Mould Cleaning
Can I do it myself?

Mould Sampling and Testing

For small scale mould damage, where the cause is obvious, we don’t always test.  

Oftentimes, for large scale mould damage, again where the cause is obvious, we don’t test either.  We only test when we can’t find mould but we can smell it or when we think an area may have been contaminated by spore.  There is very little point in testing for something you can already see!

We do however always test when we’ve completed a job.

As a rule of thumb, If you feel it’s necessary to have your property tested, then you shouldn’t be cleaning it yourself.

The short answer is Yes!  (But we take no responsibility for the work you do)

There is nothing difficult about what a mould remediator does.  For the most part we just clean, clean and clean some more.  (More often than not, that cleaning also involves the removal of building materials)

The aim of mould remediation is to remove the mould.  We are not interested in killing mould.  That is only part of the process, to remove mould, you must do just that.  REMOVE THE MOULD.

For smaller mould contaminations, that won’t involve the removal of plaster it’s okay to use basic personal safety equipment available from the local hardware.  For larger jobs, where containment and more extensive works are required, then the time involved and the cost of buying or hiring the correct equipment might mean it’s cheaper to hire in a professional.

There is a lot of very old and out dated information circulating on the Internet, some of it from organisations that should know better!

Forget the old go to’s of Bleach and Vinegar.  

Vinegar is around 3-9% acetic acid and nowhere is it used as a fungicide.  So save it for your chips!

Bleach is Sodium Hypochlorite and whilst it is often used as a disinfecting agent our research indicates that it is not prescribed (By Manufacturers) for use as a fungicide.  It will lighten discolouration but it is highly unlikely to actually kill or remove mould. (At least in concentrations that would be considered safe to use at home)  In addition, bleach can be quite corrosive and it has been shown that it can encourage further mould growth by exposing a greater food source to mould.  We have sampled walls cleaned with bleach and found mould concentrations remain at unsafe levels.

By far the better and safer options are to use;

• Simple dishwashing liquid or sugar soap
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Microfiber Cloths
• Disposable “swiffer”type dusting cloths

You will also need

• Personal Protective Equipment
• Tight fitting safety goggles
• Disposable P2 dust masks, or better yet ½ or full face respirator with HEPA and Gas (ABE) Cartridges
• Disposable Type 4/5 Coveralls
• Disposable Nitrile  Gloves
• Duct Tape
• HEPA Vacuum Cleaner (A good quality HEPA Vacuum Cleaner with new filters and bag is required.  Anything less will just spread the mould faster)
• Plastic Bucket
• Thick Garbage Bags

Remember, the aim is to remove the mould and not kill it!

The following are the steps you need to follow.

• Put on your personal protective equipment.  Use two pair of gloves and some duct tape to tape the gloves to your suit.
• Going into the room that is affected and close the door and close any windows.
• Staying away from the mould, dust all the furniture using your disposable dusting cloths.  Replace the dusting cloths often.  We will only do one pass with each side of the cloth.  Once you're satisfied that each item of furniture is dusted, remove the furniture and take it outside to air. (Make sure you get all the little crevices)  (For large items if you cant move them, cover them)
• If you find mould growing on the furniture, wrap the contaminated area in plastic.  Several layers of plastic wrap will do the job.  Seal it in nice and tight and take it outside for cleaning or disposal.
• If you have a helper, try and keep the cleaning area isolated from the rest of the house by passing dusted furniture through the doorway.  Otherwise you will need to take your contaminated PPE off before carrying the furniture outside.
• Once all the furniture is removed, you’re ready to tackle the mould.
• Make sure the door is closed and consider taping some plastic over the doorway as well.
• Make sure you’re wearing all your PPE!
• Using your HEPA vacuum, vacuum all the loose mould from the contaminated area.   If you don’t have an HEPA Vacuum cleaner and it’s a small area of contamination, no more that say 1m2 , you can skip this step.  You’ll just need to be much more thorough with your cleaning.
• In a bucket, mix a little dishwashing detergent with some warm water.  You wont need much detergent.  We’re not looking for a bucket overflowing with soap bubbles.
• Dampen and wring out a microfiber cloth.  Depending on how big the cloth is, fold it in half and then half again.
• Begin cleaning the mould off of the surfaces.  To minimise the risk of spreading the mould, only use one surface of the microfiber cloth,  You should get 8 wipes out of each cloth.  
• Do not dip them back in your cleaning solution.
• Once a cloth is used, put it in your garbage bag.  Don’t even think about washing them, they are off to the rubbish!
• Keep cleaning until there are no signs of mould on the cleaning cloths.
• Spray the mouldy area with hydrogen peroxide.  If it “fizzes” keep cleaning, there is still organic contamination present.
• If you get no “fizz” then your nearly done.  That’s the worst of your mould problem dealt with.
• Now it’s time to clean the rest of the room.  A damp microfibre cloth will do the trick.  You can use your cleaning solution if you like.  Again, for safety sake, I’d suggest throwing these cloths out.
• Take particular attention to the horizontal surfaces, areas above doorways, shelves, ceiling fans.  They all need a good clean.
• We clean twice and I’d suggest you do too.  For your second pass, white swiffer cloths are good.  They’ll show any areas you missed.
• If you’re really concerned about killing any mould that is left, Look out for a good fungicide and follow the directions on the bottle.  I’ve heard Clove Oil works, but I have no science to support this, so I’d suggest you do a little research before using it.
• WASH YOUR GLOVED HANDS AND WIPE YOUR COVERALLS DOWN
• Dispose of your overalls and gloves but leave your mask on until you’ve undressed.  Masks and goggles are always last off.
• Keep the door closed and open any windows.
• Put a fresh mask back on, and go outside and clean your furniture again.  We always clean twice!

Now you’ve cleaned the mould, you need to consider what caused it.  Was it a ventilation issue?  Was it Condensation?  Was it a leaky pipe?  Was it storm damage?   No matter what the cause make sure it is fixed.  And make sure the area is dry.  If it isn’t dry, you’ve just wasted your time.   If you don’t fix the moisture problem, the mould will come back!