Mold FAQ: Winning The War On Mold And Mildew

* Does bleach kill mold?

Yes, bleach kills mold. It is an effective chemical for killing all kinds of molds. Bleach is an acid, and acids are effective killers of microorganisms. However, take care in handling bleach, as acids are known to be as hard on your skin as on the molds.

Most bleach contains chlorine, a chemical that is used commercially to kill microorganisms in public water supplies and swimming pools. Chlorine is also known to be a good choice for killing molds and disinfecting your home.

Just be sure that the bleach you buy does contain chlorine, because there are several non-chlorine bleaches on the market. There are also levels of acidity for chlorine. Strong chlorine is best for killing molds.


* Can I clean and restore all the items in my home that have been affected by mold?

Yes. Things that have been affected by molds can be cleaned and restored in many ways. The easiest way is simply with detergent soaps, but detergent will only clean things that have been mildly affected by mold.

Another way to clean up mold is to use any of the chemical products available commercially. Most of these chemicals not only clean but it disinfect and kill molds or fungi. When the molds have been killed, restoring items becomes much easier.


* What should I do if I?ve cleaned the mold but it keeps coming back?

The best thing to do when molds keep coming back is to prevent its growth. This can be done by acting quickly on water leaks that will cause dampness and encourage mold growth.

Try to reduce humidity. Reducing humidity means reducing the growth of molds. Using air conditioners or dehumidifiers is one effective way of reducing humidity.

Prevention of condensation is another way of keeping molds from coming back. You can prevent condensation by reducing humidity. Increasing ventilation is another way.

Keeping your home dry will ensure your home is mold-free.

If you've significantly reduced the humidity and condensation in your home and the mold is still growing, you've most likely got a problem area in your home that you may not be aware of. Perhaps you have previous water damage that was not cleaned properly, or you may have a leaky pipe. When all is said and done, you may need to call in a mold remediation specialist.


* How do I know when the mold cleanup is complete?

The simple answer is that you'll know the mold cleanup is complete when there is no visible mold remaining. There should also be no dust or dirt remaining that could contain large amounts of mold and mold spores.

Once this has been accomplished, testing for mold is really not necessary. Leaving a few mold spores behind is not a problem if the moisture problem that caused the mold in the first place has been corrected. Keep in mind that mold spores are virtually everywhere. Even if every mold spore is removed during the cleanup, spores from outside will re-enter the house or building. However, the mold spores will not be able to grow unless moisture is present.

Maye Teasdale is editor of Mold Tip, the online guide to Mold. She also writes Mold FAQ's for PrettyGreatAnswers.com.

RV Tips for Keeping Your RV Mold and Mildew Free

For RV'ers, nothing is more enchanting than a long road trip with many sights to see along the way. However, nothing can be more frustrating than having problems with your vehicle while on the road trying to have fun. Especially if those problems involve water leaking into your RV while you are out touring a rainy region or flooding from a leaky toilet or sink. Although mold can form while you out on the road, most mold and mildew formation occurs during those months when it is in storage. Under a tarp or stored in a warm, humid storage facility, your RV could become an incubator for mold and mildew. Once you've got it, it can be tricky to learn how to clean up mold properly - the best method is prevention. To follow are 3 tips for preventing mold and mildew from forming in your RV.

Check Your Plumbing and Ventilation

Every time you leave for one of your RV adventures, check or hire someone to check your toilet valves, lines, and your RV toilet stop to ensure it is all working correctly. Make sure your bathroom is vented properly because poor ventilation in small spaces with ample water is a perfect place for mold to grow. Don't forget to have someone look at the plumbing under your sinks and your waiste disposal system. The last thing you need is a leaky toilet or sink supply line soaking your carpet while you're blissfully charging down the road to that next destination.

Keep Tabs on Your Roof and Ceiling

Make sure your roof is water tight by inspecting the caulking, moulding and seams. Examine your roof carefully at least twice a year for exposed fasteners, cracked seams, UV deterioration, mold and mildew, water spots on the ceiling. One clear indicator for RV roof deterioration is a chalky white substance left in your driveway when you wash your RV. If you are a "do-it-yourself-er" (DIY-er), you could start by spraying water and trying to determine the source of the leak, replacing leaky roof vents, removing old caulking and replacing it with new, and repairing damaged seams. If your roof is in need of repair and you are not a DIY-er you may want to try a liquid roof system with no caulk, seams, or leaks.

 

Prevent Mold from Forming During Storage

Store your travel vehicle under a cover that will protect it from the elements while allowing it to breathe, while venting inside water vapor to prevent mold, mildew from forming. One can find a whole host of RV covers that are triple - layered to provide ample UV protection, air vents to reduce wind lofting and inside moisture for around $300.00 with a 3-year warranty. Though the best method is prevention, if you do discover you have mold, you need to think about the health implications. Make sure it is cleaned up properly, and, that you get an air cleaner or purifier to keep yourself and your loved ones from breathing in the spores.

Check for Hidden Mold and Clean it Up

Sometimes mold clean up requires some good detective work where you will have to learn to "follow your nose". Follow the smell and feel around for dampness. Even when mold is not visible on carpets and walls it may be growing on carpet padding or inside walls. Inspect, or have inspected, your air conditioning system ducts for mold, dampness. Once mold spores form in a heating or AC system, they will be spread around the entire space. This could cause some major health problems. For more on how to locate mold and remove it, read this >>

Article by: Adam O'Connor, RV Travel Pro

Water Damage Repairs - Prevent Harmful Mold From Forming

The harmful effects of mold span the immune system and respiratory system. Most molds grow on wood, fiber, or paper that has gotten wet for more than a few days. One of the main causes of household mold is water damage that is improperly repaired. Whenever these kinds of situations arise, it is essential not only to the vitality of the home, but to the health and well being of its occupants as well to repair the mold and damage from water whether you are in Houston or Hawaii. There are many methods that you can use to repair water damage in home depending on the location of the damage.

Knowing What to Repair

You can determine many of the repairs that need to be made by simply looking around the home for the places that water damaged. Sometimes basement water damage is easier to fix than water damage in other parts of the home because there is less furniture and other amenities in the basement. Once you have determined the places that need water damage, then you can start to make the repairs.

Completing the Repairs By Clearing The Air

When you have finished making the repairs, it might be difficult to know your indoor air quality has been affected because of the water damage. Sometimes there could be even the slightest amount of moisture in even the most remote locations of the home that can have a negative affect on the air. This is not desirable as it can lead to many health problems. At the very least, you need to get a good air purifier. Locating the right air purification equipment for you can be a challenge. You should also hire a professional to conduct an air quality lab report in order to determine if your air quality is safe for breathing. If the professional determines that pollutants are found at unsafe levels, then he or she will make recommendations as to what you can do to make sure the air is safe. For tips on selecting the air purifier that is right for you, click here >>.

Regardless of the location, water damage should be repaired so that mold does not grow inside the home and the air quality remains at a safe level.

By: Adam O'Connor, www.purehouseair.com

Advice Columnist

Plastic Molding Stacked In Your Favor

When the pressure is on for manufacturers to meet the challenges of today's market, creative thinking offers solutions that may work better than immediately resorting to cheap labor in lower cost countries. Stack mold capability is one such answer to the challenge of high quality, fast production, and lower costs.

Imagine the potential of molding a multi-part product all at the same time, and in the same machine! This not only helps to minimize up front tooling expenses, but it also helps to meet the needs of lean manufacturing, just-in-time delivery, minimal inventories, and fast, high quality output.

Advantages to using the stack mold process include faster machine changeover times and the ability to run multiple parts in smaller tonnage molding presses. This allows for lower hourly machine rates. With only a slight change in cycle times over single injection mold tooled parts, and roughly the same amount of locking pressure, the stack mold process is a cost effective means of increasing productivity.

Because of faster machine changeover times, coupled with lean manufacturing techniques, plastic injection molded products made with the stack mold process are ideally suited for both large and small runs. This not only reduces production costs, any retooling or mold changeovers needed are more flexible. It also allows scalability if quantities required are subject to changes.

Stack mold capability offers increased plastics production flexibility, reduced production costs, and shorter delivery times. You may want to explore the possibility that stack mold capability might be the ideal solution for your plastic production project.

Steve Chittenden is the webmaster for H&L Advantage, a lean manufacturer of plastic products. Services include plastic injection molding, stack mold capabilities, design, tooling, and product development. Please visit www.hladvantage.com for more information.

I am a Moldy Dirty Dumpster Diver and Lovin It

When I was born they threw out the mold but I fooled them ...I grew back. Some say I was born born a dumpster diver. I will always be a dumpster diver. I love waste. Especially in Doylestown Pa my hometown. I'd rather go without most things, than buy them new, because I will wait until someone near my home will throw it away for me to find, first. I have even collected toilet paper and soap, new of course.. But I get my shoes, housewares, clothing, linens, furnishings, cleaners, paints, nuts and bolts, tools, tractors, lumber, computers...you get the idea why I am a dumpster diver.
Now what I can do with all these treasures. Some end up at Milan Hirst Nursery and Treasures which is our store at our nursery located in Milan Pa. along rt. 220 in Bradford county. Some I use as freebies.

The net is a free market at is best. I have merged my dumpster diving with my farm. I try to use and recycle as much as possible. I just love free stuff. I have found that so do a lot of other people. So we try to give them what they want. Free items. This is a lesson that I learned many years ago. I always try to offer a customer something that is free. Customers remember the free item more than items that they buy. Of all the different types of adds that I have run over the years, its the free offers that people cut out and save. After all think about coupons that people save. They don't collect product adds they will collect coupons. That is why I like to always advertise my free items. I even plan days around free give aways. When customers are at nursery I will even make up a free offer on the spot many times such as when I ask the customer, " Do you know what day it is? Do you know its free Lilac day? Let me show you a Lilac that is free today". I will then give them a lilac and say such things as every landscape needs at least one lilac. I can them show them all the different lilacs that we have and promote many different lilacs. I never give away a teaser. I make the free plant a quality gift of real value. This is what is remembered by customers.
This is a copy of my most recent email newsletter. This was an overwhelming success. We had an estimated 600% weekly sales gain by using this newsletter add.
January 2006 The Early Bird Gets the Worm---Don't Delay Free Tree Day Jan. 28Th is a Free Higan Weeping Cherry Tree Day Greetings! January 28, 2006 is free Weeping Higan Cherry Tree Day.....All members of our email club can receive a free Higan Weeping Cherry when you bring your pickup to our 5275 West Swamp Rd. Fountainville Pa. location. These trees are 10-12' tall and in 24" baskets. These trees must be picked up on the 28Th, before 5pm. sorry, no rain checks. There is a limit of one per family and you must have been a member on or before January 27, 2006 of our email club. Sincerely, Bill Hirst Free Tree Day Jan. 28Th, 2006 is Free Tree Day 5275 W. Swamp Rd. Fountainville, Pennsylvania 18923 January 28, 2006 8:00AM-5:00PM Reasons to Come to this Event We are selling 150 acres of our nursery and we must liquidate many trees and plants. Some of of plants are in quantities that would supply us for many years of sales. But we can't move that number of trees. Thus they will be either sold at a discount, destroyed, or given away. I like the last option. Thus if you bring your pickup to the farm today, Saturday the 28Th, we will give away 1 free Higan Weeping cherry to each email newsletter subscriber to Highland Hill Farm that picks up the tree by 5PM. Sorry you must be have be signed up by Jan. 27Th, to qualify. There are no rain checks. These trees are in 24 and 28 inch baskets and are app. 10-14' tall. We will help load them in your pickup. We have a total of 75 trees ready to give away while the supply lasts. All other trees and plants are 20% off today. Driving Directions to the Farm Highland Hill Farm 5275 W. Swamp Rd. Rt. 313 Fountainville, Pennsylvania 18923 myhirst@yahoo.com HTTP://www.seedlingsrus.com We will have other free tree offerings each month. So keep in touch. Within 15 minutes of this email being sent people started to arrive to make selections. We would have had no customers on this day. Yet we sold enough other stock to make this offering possible. We gave away 52 trees and this was even covered by the press showing up and giving us exposure in local papers.

Bill likes to dumpster diver and is Americas most sucessful Urban miner - farmer. His web sites include http://www.seedlingsrus.com http://www.highlandhillfarm.com http://www.huntingrelics.com and http://www.zone5trees.com