If there’s water damage—even serious moist—molds can develop within 48 hours. When there’s high temperature and humidity, plus lack of light and air circulation, molds can grow fast.

During a flood cleanup, the indoor air quality in your home or in your office may seem to be the least of your problems. Failure to remove contaminated materials and lessen dampness and humidity can present serious long-term health risks. Wet materials are a nurturing ground for microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and molds. They can trigger diseases like allergic reactions and continue to damage materials after the flood.

A flooded basement after heavy rains and moldy drywall and grout are no fun to deal with. Here are 5 tips on how to handle damage after mold infestation if ever it occurs.

Tip 1: Control indoor moisture to prevent mold
One of the few things to do to stop mold and mildew is to control dampness. The worst epidemics usually occur in damp shafts, walls, and attics wherein water has leaked in from the outside. Also, these can happen in the basements and buildings with poor foundation drainage. The best defense to keep water away from the foundation is to ensure good ventilation in attics, stop the leaks, and keep shafts dry.

Tip 2: Make sure that your bath fan is big enough
The next thing that you should consider about how to prevent mold after water damage is whether your bath fan is big enough. If the fans are not clearing out most of the dampness in your bathrooms after five to ten minutes, your fans might not be moving enough air. Fans are certified by the volume of air being exhausted out of the room. Replace your fan with a larger model if it's too small for the size of your bathroom.

Tip 3: Consider humidity sensors
Bath fan timers are important because excess humidity can cause everything from the window compendium and mildew to damp and rot inside walls. Some new wall switch timers have dual controls for turning off both lights and fans after using. For ultimate usage in smart bath fan timers, purchase a humidity-sensing fan designed to turn on and off automatically as the dampness levels at the ceiling rise and fall.

Tip 4: Clean off your shower after using
After taking a bath or shower, use a sponge, an unused cloth, or a towel to clean off the shower walls. This is to eliminate at least three-fourths of the dampness that supports the growth of mold and mildew.

Tip 5: Remove visible mold immediately
Molds grow on surfaces in just any moisture location, such as the grout lines of a ceramic tile shower. Use detergent and water to scrub off any mold that sticks to the surface of your foundation and let it dry. You can use a solution composed of 10 percent bleach and 90 percent water. You can spray or brush the solution and let it sit for 10 minutes. Rinse it off and let it dry.

Summary

People should follow these tips in handling damage after mold infestation when they return to their homes or buildings:

First tip is to remove all absorptive items that have been wet for 48 hours and cannot be thoroughly dried and cleaned. These things are the causes of mold growth and should be removed from the home or building. Absorptive, hard-to-clean items include carpeting and carpet padding, wallpaper, upholstery, ceiling tiles, drywall, and insulation material. Cleaning and eradication are important because even dead molds cause allergic reactions.

Second tip is to clean wet items and surfaces with detergent and water to avoid mold growth.

Third tip is to stock damaged or junked items outside your home or building until insurance claims can be processed.

In an area flooded by clean water, detergent and water might be enough for cleaning mold covering. Flood water is likely to be contaminated after hurricanes and major floods. You will need a professional damage restoration company for this.

There is a company that specializes in mold remediation and can assess the issues regarding the cleaning up of homes after flooding and infestation by molds. If you need help with mold remediation in Mayo, we can give you that. ServiceMaster by PWF offers mold inspection and remediation in Day and mold removal in Airline. We are also known as a mold removal company in Alton, Cooks Hammock, Hatchbend or Midway, Florida. ServiceMaster by PWF has your back! We also offer our services outside Lafayette County. Contact our branch nearest you! Pinellas: 813-295-7797, Ocala: 352-292-8988, Gainesville: 352-441-3020, Lake City: 386-866-3349, Duvall | Clay | St. John: 904-999-4481