Oh No! You Have Mold!

3/4/2021 (Permalink)

Microbial Growth on the wall of this Port Richey office.

Do’s and Don’ts of Mold

Discovering Mold in your home or business can be intimidating. Luckily SERVPRO of West Pasco technicians are trained and certified to help. Microbial growth can be tricky. What most people don’t realize is that it IS a living, breathing organism. This means that not only can it grow and expand throughout the entire property, it also has defense mechanisms to protect it. Below we will go over some Do’s and Don’ts when you find growth in your home or business.

DON’T

• Spray anything directly on the growth

Like we discussed, mold is living and it will attack. When a solution is sprayed onto any growth, it immediately shoots its spoors out in defense. This is something you obviously can’t see with your naked eye but if it is sending spoors in other directions and you’re only focused on cleaning what you visually see, it will begin to grow in the new areas.

DO

• Use a solution and clean rag or sponge

If you would like to attempt to clean up a small amount of visual growth before you give us a call, we can offer some advice. Hot water and dawn dish soap or bleach can work wonders, but the way you use it is what is most important. Soak and rag or sponge in the hot water solution and simply wipe the mold away. This catches growth off guard and allows you to safely remediate the issue.

DON’T

• Disturb anything you see

If you happen to discover what looks like possible mold, its important that you do not disturb it. This goes with our last tip that we discussed. The second that mold is disturbed, it starts to spread at a higher rate of speed. If  you’re in the middle of a remodel, or maybe you have a second home you’ve returned to and discovered possible mold growth it’s extremely important that you do not touch it. Obviously a small amount of mold in the shower is normal, but anything over 10 sq feet needs a licensed Hygienist to write a proper protocol on the steps that need to be taken to remediate it properly.

DO

• Cover it up!

Obviously, we suggest you call us here at SERVPRO of West Pasco immediately if growth is discovered in your home or business but in the mean time covering the affected area is the safest thing to do. If its in a small room, we suggest closing any air vents and shutting that room off to the rest of the building. If its in a small area of a larger room, taping it off with plastic sheeting can do the trick! This will help contain -the area until remediation can begin!

-Of course, we always recommend you give us a call at 727-847-3000 for any remediation project or with questions! We are happy to help make it “Like it never even happened.”