Steps to prevent mold after damaging water Remove or drain water. Use towels to dry wet floors and furniture. Use a dehumidifier to minimize humidity. Disinfect walls, baseboards, floors and other surfaces.
Mold and mildew can develop 24 to 48 hours after exposure to water, so act immediately to clean things up and make your home dry again. The sooner you take action, the more you can contain potential mold growth and avoid associated health risks. Rent a wet and dry vacuum to remove standing water in your home if the area is less than 10 square feet and there is less than an inch of water. Protect yourself with appropriate equipment before coming into contact with contaminated water.
Wear safety goggles, gloves, boots, long sleeves, long pants, and a mask (such as an N-95 respirator). If standing water consumes an area of more than 10 square feet or there is more than an inch of water, call a water damage restoration company in your area for help. If you know how to check for mold and you've already noticed that some mold is growing, stop it until it's gone. If it's a smaller area, such as 10 square feet or less, you can choose to clean it yourself.
Disinfect hard surfaces, such as baseboards and walls, with a cleaning solution made from 1.5 cups of fresh chlorine bleach in a gallon of water. Wear protective equipment, such as a face mask and rubber gloves, while cleaning with this solution. Spray a solution of 10% fresh bleach in 90 percent water on any visible mold. To prevent mold or mold spores from getting into your eyes, wear glasses that don't have ventilation holes.
Eliminate conditions that encourage mold growth or that make it difficult to properly clean water damage. The next thing to consider to prevent mold after water damage is if your bathroom fan is big enough. If the water damage is less than 48 inches high and the sheets of gypsum were hung horizontally, the seam provides a practical stopping point. Here are some tips to help you prevent water damage and mold growth in the first place, and tips for managing these situations if they occur.
A combination of water, food, temperature and time creates the conditions that allow mold to grow after water damage. Understanding how mold develops, where water damage is found, and what to do about it will help you prevent mold after water damage. Even the most affordable rental dehumidifiers can extract 18 to 20 gallons of water from the air per day, and they also have automatic pumping functions that help prevent the water tank from constantly emptying. If water damage or a mold problem seems to be out of control, it's best to hire a certified mold removal provider near where you live to assess the situation and get everything back to its normal, dry state quickly.
If possible, clean up damage caused by black water first before continuing damage caused by gray, clear water. Once you've dried your home due to water damage, broken pipes, a leaky water heater, a groundwater intrusion, or a flood affecting your area, mold can grow for a long time afterwards. Another important thing to know to prevent mold after water damage is how to act quickly in an emergency.
