costly repairs to show up later. Rest assured, any unresolved water problems in a home will not result in any thing good.
The exhaust fan is something that is rarely overlooked in newer homes, but not so in older ones. If you are a do it yourselfer, this could be a project you can handle. However, it does involve some electrical wiring, cutting holes through your ceiling and possibly through your outer wall in the attic. Home improvement stores have them with or without lights. If there is any existing light fixture in the ceiling of your bathroom, it is an advantage. If not, it will be a little more involved. In any case, if you are not familiar with electrical wiring and reciprocating saws, then hiring someone to install it for you might be the easiest and safest option. Saving money doing it yourself is great if your work is done properly. Just remember it is only home improvement if you are fixing old problems and not creating new ones!
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood water damage restoration New Jersey and and other states such as
Connecticut Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
A bad hair-do will be the least of your worries if the moisture problem is not corrected.
A consistently steamy bathroom can result in shrinking the edges of wallpaper and peeling paint. These minor complications are bad enough in themselves, but with prolonged exposure, it can actually cause wooden window frames to swell, preventing them from opening easily, or not at all. Other wood, such as door frames, crown molding, and baseboards can swell and be damaged also, and then there is the scary mold that can grow on the ceiling and walls. It can be much cheaper in the long run to install exhaust fans rather than wait around for more costly repairs to show up later. Rest assured, any unresolved water problems in a home will not result in any thing good.
The exhaust fan is something that is rarely overlooked in newer homes, but not so in older ones. If you are a do it yourselfer, this could be a project you can handle. However, it does involve some electrical wiring, cutting holes through your ceiling and possibly through your outer wall in the attic. Home improvement stores have them with or without lights. If there is any existing light fixture in the ceiling of your bathroom, it is an advantage. If not, it will be a little more involved. In any case, if you are not familiar with electrical wiring and reciprocating saws, then hiring someone to install it for you might be the easiest and safest option. Saving money doing it yourself is great if your work is done properly. Just remember it is only home improvement if you are fixing old problems and not creating new ones!
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood water damage restoration New Jersey and and other states such as
Connecticut Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Replacing Molded Carpet
For a homeowner there is nothing more unsightly then mold. Even worse, still, is mold growing on your carpet. The first thing one usually decides to do upon discovering mold is to have it thoroughly cleaned. However, this can be far more difficult than it actually sounds. One of the biggest problems you can face may be that the mold isn’t simply on your carpet. It may also be on the padding beneath the carpet, and this could just cause even more damage than the original carpet. And if this is the case, the whole carpet should be removed. The padding should also be removed and thrown away.
Fortunately, removing carpet is a relatively simple task that can be achieved by someone who has never worked with carpet in their life. All the process takes is a little bit of common sense, and perhaps some patience.
The first thing you should do when removing the carpet is to take up the moldings that go all around the floor and to begin to take the doors from off of the hinges. The only real purpose behind taking the doors off of the hinges is to create more space for you to work with as you take the old carpet out of the floor and put the new carpet in its place. It is probably a good idea to employ the use of a utility knife to cut the carpet up into strips. Cutting the carpet will make the task of taking the carpet out much easier. However, when using the knife, it is very important to be careful, as you might have a hardwood floor underneath and it would be a tragedy to cut it.
You should always start at one end of the room and to pull the carpet from off of the tackless strips and to roll it up neatly. You can install new tackless strips later on if you make the decision to put a new carpet in later. You should install them around the perimeter of the room you’re working in, but make sure that you do not put them in front of any doorways. There needs to also be at least one half inch of space between the stips and the wall. The tack points should be facing the wall.
You should check the floor underneath for mold damage. It may be refinished if damage is found.
You won’t have to reinstall carpet where the old carpet had been, but only depending on the condition of the floor.
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.floodchicago.info
http://www.damagewatersc.info
Fortunately, removing carpet is a relatively simple task that can be achieved by someone who has never worked with carpet in their life. All the process takes is a little bit of common sense, and perhaps some patience.
The first thing you should do when removing the carpet is to take up the moldings that go all around the floor and to begin to take the doors from off of the hinges. The only real purpose behind taking the doors off of the hinges is to create more space for you to work with as you take the old carpet out of the floor and put the new carpet in its place. It is probably a good idea to employ the use of a utility knife to cut the carpet up into strips. Cutting the carpet will make the task of taking the carpet out much easier. However, when using the knife, it is very important to be careful, as you might have a hardwood floor underneath and it would be a tragedy to cut it.
You should always start at one end of the room and to pull the carpet from off of the tackless strips and to roll it up neatly. You can install new tackless strips later on if you make the decision to put a new carpet in later. You should install them around the perimeter of the room you’re working in, but make sure that you do not put them in front of any doorways. There needs to also be at least one half inch of space between the stips and the wall. The tack points should be facing the wall.
You should check the floor underneath for mold damage. It may be refinished if damage is found.
You won’t have to reinstall carpet where the old carpet had been, but only depending on the condition of the floor.
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.floodchicago.info
http://www.damagewatersc.info
Protecting Your Stuff from Mold
It is well known that there is no such thing as a “mold free” environment. It is in the air we breathe, on our furniture, on our clothes, and definitely in our homes. It is simply a matter of whether or not the mold actually starts to grow on our property that determines if there is a problem. Mold likes to grow in wet environments, so wet kitchen floors are potential breeding grounds, as well as un-dried dishes in your kitchen.
Even items that you might use to take care of an infant with are susceptible to mold contamination. Things like baby clothes and even food are targets for contamination. Baby bottles are no longer just round cylinders, as they used to be. To accommodate twenty first century styles, plastic companies that produce these products have changed to using several different odd shapes and designs which make the bottles more difficult to clean in some cases. If these bottles are not completely dry and are placed back into a refrigerator, they can become a veritable breeding ground for mold and other bacteria. However, there is a way to prevent this. After drying the bottle as best you can, simply place the bottle into the freezer and let it sit in there until you are ready to use it again. These cold temperatures are, for lack of a better word, unfit for mold to grow in. This is the same reason why it is popular to put common items like flour, cornmeal, and sugar in the freezer.
Clothes that have not been attended to in a long amount of time that gather in the back of the closet are hotbeds for molds. It is important that you do not pack clothes close together, as it can cut off air circulation in the closet and that will create warmth which is essential in order for mold to survive. If there is warmth, and if there is enough humidity in your home, this can cause further mold infestation. A good way to prevent mold in this area is to install a vent inside of the closet.
Damp and dirty clothing left in a bathroom closet or hamper is another breeding ground for mold. The same goes for damp carpets, as well. While having a carpet in the bathroom is not a good idea when mold is involved, it can be worsened with wet clothing. It’s important that you take the laundry out of the closet or hamper constantly.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
South Carolina Water Damage Restoration and and other states such as
Chicago Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Even items that you might use to take care of an infant with are susceptible to mold contamination. Things like baby clothes and even food are targets for contamination. Baby bottles are no longer just round cylinders, as they used to be. To accommodate twenty first century styles, plastic companies that produce these products have changed to using several different odd shapes and designs which make the bottles more difficult to clean in some cases. If these bottles are not completely dry and are placed back into a refrigerator, they can become a veritable breeding ground for mold and other bacteria. However, there is a way to prevent this. After drying the bottle as best you can, simply place the bottle into the freezer and let it sit in there until you are ready to use it again. These cold temperatures are, for lack of a better word, unfit for mold to grow in. This is the same reason why it is popular to put common items like flour, cornmeal, and sugar in the freezer.
Clothes that have not been attended to in a long amount of time that gather in the back of the closet are hotbeds for molds. It is important that you do not pack clothes close together, as it can cut off air circulation in the closet and that will create warmth which is essential in order for mold to survive. If there is warmth, and if there is enough humidity in your home, this can cause further mold infestation. A good way to prevent mold in this area is to install a vent inside of the closet.
Damp and dirty clothing left in a bathroom closet or hamper is another breeding ground for mold. The same goes for damp carpets, as well. While having a carpet in the bathroom is not a good idea when mold is involved, it can be worsened with wet clothing. It’s important that you take the laundry out of the closet or hamper constantly.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
South Carolina Water Damage Restoration and and other states such as
Chicago Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Moldy Fabric Cleaning Methods
There is hardly a person in the world that hasn’t gone through their wardrobe and discovered that one favorite shirt of theirs from their younger days. And then the moment is ruined upon the discovery of a fuzzy substance on the shirt. If you found this shirt in the back of your closet, then you should go wash your hands, because the shirt has been infected with mold and touching mold spores with your bare hands can be very hazardous for your health. There are several medical problems that could arise from contact with mold. Some of these problems are skin rashes, allergic reactions, runny noses, and the like.
If you do have articles of clothing which contain mold, don’t worry because most molded clothing can be cleaned as good as new. However, the mold can end up leaving stains. Bleach can be a very effective form of mold removal. However, this usually works best when cleaning white clothing. Other effective cleaning methods include using a scrub brush, which can remove a good deal of the mold and then place a pre-wash spray on it. Allow this spray to soak for roughly forty five minutes and then put it into the washing machine. It is very important that you allow these clothes to dry naturally in the sun. If you were to use some artificial source of heat, then the stain could set in even deeper in the fabric, and the sun can help further the bleaching process white clothing.
While regular clothing is easy to have mold removed from, you may have no such luck with genuine leather or cowhide. These types of items are easily susceptible to being discolored beyond repair. Most of these items are incapable of being restored, and they are probably better left in the garbage.
However, upholstery and curtains that have come in contact with mold can be cleaned using the same aforementioned methods as described above. It is important that you also purchase a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter in it in order to accommodate a mold free home. If you use this vacuum and its brush attachments to gather up all of the mold and its consequential spores, the filter will prevent these spores from being re-released. This will prevent from having to repeat this process or, perhaps even worse, have to throw out more clothing.
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.localrestoration.com and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
If you do have articles of clothing which contain mold, don’t worry because most molded clothing can be cleaned as good as new. However, the mold can end up leaving stains. Bleach can be a very effective form of mold removal. However, this usually works best when cleaning white clothing. Other effective cleaning methods include using a scrub brush, which can remove a good deal of the mold and then place a pre-wash spray on it. Allow this spray to soak for roughly forty five minutes and then put it into the washing machine. It is very important that you allow these clothes to dry naturally in the sun. If you were to use some artificial source of heat, then the stain could set in even deeper in the fabric, and the sun can help further the bleaching process white clothing.
While regular clothing is easy to have mold removed from, you may have no such luck with genuine leather or cowhide. These types of items are easily susceptible to being discolored beyond repair. Most of these items are incapable of being restored, and they are probably better left in the garbage.
However, upholstery and curtains that have come in contact with mold can be cleaned using the same aforementioned methods as described above. It is important that you also purchase a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter in it in order to accommodate a mold free home. If you use this vacuum and its brush attachments to gather up all of the mold and its consequential spores, the filter will prevent these spores from being re-released. This will prevent from having to repeat this process or, perhaps even worse, have to throw out more clothing.
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.localrestoration.com and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
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