Environmental Hygienists Explain How To Clean Up Mold Without Getting Sick

MESA, AZ, April 17, 2013 (Press-News.org) Environmental hygienists Phillip and Divine Fry and Hank and Merley Taylor explain the safe steps necessary to clean up indoor mold growth without getting sick from the mold cleaning effort.

Improper cleaning and removal of household mold and toxic mold throws huge numbers of health-damaging mold spores into the air of the room or area being mold cleaned.

Breathing in elevated levels of airborne mold spores can cause over 100 major mold-related illnesses. The top dozen mold health problems, according to mold expert Phillip Fry, are listed on the home page of Mr. Fry's website http://www.moldinspector.com.

If mold growth is visibly wide-spread or hidden inside walls, ceilings, floors, crawl spaces, basements, attics, and heating/cooling equipment and ducts, property owners, managers, or occupants are advised to utilize the professional services of a Certified Environmental Hygienist or Certified Mold Remediator, such as the environmental hygienists available in the U.S.A. and Asia at the websites http://www.moldmarines.com and http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com.

For small areas (such as less than three square feet) of visible mold growth, follow these safe mold cleaning steps during the mold clean up:

1. Wear a breathing respirator with organic vapor filters, available from a large hardware or home improvement store for about $40. At a minimum, wear a N-95 respirator mask, available at pharmacies, hardware, or home improvement stores for about $3 each.

2. Wear eye goggles such as the "chem splash" type with no holes for mold spores to enter into the mold cleaner's eyes, a major entry point for airborne mold spores.

3. Contain cleaning-released mold spores by sealing off the area to be cleaned with floor to ceiling, wall to wall plastic sheeting, along with a box fan inside the containment area to exhaust work area air into the outdoors through an open window or door.

4. The first cleaning step should be to use a HEPA vacuum cleaner to vacuum all surfaces inside the containment area to remove deposited or landed mold spores. Vacuum all surfaces three times in three separate directions with horizontal, vertical, and diagonal vacuuming.

5. After HEPA vacuuming, do not use ineffective bleach to scrub and clean of surface mold growth. Instead, use effective mold cleaners as borax laundry detergent mixed completely into hot water or hydrogen peroxide (with a 3%, 6%, or higher concentration).

6. To help clean surfaces to visibly mold-free, use hand-held or power machine scrubbing brushes, wire brushes, and sanders. A wire brush attachment to a small, portable electric grinder tool is highly-effective in cleaning moldy wood to a mold-free condition.

7. After HEPA vacuuming and surface mold removal, spray the cleaned area at least twice with an EPA-registered fungicide such as Tim-Bor to kill any remaining mold spores and to help prevent future mold growth. Tim-Bor is available at http://www.timborprofessional.com.

For information on professional mold cleaning and mold remediation in the USA, Europe, and the Middle East, phone Phillip Fry 1-480-217-7173 or 1-480-310-7970, or email phil@moldinspector.com.

In Asia, phone Hank and Merley Taylor 63-917-544-8160 or 63-912-481-7637, or email moldmen@moldinspector.com and moldmen@att.net.

Environmental Hygienists Provides Mold Inspection, Testing, Removal and Remediation Services and Products for Homes and Commercial and Public Buildings Nationwide USA and Asia