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.

Molds are simple, microscopic organisms and are found virtually everywhere - indoors and outdoors. Molds can be found on plants, foods, dry leaves, and other organic material. Molds are needed for breaking down dead material. Mold spores are tiny and lightweight, and this allows them to travel through the air. Mold growths can often be seen in the form of discoloration, ranging from white to orange and from green to brown and black.

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.

Yes. Things that have been affected by molds can be cleaned and restored in many ways. The easiest way is simply with detergent soaps, but detergent will only c

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.

Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.

It is recommended that you contact your local health department. Also, there is an informative web link on the Broward County Health Department's web page.

Your home should be cleaned at least once per week with soapy water or water mixed with 1:99 diluted household bleach solution.

Some entomologists believe that you do not have to clean the home environment at all because head lice die very quickly once they are off the human head (36-48 hours), are very slow moving off the head, and nits need a human blood meal within 45 minutes of hatching to survive. That said, most people are not comfortable unless they do some cleaning of the home environment. The PVP cleaning program (personal items first, vacuuming, etc.

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.

Stop water leaks, repair leaky roofs and plumbing. Keep water away from concrete slabs and basement walls. Open windows and doors to increase air flow in your home, especially along the inside of exterior walls. Use a fan if there are no windows available. Make sure that warm air flows into all areas of the home. Move large objects a few inches away from the inside of exterior walls to increase air circulation. Ventilate and insulate attic and crawl spaces.

If eligible for the project, a study investigator will go to your home and take samples for mold and other indoor allergens. The results of this assessment will be provided to you.

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.

Bring your own sheets and blankets and pillows - often they only have those "styrofoamy" blankets and polyester bed-spreads If you can't do 10 (although I can't understand why if you are truly sick) - then ask for extra cotton blankets and sheets and put a few blankets on the mattress followed by a few layers of sheets. This gets you away from the chemicals in the mattress and the scents of anyone who has slept in the bed recently. Use multiple pillow cases for same reason.

On the contrary, the greatest luxury is leaving a dirty home in the morning, then magically discovering a spotless one when you return. Almost 90% of our regulars place a key on file with us for entry to their home. The number one reason people use our service is because they both work and would rather not clean during what little free time they have. Your key is placed on a code numbered key tag that is kept in a secure lock-box in our alarmed office.