BY DOUG HILL, TY-DAN ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS

Mould in your home can cause chronic health problems, like allergic reactions and infections.  If the mould is not toxic and is confined to a small area, here are some steps you can take to remove  it.

1) Wear protective clothing

During the cleaning process,  mould spores are often released into the air, so always wear protective clothing, like a respirator mask, gloves, goggles, and protective clothing.

2) Isolate mould spores

Do your best to seal off the area or the room during the cleaning process, so the spores don’t spread to the rest of your house.  Use plastic sheets and tape to seal doorways, vents, and other openings.

3) Create negative pressure

Run a fan to exhaust air out of a nearby window or door, so that airborne spores are vented outside.  Be sure to turn off air conditioning units or heat pumps also.

4) Remove the mould

If the mould is dry, use a spray bottle to first moisten the area slightly, as dry mould sheds more spores than wet, when disturbed.  Then, use a cleaning solution to remove the mould, such as bleach, borax, ammonia, or vinegar.

5) Prevent mould from returning

Next, use a mould-killing solution to wipe down the walls in the area.  Even non-infected areas will have some spores on them, so make sure to clean all the walls and any belongings in the area.

6) Clean belongings

Non-porous materials, like metal, glass, and plastic, can be cleaned and salvaged.  

Porous materials, like carpets, clothes, books, and so on, may not be worth saving depending upon how valuable they are and how badly they are infected.

7) HEPA vacuum

Once everything is completely dry, thoroughly clean the room with a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner to get rid of stray spores.

8) Dispose of the mould

After the cleaning process, remove the mould and mouldy items from the room in sealed plastic bags to avoid spreading spores into other areas of your house.  

Repeat the above steps,one room at a time, sealing off the infected area each time.  If the problem is widespread, it’s best to call an expert.