Mold and Moisture
A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home
Mold Cleanup
| Table of Contents |
| Mold Basics |
| Mold Cleanup |
| Mold Cleanup Guidelines |
| What to Wear When Cleaning Moldy Areas |
| Moisture and Mold Prevention and Control Tips |
| Hidden Mold |
PDF Version (20 pp., 1.4 M, about PDF)
Una Breve Guía para el Moho, la Humedad y su Hogar (PDF) (11 pp., 1.28 M, disponible en PDF). Documento de la agencia EPA número 402-K-03-008, reimprimido el 2010 de mayo.
If you already have a mold problem - ACT QUICKLY. Mold damages what it grows on. The longer it grows, the more damage it can cause.
Leaky window - mold is beginning to rot the wooden frame and windowsill.
Who should do the cleanup depends on a number of factors. One consideration is the size of the mold problem. If the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (less than roughly a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch), in most cases, you can handle the job yourself, follow the guidelines. However:
- If there has been a lot of water damage, and/or mold growth covers more than 10 square feet, consult EPA's
Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings. Although focused on schools and commercial buildings, this document is applicable to other building types.
- If you choose to hire a contractor (or other professional service provider) to do the cleanup, make sure the contractor has experience cleaning up mold. Check references and ask the contractor to follow the recommendations in EPA's Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, the guidelines of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygenists (ACGIH), or other guidelines from professional or government organizations.
- If you suspect that the heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system may be contaminated with mold (it is part of an identified moisture problem, for
instance, or there is mold near the intake to the system), consult EPA's guide Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned? before taking further action. Do not run the HVAC system if you know or suspect that it is contaminated with mold - it could spread mold throughout the building.
- If the water and/or mold damage was caused by sewage or other contaminated water, then call in a professional who has experience cleaning and fixing buildings damaged by contaminated water.
- If you have health concerns, consult a health professional before starting cleanup.
Additional Resource
The publication, "Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings", is available in HTML and PDF (56 pp., 1.6 M) [EPA 402-K-01-001, reprinted September 2008]