Mould Safety Tips for Your Home

Jim’s Hazardous Material Removal has put together some important Safety Tips To Consider If You Find Mould in your home and some easy steps to take to reduce the chance of mould regrowth.

Safety considerations

Some people shouldn’t be present when mould is removed – including pregnant women, children and people with weakened immune systems.

If you have decided to try and remove the mould yourself, make sure there is good ventilation and wear protective clothing including a face mask and eye protection.

Be mould free, DIY style

1. Do not dry brush the mould affected area, as the brush can flick spores into the air which can then be breathed in. If you vaccum mould-affected areas, only vacuum using a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter. A HEPA filter is a type of filter that can trap large amounts of very small particles, which other vacuum cleaners would simply put back into the air.
2. Remove the source of the moisture. Mould will only grow in damp unventilated rooms so check for sources of water from damaged pipes and drains and call a plumber in if repairs are required.
3. Remove mould from soft furnishings by washing clothing, bedding and other soft articles such as toys on a hot cycle. Anything that cannot be put in the washing machine will have to be professionally cleaned, or thrown out.
4. Remove mould from hard surfaces by using a detergent based product. Be careful not to mix products such as detergents and bleaches together – just a simple detergent and water mix will work well.
5. Put strategies in place to prevent future mould growth. Mould can grow back after cleaning so you do need to keep on top of it. To reduce the chance of mould it’s important to dry out the area where the mould grew, so throw open those doors and windows!