Toxic Black Mold Removal
This page is about toxic black mold removal (also known as Stachybotrys). To remove ordinary mold which is not toxic see the Mold Removal page.Mold Removal Overview
The following are the main steps when it comes to mold removal:1. Wear protective equipment.
- Respirator mask
- Eye protection
- Gloves
- Clothing that completely covers you and can be cleaned well or disposed of
2. Seal rooms with plastic sheets to contain mold spores.
3. Create negative pressure by running a fan blowing out a window.
4. Remove the mold. You can use mold removal products such as:
- Bleach
- Borax
- Vinegar
- Ammonia
The Killing Mold page describes how to use the above products and many more to kill mold.
This page will tell you How to remove mold from drywall, wood, carpet, tiles and grout.
5. Clean belongings. Completely clean mold from non-porous objects. Porous objects may need to be thrown out if mold can't be removed.
6. HEPA vacuum the area.
7. Seal mold and moldy objects in plastic bags and then dispose of them.
The Mold Removal page describes these steps in more detail.
It is strongly recommended that you hire a professional mold removal service to remove Stachybotrys mold, also called black mold or toxic black mold.
Professional Toxic Black Mold Removal
If you find toxic black mold in your home don't disturb it. If toxic black mold is harmed or disturbed it can release millions of mycotoxins into the air, contaminating your home.Instead, you should talk to a toxic black mold removal service as soon as possible, as it is extremely risky to try to kill or remove toxic black mold yourself. Mold that is toxic should really only be removed by a professional mold removal service experienced in removing toxic black mold. The correct methods of toxic black mold removal are needed to contain the spread of spores and mycotoxins during the remediation process.
Remove Toxic Black Mold Quickly
People often do not act quickly to remove toxic black mold. However, as soon as you find toxic black mold in your home you should take steps to have the mold removed. Ignoring the problem will only let it become worse.Every day you spend in an environment with toxic black mold could be potentially causing you long term chronic health problems and permanent damage. People often underestimate the damage toxic black mold can do to their health until it has already happened. Toxic black mold can cause problems such as mental impairment, breathing difficulty, damage to internal organs and sometimes even death.
Moving During Toxic Black Mold Removal
Experts recommend that if you have toxic black mold in your home then it's best to move to temporary accommodation until it has been removed, especially if you are suffering toxic symptoms. Ideally you should only return to your home after a professional toxic black mold removal service has completely fixed the problem. There is also a possibility that belongings you take with you when you move can continue to make you sick if they contain mycotoxins from the toxic black mold.Removal of Toxic Black Mold Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are as small as 0.1 microns. This makes them much harder to remove than mold spores. In addition, mycotoxins are very resilient and it can take several years for them to break down naturally. In some cases mycotoxins have been found in the human body up to nine years after the original exposure. For these reasons, it's important that toxic black mold removal be performed properly to contain mycotoxins from spreading through the house.Some experts even believe that toxic black mold mycotoxins can never be completely removed from a house which has been contaminated. There have even been cases of home owners who ended up permanently moving out, or even burning down their mycotoxin-contaminated houses as a last resort.
Testing and Identifying Toxic Black Mold
If you think you have found toxic black mold growing in your home but are unsure then you should have it professionally tested. This is so you can be certain that it is actually mycotoxin-producing toxic mold (eg Stachybotrys or some other toxic mold species).Once you've confirmed the mold is toxic you should talk to a professional mold removal service as soon as possible. If the mold is not toxic then you can remove it yourself if you wish.
More information on mold testing in general is at the Mold Testing page.
Toxic Black Mold Inspection
If you think you might have toxic black mold in your home but haven't found the toxic black mold colony then you may want to have a toxic black mold inspection performed. Some reasons to think you could have a toxic black mold problem are described in the next section.Of course it's best to hire a professional mold inspector to perform the toxic black mold inspection for you. Mold inspectors use both their experience and sophisticated equipment to find any and all hidden mold, with minimal disturbance to your home. This way you can be sure that if there is mold in your home it will be found.
If you choose to do the inspection yourself you need to look into hidden areas like inside of wall cavities. Toxic black mold needs a lot of water to grow so especially check spots where there could have been water leaks.
There is more information about mold inspection in general at the Mold Inspection page.
Signs of Toxic Black Mold
One of the best clues you could have toxic black mold is if you are suffering toxic symptoms. The symptoms from toxic black mold are much more severe than the allergic reactions caused by common non-toxic mold. You can see a list of toxic symptoms at the Toxic Black Mold Symptoms page.Toxic black mold also needs materials to be very wet for at least a week before it can begin to grow. So if you've had a flood or a large water leak that went unnoticed then there is an increased likelihood that toxic black mold could be in your home.
More Signs of Mold in the Home