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| Proforma Safety, LLC Proforma PSI…when performance counts. In Fall, Our Thoughts Turn to . . . Mold? Mold spores are not only outdoors on rotting leaves and wood, they are present indoors, floating in the air or in house dust. As long as there is moisture present, they can grow on nearly any surface, including wood, carpet, paper or food items. There’s not much you can do to eliminate mold spores, but you can prevent them from growing by eliminating wet or damp areas. Mold not only creates health problems, it can also damage or rot surfaces where it grows. More important, dead mold may still trigger an allergic reaction in some people, so you must not only kill the mold, you must remove it. If you have a mold problem, you must fix the source of the problem to decrease the chance of it reoccurring. Here’s a list of potential sources: When cleaning mold, limit your exposure by wearing an N-95 respirator, available at many hardware stores and on the Internet. Wear gloves (household are sufficient) and goggles. Clean mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water and dry completely. Then disinfect these cleaned surfaces with: 11/2 cups household bleach per gallon of clean water for heavy contamination. CAUTION: Do not mix bleach with cleaning products that contain ammonia. If you suspect mold is present but can’t see it, it may be hiding in places such as the back side of dry wall, on walls behind furniture, under wallpaper or paneling, on top of ceiling tiles, or under carpets and pads. Mold may also be lurking inside walls around pipes, in ductwork, and in roofing materials above the ceiling tiles. Your best recourse is to throw out any materials that have been contaminated by mold.
Above: Mold on suitcase stored in basement.
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