There various types of mold out there and not all of them are toxic, but in case you are affected by black mold, then a black mold removal operation needs to be initiated urgently.
You can go for a ‘do it yourself mold removal’. However, it is recommended that you use a professional company for this purpose. Whatever your choice is, it is good to be knowledgeable on what are the key steps involved.
How To Recognize Black Mold
When confronted with mold, first you need to identify what type of mold it is. Many types of mold are harmless, so it is important to identify upfront how serious the situation is. The toxic black mold is also known as Stachybotrys Atra is one of the most dangerous types of mold.
You can recognize black mold by paying attention to the following elements:
- Smell: does it have a musty and mildew smell?
- Color: does it have a greenish-black color?
- Location: has the affected place been exposed to high humidity lately? Black mold commonly appears in areas where excessive moisture has been present.
Black Mold Symptoms
Black mold symptoms are very serious and they pose a real danger to the health. There is a very wide variety of symptoms and many times it’s hard to identify the root cause. However, in case you suffer from any of these and on top you noticed in your house traces of mold, this should be a alarm signal. The most common symptoms include:
- Psychological conditions: depression, memory loss
- Symptoms similar to cold: cough, itchy-eyes, sneezing
- Respiratory issues: any trouble in breathing normally
- Loss of hearing
To note, in the most severe cases, black mold can even cause death, especially in poisoned infants and in individuals already having respiratory issues.
Black Mold Inspection
Move everybody away from the areas plagued by black mold. You should proceed immediately to removing the mold, but a bit of a homework is needed before. It is important to identify all the areas plagued with mold and to address the root cause of excessive moisture.
You may want to double-check first the areas traditionally known to favor mold growth, i.e. bathroom, basement, attic, vents, etc. Check for any pipe leaks or floods.
Then, examine carefully the entire house and map the places in which you can feel a musty smell and where you can see the greenish-black mold.
A thorough mold testing and mold inspection is needed before moving to the next step.
How To Get Rid Of Black Mold
It is important to get rid of the black mold in a way that solves the problem long term. To this end, you need to make sure you accurately identify and address the root cause(s) of the problem. You need to determine what caused the excessive moisture. Was it lack of air circulation, or maybe a flood? Improve ventilation, repair leaky pipes, install a drainage system, and so on. Whatever it is, fix it.
Then, you are ready to proceed to removing the mold. You will need to prepare properly for this operation, with eye protection, respiratory mask, gloves, cloth or sponges and cleansing solution.
You can prepare the cleansing solution yourself or you can buy a dedicated black mold removal product. If you settle for home remedies, a good solution is using a pure bleach and water combination. Just use the one gallon of water to one cup of bleach ratio.
Before you start the cleaning, isolate the area, in order to prevent the spreading of mold spores. Then clean-up the mold thoroughly. It is recommended to use a two-step approach. First, you can just use a soap and water solution to pre-clean the areas. This will remove most of the mold and enables you to use the strong solution only on the remaining one. After you finish the cleansing operation, it is important to let the area to dry properly.
Finally, get rid of the materials employed during the removal process: disposable clothing, protective gear, cloth and any other potentially contaminated items.
Next Steps
Monitor your house via checking regularly for any black mold signs. If your removal operation was not successful, do use a professional black mold removal company. The process above is actually outlined in order to have a rough understanding of the steps involved. However, the best approach is to use professional black mold remediation services right from the start.
