Hi norton-ga
The last sentence seems to be the heart of your question: "I sprayed
it with bleach and water, will this work or is the mattress garbage?
How abour my sofa and cushions? Oriental rugs? What should
our concerns be? We stayed it the trailer for 5 months "
First of all I hope you read this soon before you do anything on your
own without finding out if the material is toxic mold or not.
If it is not toxic, you still need to exercise caution because molds
release spores if they are disturbed. Discard moldy items. Use
chlorine bleach solution (1 part bleach and 4 parts water) to kill and
wipe off the mold. Add detergent to cut through dirt and grease. If
you even suspect "black mold," call your state department of health or
consult professionals (Industrial Hygiene consultants in Yellow Pages
or the American Industrial Hygiene Association at
( http://www.aiha.org ).
You mentioned that you used bleach and water already so you were on
target providing these are non-toxic molds. And I want to keep
jumping on the fact that you do it your self ONLY IF IT IS A NON-TOXIC
MOLD). (sorry for shouting, sometimes I just get carried away)
It seems as though the mold has attached itself to items of furniture
such as your mattress. Have you taken those items of furniture inside
the new house yet? If you have, you have carried the spores in with
it.
There really is no easy way to sample air in your home to find out
what type of molds are present. Even if your home is tested, it is
uncertain at what levels molds would cause health problems. Hazardous
levels are unknown and there have never been any exposure guidlines
established. It is more important to get rid of the mold rather than
find out more about it. Even non-toxic molds emit water, carbon
dioxide and volatile organic compounds such as alcohols and aldehydes.
When inhaled, these chemicals irritate respiratory passages.
If it is any help, I went through a mold situation in the house last
year. I was lucky, the material was not toxic mold, but was dark
which made it suspicious and carried a strong odor of must and mildew.
(mildew actually grows on an underlying mold base) It was the odor
that tipped me off into looking into things. Sometimes a bad smell
can be a good friend.
I have a mix of good and bad news for you. Your mattress is garbage.
You can only effectively clean the surface of it but spores are in the
springs, the filling material, and all through areas you cannot reach
with your bleach application. If you use a professional service, your
couches, chairs, rugs, etc can be treated and saved. They did this
house in two days and the only thing lost were the mattresses. While
they are cleaning the house of mold, I would also suggest you launder
every piece of fabric you have. They can get the place clean, but if
you are still hosting spores in the closet and linen cabinets, it will
just come back.
After you have eliminated the mold, the only effective way to control
air contaminants like molds, fungi, etc, is to control the cause.
Eliminate the sources of moisture and reduce humidity in your house.
Repair any water leaks in the roof, walls or basement. Cut back
condensation on walls and windows by maintaining a low relative
humidity in your home, ideally 30-40 percent. Humidity measuring
devices are available at most hardware stores.
Basements or slabs are the leading source of moisture. Pores in
concrete not only let in moisture, but they actively draw it inside by
capillary action. The average basement lets in 18 gallons of water
each day, several times more than bathrooms and kitchen combined. You
may want to have any concrete around your house sealed.
Once again, find out if it is toxic before you do anything. If you
try to clean it yourself, you will probably just spread it. And the
exposure to it during cleaning can cause nervous system symptoms such
as personality changes, sleep disorders, and memory loss. It has been
linked to fatal bleeding in the lungs of infants and the elderly.
I tried to cover all of your question: "I sprayed it with bleach and
water, will this work" - yes, you did the right thing and the mix will
work in many situations. "...is the mattress garbage?" - I would have
to say 'yes.' "How abour my sofa and cushions? Oriental rugs?" -
they can be cleaned and saved. What should
our concerns be? - As you can see, your concerns are serious. If you
have already moved furniture, clothing, etc, into your new home, the
contamination is already there whether toxic varieties or not. You
have to eliminate it now or it will follow you forever. If you do not
eliminate it, spores will follow wherever you move. That is one of
the more obnoxious aspects of mold. Once you have it, you have it
forever without taking action to put an end to it.
If I can clarify anything, please let me know.
Your best source for professional help is American Industrial Hygiene
Association. they can put you in touch with the right people in your
area and even provide lab service among other thngs. the URL is
above.
Search - Google - personal experience - material provided by the
company who eliminated the mold from my house
Key words - household molds, black mold, mycotoxins, Stachybotrys and
Memnoniella
Since this is a problem I have already gone through, I hope you will
come back and let me know how things turn out for you.
Cheers
digsalot-ga |
