Imagine picking up the flood water soaked baby blanket, your parents wedding picture or the family bible. The question of what to do with possessions, furnishing and contents is important to the financial and emotional recovery after a flood water or mold disaster. When talking about items that have a sentimental value, the understanding of “what to clean or throw out” can also a deeply emotional question.
The short story is if it has porous surfaces and is already moldy or was under flood water, it will probably need thrown away. This includes cardboard, carpet, padding, stuffed animals and upholstered furnishings. Mattresses and box springs are on that list.
Food items that have been in contact with mold or flood water should be thrown away.
Materials that have a solid surface such as plastic, glass or metal are easily cleaned and preserved. Soap and water is the simplest cleaning method. A mixture of ½ cup of Clorox to a gallon of water is a great way to disinfect the hard surfaced materials. Do not use a higher concentration of Clorox as it can result in injury to people, pets and the items the mixture contacts.
Fabric clothing is readily saved by washing in regular laundry detergent unless the fabric has been damaged. The sooner the material is cleaned, the less chance of irreversible damage to material. Mold and flood contaminants will clean out of cloth material, but damaged clothing is not restored to its original condition by washing. Leather is difficult to properly clean and should be handled by a cleaning professional as soon as possible.
The paper and cloth materials that did not get wet or damp and do not have visible mold or damaged may be preserved by simply HEPA vacuuming.
Larger appliances that have some mold exposure but have not been under water may be saved with cleaning. The exception can be the electronic systems of appliances that can be damaged by moisture or mold. Consult a professional about these items. As an example, a hard drive may be removed from a computer and salvaged, but the drive could be damaged if it is powered on while in a computer with damaged circuitry.
Food preparation appliances that have been exposed to flood water or mold will probably need replaced. The cost of cleaning some of these items will often exceed the cost of replacement. Failure to clean these can result in recontamination of the home or illness to residents.
Forced air furnaces can distribute mold, flood water disease and bacteria through an entire home. These need professionally addressed as serious health problems can be caused by airborne biological contaminants
Any handling of contaminated materials should be done with personal protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection and masks. Some contaminants can enter through the eyes and skin, especially if there is an open cut or wound. Use proper protective equipment as appropriate for the conditions.
There are some building materials used in the construction that, in all circumstances, will require replacement as opposed to cleaning. Fiberboard ductwork is one such example. Insulation is another common example.
In Summary
To minimize loss, begin the effort to protect your home and possessions as soon as it can be done safely. If attempting the work, yourself, learn about safe methods and follow proper safety precautions.
Consider consulting a professional for work beyond your comfort zone or background. Good health is priceless and improper handling of contaminated materials can result is serious health problems. Proper remediation cleaning may also protect materials from requiring replacement and save more money than the cost of the services.
Go to www.Envirospect.info for more links and additional information about Sick Building Syndrome and its effects on your health. To download a PDF copy our Article “The Top 6 Questions After Flooding”, go to: http://goo.gl/vMIU9s
###
For information about mold testing professionals across the country, go to www.Testall.com Email questions to: DanH@Testall.com Like Envirospect on Facebook or connect @DanHoward251
Imagine: It is a happy time of celebration. It could be a wedding, graduation, church picnic, reunion or a house warming party. There is a single unwanted guest at this joyous event….and we are not talking about obnoxious Uncle Harry. It is a smaller and much more destructive guest. It is a mosquito carrying the Zika virus.
With one tiny mosquito bite during an otherwise joyful event, the life of a family and its unborn child are changed and challenged forever.
Talk about insidious and sneaky! Four out five persons that are bitten and infected by a mosquito carrying the Zika virus will not have a single symptom of the disease. If that victim is pregnant, the very first sign of the virus could be a child born with the lifelong birth defect of microcephaly. This defect results in a child being born with a small, under developed head and brain on a regular sized body.
Birth Defects are forever. We must do all that we can to stop the Zika virus and protect the health of our children.
This is not a bad science fiction movie. It is not hype. It is not a fictional media frenzy for ratings. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization, and countless other organizations this is a serious pandemic stretching across the world from Africa, to the Pacific Rim, then to South and Central America and now, to the United States.
WHO DOES THIS AFFECT?
“The Zika virus could reach regions of the United States in which 60 percent of the population lives, or some 200 million Americans.” According to The Lancet (a renowned international general medical journal) It can affect not just residents of the affected areas, but tourists and visitors to those areas.
Click here for additional details
WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT THE ONES WE LOVE?
We must take every possible precaution to interrupt the process of mosquitoes infecting people with the Zika virus.
· Wear light covered, loose fitting clothing that covers as much skin as possible
Click here for May Clinic information on avoiding mosquito bites
· Apply insect repellant using safe products and methods
Click here to download a copy of WEBMD’s Safe Use of Pesticide Directions
· Remove any items that contain standing water from the area
(such as tires, water buckets, roof gutters, bird baths, etc.) Click here for more details
· Use screens in windows and air conditioning in sealed homes where possible
Click here for the CDC information on control of the Zika virus
· Conduct a barrier spray program.
Treating the grounds for a special event like a wedding or pool party may meet your needs. If you have a possible home exposure of a pregnant woman, a barrier spray program may better meet your safety needs. Based on the life cycle of mosquitos, a 14-day cycle may provide the best control and safety.
Click here for more information about barrier control programs
Items that have a financial or sentimental value, makes this an important question. Our possessions are often very important to most of us.
The short story is if it is porous and moldy it will probably need thrown away. This includes cardboard, carpet, padding, stuffed animals and upholstered furnishings. Mattresses and box springs are on that list.
Most paper products including books will need thrown out once moldy or wet from flooding . For very valuable items such as a family bible, there is an expensive, but effective freeze drying process that can preserve those items.
Small appliances that have been exposed to mold will need replaced. The cost of cleaning some of these items will often exceed the cost of replacement. Failure to clean these can result in recontamination of the home.
Food items that have been in contact or stored in areas with mold should be thrown away.
Materials that have a solid surface such as plastic, glass or metal are easily cleaned and preserved. Soap and water is the simplest cleaning method. A mixture of 1/2 cup of Clorox to a gallon of water is a great way to disinfect the hard surfaced materials. Do not use a higher concentration of Clorox as it can results in injury to people, pets and the items the mixture contacts.
Clothing is readily saved by washing in regular laundry detergent unless the fabric has been damaged. Mold will clean out of cloth material, but damaged clothing is not restored to its original condition by washing.
The paper materials that did not get wet or damp and do not have visible mold or damaged may be preserved with simply HEPA vacuuming.
Appliances that have some mold exposure but have not been under water may be saved with a professional cleaning. The exception can be electronics of appliances that can be damaged by mold. These may require a professional cleaning. Consult a professional about these items. As an example a hard drive may be removed from a computer and salvaged, but could be damaged if the powered on.
Forced air furnaces can distribute mold through an entire home. These need addressed as a part of any mold remediation.
Mold can and will live behind walls. Removal of house wall finishes may be required to get rid of the mold. If you do this work yourself, learn and follow the principals of containment, negative air and air scrubbing.
Any handling of mold contaminated materials should be done with personal protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection and masks.
There are materials used in the construction of homes that will require replacement as opposed to cleaning. Fiberboard is one such example. That material is used in construction as well as in some HVAC ductwork. Insulation is another common example