Tips for a Mold-Free Bathroom

6/28/2021 (Permalink)

Keep the bathroom clean and dry to avoid mold growth.

Mold is almost always unwelcome when it shows up in the bathroom. Unfortunately, the warm, humid environment of bathrooms makes them particularly inviting to mold spores. If you don't respond quickly to shower mold, the spores can spread easily to other parts of the room and throughout your home. The good news is that getting rid of black mold in the bathroom is possible.

Mold-Free Bathroom

Understand Mold's Ability To Survive

You may not see them, but mold spores surround you everywhere you go. They exist in nature and thrive in even extreme situations as long as they have access to moisture and food. Anything that contains organic material can feed mold:

• Paper
• Wood
• Drywall
• Carpet
• Fabrics
• Shower caulk

The caulk (and other porous) building materials absorb and hold water and soap residue. These provide plenty of food for black mold to survive.

Keep the Bathroom Dry

Reduce humidity in the bathroom with plenty of ventilation, dehumidifiers, and fans. Remove wet clothes and towels from the room and completely dry the walls of the shower and other surfaces in the room. Removing sources of food and moisture is an effective way to avoid moldy spots in the room.

Discourage New Growth

There are some cleaning products you can use to discourage mold growth. Before using ammonia or other chemicals, open windows to provide ventilation and wear a respirator to protect yourself from fumes. (Never combine ammonia and other chemicals.) Spray the product on visible mold and let it sit for several minutes. After about ten minutes, use a brush to scrub the problem areas. You should notice improvement. If shower mold remains in spite of your efforts, it's time to call mold remediation professionals to take care of the problem.

Mold problems, including shower mold, often go much deeper than you can see. The best way to be sure you've treated mold thoroughly is to hire professionals with the right training and supplies.

How To Get Rid of Mold Odors

3/22/2021 (Permalink)

You might have to call in a professional to get rid of old quickly and completely.

When mold grows, it creates a compound known as mycotoxin. This toxin can produce some pretty strange odors. Fortunately, you can get rid of it using the proper methods.

Steps to Get Rid of Mold Odors

Find the Odor

To find the odor, you first have to recognize the odors. Unfortunately, there are many types of odors associated with mold and mildew. Sometimes it smells like cat urine, and other times it is just a musty odor or like something rotten. Since mold is designed to breakdown substances, people tend to associate the smells with rot.
Walk around your home and sniff, yes, it sounds strange, but if you can locate the odor's source, you can locate the mold. Be sure to check from floor to ceiling.

Check for Damp Spots

Once you've located where the odor is coming from, you need to look for damp spots. Sometimes they appear as brown or grey spots. Other times they don't appear at all. When you can't see anything, you can use a dampness meter to see if there is a damp area.
If you don't find anything and there is still an odor, you might have a leak behind your wall. In this case, you might have to call in a professional to cut a hole to check. Mycotoxin can be dangerous, so it is important to determine if the source of the odor is mold.

Fix Any Leaks and Dry the Area

If you do find a leak or moist spot from condensation, fix it as soon as possible. Leaks are a major source of mold and mildew and can cause high dollar damage very quickly.

Call in a Professional

A professional mold remediation company in Pocatello, ID, is your best bet for getting rid of mold quickly and completely. Some molds are very toxic and can be hard to remove. Mold is a very adaptive form of fungi, so over-the-counter cleaners might not be effective.

Once the mold is gone, your smell should disappear. Mycotoxin can cause various smells, so any odd or rotting smell should be investigated and dealt with promptly.

Do's and Don'ts when you find Mold.

3/18/2021 (Permalink)

Do not disturb visible mold.

If you see visible mold, do not disturb it. By disturbing mold, you can easily spread the mold spores throughout your home. When mold is disturbed, it can release microscopic mold spores which become airborne and can circulate inside your home.

What to Do:

1. Stay out of affected areas.
2. Turn off the HVAC system and fans.
3. Contact SERVPRO® of Blackfoot/Pocatello for mold remediation services.

What Not to Do:

1. Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
2. Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
3. Don’t attempt to dry the area yourself.
4. Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.

SERVPRO® of Blackfoot/Pocatello specializes in mold cleanup and restoration, in fact, it’s a cornerstone of our business.  Our crews are highly trained restoration professionals that use specialized equipment and techniques to properly remediate your mold problem quickly and safely.

About SERVPRO of Blackfoot/Pocatello

SERVPRO™ of Blackfoot/Pocatello specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property. 

What Can I Expect During the Mold Remediation Process?

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

Hire mold remediation professionals for mold cleanup

When you discover mold growth in your home in Pocatello, ID, it's essential to begin the mold removal process immediately. Mold can quickly take control of your home. The longer you wait to start remediation, the more costly it could be. It's also crucial that you hire mold remediation professionals to do the job, as it could be much more extensive than you think. First, you'll need to hire a mold inspector to evaluate the size of the infestation.

5 Steps of The Mold Remediation Process

If you decide to hire professionals, here's what you can expect:

1. Isolate

It's essential during mold remediation to isolate the affected area to prevent cross-contamination. In severe cases, especially in black mold removal, polyurethane sheeting may be used to seal windows and doorways. If it's less severe, it could only require putting down plastic sheeting and closing all windows and doors.

2. Wear PPE

The team will have to wear head-to-toe personal protective equipment throughout the process (e.g., hair coverings, goggles, respirator masks, coveralls, gloves and shoe coverings). This PPE protects the workers and helps prevent cross-contamination.

3. Discard Materials

All contaminated materials must be removed from the area (e.g., flooring, drywall, insulation). Before they begin the mold removal process, you may see them misting the area with water. This is to suppress dust to limit mold spores in the air. They'll double-bag affected materials in thick plastic bags and seal them. Then, the bags will be sprayed with a disinfecting mist to kill any remaining mold spores.

4. Clean

Next, the workers will clean the remaining surfaces that can't be removed. Vigorous scrubbing will release the mold from the surfaces. Then, the surfaces will be wiped down with single-use cloths. Once everything is clean, the workers will apply biocide, which they typically leave overnight, still keeping the area sealed off.

5. Dry

The area must then be dried thoroughly. This typically involves industrial fans, dehumidifiers and heaters.

Mold spores are tiny yet hardy organisms that can quickly and quietly invade your home. It's crucial that mold removal experts promptly start working to return your home to its pre-mold condition.

Mold Damage and Recovering Your Belongings

11/18/2020 (Permalink)

Save your closet and clothes from mold growth.

When mold damage leads to the deterioration of structural elements of your home, it's only natural for your focus to be on completing any related mold cleaning. However, many homeowners overlook damage to their belongings during this process. Unfortunately, if spores are allowed to remain on furnishings, clothing, books, and other belongings, new growth could occur.

Methods for Saving Belongings From Mold

The good news is that there are several methods available to mold remediation professionals as they address mold cleaning and repair in your home:

• Wet and dry cleaning
  
• Spray and wipe for surfaces that can't stand up to wet cleaning
  
• Foam cleaning for upholstery
  
• Immersion cleaning that gets cleaning products into all the nooks and crannies
  
• Abrasive cleaning for surfaces that require a more aggressive approach
  

For many of your belongings, such as pillows, the best option is to throw them out and replace them. However, these cleaning methods can be used to save your sentimental and hard to replace items.

Items To Save and Items To Throw Away

How can you decide whether an item is worth saving or should be thrown out? For many of your possessions, you can probably make a quick decision to throw them away because they'll be relatively easy to replace. However, when you get to items such as baby phots, wedding certificates, and childhood mementos, the decision becomes harder. For each of these belongings, consider the following:

• Do professionals have a treatment method appropriate for the belonging?
  
• How expensive will it be to clean it?
  
• Is the item important enough to you that you don't mind paying for the cleanup?
  
• Will the insurance company pay for cleaning?
  

If you have a family genealogy record that has been passed down through the generations, you probably won't mind paying to have it freeze-dried and restored. A crocheted baby blanket from a loving family member may be a different matter.

Mold remediation is crucial to protecting your Blackfoot, ID, home from further damage. Happily, there are methods of mold cleaning available to save many of the items you don't want to lose.

Your nose can detect MOLD!

2/23/2019 (Permalink)

Here is one of our team members in full gear while removing and cleaning mold.

SERVPRO of Blackfoot/Pocatello has held a Continuing Education Class for Realtors on Mold.  SERVPRO offers these Continuing Ed classes to both Insurance and Realtor Professionals Free of Charge.  Realtors from Shelley, Blackfoot, Pocatello and surrounding areas gain valuable knowledge on the factors, dangers and remedies for mold.  SERVPRO stresses that first it is important to remove the moisture source, make sure the area is entirely dry and afterwards a in-depth cleaning is in order.  SERVPRO also warns of the importance of wearing a mask that can filter the fine particles and gas as well as other proper protective equipment.  We here at SERVPRO explain the biggest indicator of mold is your nose since mold can grow anywhere there is moisture and leaves a bad smell.

Here are some suggestions homeowners can do to prevent mold from getting out of hand included keeping crawlspace/attics, and storage areas vents open year-round and making sure attics have proper ventilation. Since airflow is extremely important, we also suggest making sure dryer vents are properly attached and that the air flows to the outside of the house, not under it.

Does your Blackfoot/Pocatello home have a Mold Problem?

7/25/2018 (Permalink)

Example of mold found in a personal home.

Microscopic mold spores naturally occur almost everywhere, both outdoors and indoors. This makes it impossible to remove all mold from a home or business. Therefore, mold remediation reduces the mold spore count back to its natural or baseline level. Some restoration businesses advertise “mold removal” and even guarantee to remove all mold, which is a false statement. Think about the following mold facts:

• Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
• Mold spores are microscopic and float along in the air and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
• Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. These colonies may produce allergens and irritants.
• Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed. Otherwise, the mold may return.
• Mold often produces a strong, musty odor and can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
• Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.

If your home or business has a mold problem, we can inspect and assess your property and use our training, equipment, and knowledge to remediate your mold issue.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today –(208)242-3819

Tips on Mold Growth

7/13/2018 (Permalink)

When spring has arrived so has the rainy season.  Rain can bring the opportunity for mold growth to present itself in your home. Due to this, we suggest that you call SERVPRO of Blackfoot/Pocatello at the first sight of any moisture or growth. If you feel that you have discovered mold in your home or office, we are here to help.

Mold and fungal spores occur naturally outdoors, where fungi are the earth’s recyclers.  Indoor, mold needs moisture to grow.  With this being said it can cause many problems when water damage, or humidity, or dampness is present.

Common ways for excessive moisture that can lead to mold can include:

• Damp crawl spaces
• Flooding from surface water (storms, flooded streets, etc.)
• Roof leaks
• Leaking pipes
• Sewer back ups

How to prevent mold growth:

• Control excessive moisture and condensation
• Keeping susceptible areas in your home clean and dry

 In the case of leaking pipes or a flood, standing water needs to be taken care of immediately. When materials are wet they should be clean, removed, replaced or dried out.  Items that have been wet for 48 hours or more have a bigger chance to grow mold and need to be thrown away. In any instance where you may have mold called SERVPRO of Blackfoot/Pocatello at 208.242.3819  

When is mold really mold?

1/24/2018 (Permalink)

Unseen mold behind a wall in our customers home

We often get calls from clients that think they have mold in their homes, asking us for an estimate to remediate or clean the area. In some cases, it may not necessary, because, what the home owner is actually seeing is either, remains of insects from getting in your home or wear and tear stains.

It looks just like mold but it's not. How can you tell?

Try rubbing the surface with your finger to determine if the spot is hard and/or soft and dusty. If it's hard, it's probably not mold.... If you are still not certain, give us call for some advice on what to do.

There's no sense spending money if you do not have to...

We are here to help you! Call SERVPRO of Blackfoot/Pocatello at (208) 242-3819