Is Your Mold Removal Job Being Done Right?

Complete Mold Removal

We all know how bad mold is. Not only does it look terrible, but it causes allergic reactions and can even have long-term detrimental effects on your health. As Cache Valley’s top restoration company, mold removal is one of our primary services. We’ve talked at length about ways to prevent mold, which is the best approach, but despite our best efforts, sometimes we just can’t stop it. When that happens, it’s important to get rid of it fast. For that, you need to call in a professional company to clear it up.

But is that company doing the job completely?  You need to make sure you’re getting complete mold removal.

Fogging and Misting

Lately, we’re hearing a lot about fogging and misting. This is a process where mold killing chemicals are evaporated and spread with fogging machines. The chemicals are sprayed onto patches of mold to kill them. It does, in fact, kill the mold patches, and many companies like to float it as an option because it’s cheaper. A full removal adds hours of extra work and must include air quality tests to prove the mold has been taken out. Fogging is simply a faster and cheaper option. The problem is, it’s not a 100% viable solution for every infestation.  Many retailers are selling mold fogging machines online.

Not An Effective Mold Removal Tactic On Its Own

The IICR (The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration) is a public health organization that organizes and collects data on the best and most efficient practices for cleaning homes. They have released guidelines for the best ways to remove mold to best protect your health. The EPA backs their reports on the issue. In there 2015 summary and guidelines, they state that it is important to completely remove all mold, as even dead, mold can cause all the same allergic reactions and health problems as if it were still living. In their presentation, they advise that “Remediators should not mist or fog disinfectants or sanitizers in an attempt to kill mold in lieu of source removal.”

The main problem with fogging is that it kills mold patches, but leaves the dead mold in place. Since the mold remains in place, it still serves as a health issue. It may even provide the necessary foundation for new mold patches to grow. After fogging, the mold still has to be wiped or scrapped off of the surface to completely remove it. This can be a start to cleaning mold patches on bathroom tile, or hard, non-porous surfaces, but don’t leave the job half-finished.

Fogging Will Not Get All Mold Infestations

The secondary issue with fogging is there are some types of mold infestations it simply wwill not work on. It does not effectively kill mold that has seeped into porous substances, like drywall, paper, or decorative plants. While it might kill the visible colonies, patches inside the pores of these materials will survive and eventually regrow, requiring you to pay for another mold removal service much sooner than you should need it.

Against certain types of extremely toxic molds, the chemical used in standard fogging won’t kill the mold entirely, either. Fogging in this instance will still leave you vulnerable to the health-harming spores, even if the visible part of the colony has been killed.

Before you ask any mold removal company to clean your house, make sure you ask about the methods they use and make sure that they know the right answers. If they float fogging as cheap alternative to a full removal, make sure they aren’t trying to tell you that it’s a complete solution to all mold problems. If they try to tell you that fogging is a complete solution to all mold problems, they might not know their stuff as well as they claim.

Don’t Bleach It

Some people try to clean mold by filling spray bottles with bleach and spraying it on patches to kill them. This is a bad idea.  The first reason is because bleach is an extremely corrosive substance. It attacks metal and wood on contact, weakening the structural integrity of your house. Secondly, when it evaporates, it releases chlorine gas, which irritates the eyes and damages the lungs and skin.  The biggest reason, though, is because bleach won’t kill mold. It removes the color from the mold, and may kill some of the mold on the surface, but the roots, will survive. In another few weeks, it will grow again and you’ll have the same problem. Furthermore, bleach is 90% water.  When the chlorine evaporates, you’re left with damp walls. That’s the perfect setting for mold to grow in.

Mold Is Hard To Kill

Mold is hard to get rid of, plain and simple. There are no quick and easy solutions that work on all types, or on deep infestations. The main problem, as the video above explains, is that mold feeds by producing nets of filaments that produce digestive enzymes. These filaments spread far from the visible part of the infestation. Once they take root, the get into places that are extremely hard to reach. By the time you even see the mold colony, it’s already got deep roots. You need to get rid of the source. Even then, there’s still mold in the air.

Mold produces thousands of spores. There are so many types of mold out there that the air is always going to have these spores in them. Fortunately, as long as you avoid providing a place for mold to grow strong (see the articles we’ve linked to above), you’re unlikely to get enough mold to cause serious health issues. That’s why preventing mold is a much better option than trying to remove it.

But if you must have mold removed, it isn’t a job just any handy man can do.

Your Health Is Our Top Priority

Here at Alpine Cleaning and Restoration, complete mold removal is standard we live by. We do not use fogging machines because they don’t pass our air quality test afterward. Your health is simply not something we are willing to risk to get faster, cheaper results. When we do a mold removal job, we make sure to get it all. That not only means chemical cleaning, but also wiping down patches to fully remove dead mold. If we find infestations of porous materials, we will help you remove and replace the infected materials to ensure the patches won’t be back any time soon. After we’re done, we perform EPA certified air quality tests to make sure that your house is free and clean of this poisonous, smelly menace. When we finish the job, you know that your home is safe.

Give Us A Call

Hopefully, you’re doing your best to keep mold from getting a foothold, but it’s not an easy fight. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you’ll still get an infestation. Usually, these occur in bathrooms and basements. If you have a flood, even a small one, mold is almost certain to creep in afterward. If you need mold removal, don’t settle for a cheap alternative like fogging. It will leave the dead patches to hurt your health, or miss deep colonies that will quickly regrow. Your health is not you want to risk. Instead, get in touch with us and get the job done right.