Clean surfaces of building materials that cannot be disposed of with a non-ammonia soap or detergent in hot water, a stiff scrub brush, and scrub areas with mold. Rinse area with hot water and thoroughly dry. May need to use a wet/dry vacuum, mop or sponge to collect excess water. Disinfect area with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of bleach per gallon of water. The solution may be applied with a sponge, spray bottle, or garden sprayer.

Clean up mold and take care of the problem by following the advice above to keep your home dry and keep mold out. Decide if you have a large or small area of mold. A small area is less then about ten square feet, or a patch three feet by three feet square. To clean a small area, follow the advice below. You may use a cotton face mask for protection. If you have a lot of mold damage (more then ten square feet) consider hiring a cleaning professional.

The mold cleanup is finished when there is no visible mold remaining and there is no dust or dirt remaining that could contain large amounts of mold and mold spores. Routine clearance testing for mold is not necessary. Leaving a few mold spores behind is not a problem if the underlying moisture problem has been corrected. Remember that mold spores are virtually everywhere. Even if all mold and mold spores are removed as part of the cleanup, spores from outside will re-enter that space.

The time you are most likely to stir up spores and be exposed is the very time you are trying to clean up your mold problem. That's when you need to be the most careful. First, try to determine the extent of the mold infestation. You can do it yourself if the area is small and well defined, as long as you are free of any health symptoms or allergies.

The act of cleaning mold can increase the airborne spore level by ten-thousand times, which can result in severe illness and actually spread mold growth if done improperly. Such high levels of airborne mold spores warrant protective clothing, including gloves, goggles, and a respirator. If you suspect you have toxic mold in your home, then you should consider hiring a professional mold remediation expert to clean up the mold and safely dispose of it.

When mold is disrupted by cleaning, it releases tiny spores that disperse into the air. After cleaning, the mold may be visibly removed but the spores are still present. If moisture is present from a water leak or elevated humidity, the mold spores will grow into new mold colonies. As a result, each cleaning spreads the mold problem and causing re growth. The key is removing the moisture. Properly removing the mold spores through filtration and treatment will prevent the mold from reoccurring.

There are hundreds of thousands of types of molds. All are fungi, which means they are many-celled organisms that reproduce by sending tiny seeds called spores into the air. Molds need four things to grow: food, air, the right temperature and water. Although fungi grow naturally "outdoors", molds are very common in buildings and homes and will grow anywhere indoors where there is sufficient moisture.

Mold removal can be as simple as wiping it up. It can also be as sophisticated as cleaning up asbestos! In my eBook "How To Get Rid Of Black Mold", the levels of complexity in cleanup are outlined and discussed in easy to follow steps.

After the source of moisture has been controlled, visible mold growth on hard (non-porous) can be scrubbed using detergent and water. Some stains may still be seen on the surface after cleaning. Various strengths of bleach solutions have also been recommended for disinfecting, but proper safety precautions should be taken to prevent skin, eye and respiratory damage when bleach is used.There is no evidence that bleach is more effective than detergents in removing mold from non-porous surfaces.

Contact the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors for Do's and Don'ts when hiring a contractor.

Wear disposable rubber gloves, goggles, long sleeves and pants, and a medium to high efficiency respirator (N-95 or TC-21C cartridge) available at most local hardware stores. Enclose and dispose of all moldy materials in plastic (prior to carrying materials through the home.) Hang plastic sheeting in doorways to separate the area your cleaning up in from the rest of the home.

The EPA has published recommendations for the clean up of small quantities of mold by homeowners. “A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home” can be found at www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/mold_remediation.html.

If a hard scale has formed, use a mild acidic cleaner such as vinegar or other commercial cleaners to help remove the scale. Hot showers produce a significant amount of humidity, creating an environment suitable for algae, molds, and bacteria to thrive and grow. Chlorine normally present in the water to prevent such growth has been driven out by the temperature of the hot water.

Once mold has formed and begun to grow, a dehumidifier will not get rid of it. Strong cleansers or bleach can be used to remove mold. Dehumidifiers prevent mold from forming to begin with.

Our "green molding compounds" are the only molding compounds that don't have bromine. Aside from the green molding compounds, all of our other molding compounds contain bromine and antimony. The bromine contained in our "non-green molding compounds" is "elemental bromine" and is used as a flame retardant. Elemental bromine does not meet the definition of a PBB (polybrominated biphenyl) or PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ether).