These steps are listed for educational purposes only. It is best to hire a professional mold removal service to handle serious water damage, water removal, and mold removal.
- Put on protective gear. Wear protective gloves, eye goggles, and a professional respirator with a rating of N-95 or more.
- Isolate the work area from the rest of the home and open up some ventilation to the outside. You should seal off moldy areas from the rest of the home or building to prevent the mold spores from spreading outside the enclosed space. You should seal it off completely. Open up windows to the outside. Turn off the central air system.
- Set aside moldy, porous materials in plastic bags. Remove and discard flooded upholstery, mattresses, fabric, etc. Clean, completely disinfect, and dry important items if you want to keep them.
- Finish cleaning and sanitation. You need to remove molds, not just kill them, since dead mold spores can be just as bad for you as live spores. Mold can be removed from non-porous materials like metal, glass, concrete, etc. Make sure you follow the directions carefully when using cleaning agents, bleach, and disinfectants. Some chemicals cannot be mixed together.
- Open up the windows and use heavy-duty fans to get rid of those lingering mold spores that remain.
- Speed-dry everything. Close your windows and use heaters, air conditioners, fans, and dehumidifiers to dry off the wet materials as quickly as you can.
- Be vigilant for mold. Mold can come back in a couple of days. If it does come back, repeat the cleaning process all over again and use speed drying equipment.
These seven steps listed here should offer a loose outline of what to do if you need to remove mold from a water-damaged home.