Top 4 Common Mold Myths

6/16/2017 (Permalink)

Excessive long term water intrusion lead to mold in this homeowner's bathroom.

All mold is bad. When facing mold in your home and business, it is understandable to see how all mold could be considered unhealthy. Not every mold that grows indoors is a dangerous mold. There are some molds, that are good for humans, such as penicillin. According to the CDC, there is always some mold everywhere – in the air and on many surfaces. An environmental specialist should be consulted to determine if there are any dangerous molds in your home or business.

Bleach kills mold. Bleach is a powerful cleaning agent. It can kill a whole host of bacteria on non-porous items. Killing mold, however, is not something bleach was ever intended to do. In fact, bleach is not a remedy recommended by the EPA or OSHA. Using bleach could lead to more damage due to the corrosive nature of the product.  The same caution and advice holds for other consumer level retail cleaning products.

Cleaning up Mold Can Be Done Yourself. In small areas, this may be possible with the right products and equipment. Most people, however, are simply not equipped to do a proper mold remediation. Attempting to remediate a small area yourself could lead to larger problems if caution is not taken when disposing of mold infested debris. Lack of proper containment in a small area, could lead to infecting the entire residence causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Painting Over Mold Will Seal it and Prevent Regrowth. Also referred to as encapsulation this is a good method but only when done within a full mold remediation protocol. A common household fix is to use bleach to wipe down the problem area. Bleach will discolor the mold, but not remove it. Once the area is wiped down with bleach, then it is painted in hopes it will seal in any mold that was missed and prevent future mold from growing. This method does not work unless the initial cause of the mold growth is addressed and corrected. Underlying causes of mold can be excessive moisture or excessive humidity. If the moisture problem is not repaired or eliminated then the chances of the mold returning are greatly increased.

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SERVPRO® of North Raleigh & Wake Forest specializes in mold cleanup and restoration. Our crews are highly trained restoration professionals that use specialized equipment and techniques to properly remediate your mold problem quickly and safely.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call SERVPRO® of North Raleigh & Wake Forest Today 919-790-1222

Sources:

www.cdc.gov

www.epa.gov

www.osha.gov