Removing Black Mold

Black mold or toxic mold can form in your home after water damage or a period of intense humidity.  In order to make sure that your family and pets stay safe when they are home you will want to go through the steps of removing black mold as soon as possible.  Since mold is very easily spread and can make people very sick you want to make sure that you are as careful as possible during this process so that you do not have a reappearance of mold and so that you do not become sick as you are cleaning.

The first step to removing black mold is to make sure the space infested with the mold has had time to completely dry.  If you want to clean a room that still has standing water in it then you will need to pump the water out of the room, get fans to air out the room and possibly get a dehumidifier as well to make sure the room is dry before you begin work. 

When you are about to begin cleaning you want to make sure that you properly seal off the room.  When removing black mold from a room you should duct tape plastic sheets over the entryway to any of the other rooms.  It is also a good idea to ask any family members to evacuate the house during the decontamination process.  You should take precautions yourself and wear a mask or ventilator over your mouth and a suit that completely covers your body so that the mold does not make you sick.

Clean all affected surfaces with soapy water, bleach or a disinfectant cleanser.  If the mold has dried to the area you are about to clean then you should mist it lightly with water as that will help you in removing the black mold and stop the black mold from spreading.  During the cleaning process you may want to run an air purifier in the home so that any airborne contaminates are trapped. 

After the cleaning process make sure that you remove all the mold laden materials properly.  It is best to get any trash related to the cleaning out through the nearest window or door without trying to move it through the house.  If you have cleaned effectively you will not see the mold problem reoccur in the future.