CDC’s Eight Tips to Clean Up Mold to Help Building Occupants

While mold is a natural part of the environment, exposure to elevated levels of it in schools, businesses, homes, and other buildings can be a problem. Not only can mold lower the value of a property, its presence can also lead to a number of exposure concerns for building occupants.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that mold can cause many health effects, including stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, burning eyes, or a skin rash. The agency also states that people with asthma, or who are allergic to mold, may have severe reactions. Immune-compromised people, and people with chronic lung disease, could even get lung infections from mold. Certain molds are also toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins known as mycotoxins.

To help building owners and renters deal with mold issues, the CDC has published the 8 Tips to Clean Up Mold infographic . The tips include:

1. Protect yourself - Put on personal protective equipment (gloves, mask, goggles) to protect your eyes, nose, mouth, and skin.
2. Toss! - Take it out! Anything that was wet with flood water and can’t be cleaned and dried out completely within 24 to 48 hours should be taken outside. Take photos of discarded items for filing insurance claims.
3. Air it out - Open all doors and windows when you are working, and leave as many open as you safely can when you leave.
4. Circulate - When electricity is safe to use, use fans and dehumidifiers to remove moisture.
5. Don’t mix cleaners - If you use cleaning products, do not mix cleaning products together. DO NOT mix bleach and ammonia because it can create toxic vapors.
6. Scrub surfaces - Clean with water and a detergent. Remove all mold you can see. Dry right away.
7. Don’t cover it, remove it - Painting or caulking over mold will not prevent mold from growing. Fix the water problem completely and clean up all the mold before you paint or caulk.
8. Dry it up - Dry your home and everything in it as quickly as possible – within 24 to 48 hours if possible.

“In many circumstances, when visible mold growth is present, it’s often best to allow qualified professionals to handle the situation and take the necessary steps to prevent it from returning,” said Frank Selamie, President of CTSI. “Building owners, landlords, facility managers, and others concerned about exposure to mold or other indoor environmental quality issues can turn to the experts at CTSI for help. We provide building inspections, testing, monitoring, and training resources. Our building science and industrial hygiene professionals can also offer remediation oversight and post remediation verification assessments to help ensure any mold problems that were found are correctly handled.”

To learn more about this or other indoor air quality, environmental, health, and safety resources, please visit www.ctsiweb.com, email contactus@ctsiweb.com, or call (212) 971-7016.

About CTSI
Established in 1992, Consulting & Testing Services, Inc. (CTSI) was founded on one strong commitment: to provide efficient and expert services to clients based on professionalism, innovation, and cost-effective expert solutions. This commitment has been furthered by CTSI’s reputation in fostering client relationships in all sectors of the Environmental, Health, Safety, and Construction industries. CTSI prides itself on utilizing a high quality service based on its diverse team of staff and professionals’ concise recommendations and solutions to the most pressing dilemmas. The company operates offices in New York and Florida that service clients across the United States.

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Paul Cochrane

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