Can I clean mold myself?

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Can I clean mold myselfGot mold?  What happens what that unwelcome visitor makes an unexpected stop into your castle? Is this something you can deal with on your own, or should you be calling in removal experts? We’ve all seen the movies that scare us worse than the mold itself; specialized mold cleaners entering a house looking like they are something right out of a Sci-Fi movie.  All covered up in hazmat suits with breathing apparatuses that make them sound like the Dark Lord Vader himself?  But is this really necessary or is it an exaggerated reality?  The best answer is: it depends!

Health Canada guidelines recommend that any visible mold found growing indoors should be properly removed.  It is also recommended that the underlying moisture condition contributing to the mold growth be properly addressed and resolved.   If the visible mold contamination covers an area greater than 10 square feet, or if the mold is toxigenic, a professional mold removal or remediation company should be consulted, rather than attempting to remediate the area and clean mold on your own.

Prior to addressing a mold contamination yourself, or calling a mold removal or remediation company, it is very important to have your individual situation properly assessed by a certified mold inspection and air quality testing specialist.  An inspection and testing professional is a service provider that deals with mold testing and inspections only, and does not provide any mold removal or remediation services.  Using an inspection and testing specialist offers a “conflict of interest free” assessment to determine the type of mold present, the extent of contamination or growth that exists, any hidden contaminations that may not be visible, and a proper recommendation regarding if the mold within your environment can be dealt with on your own, or if services of  a mold removal/remediation specialist is required.  It can also protect you from unscrupulous mold removal companies or remediation providers offering “free inspections” or “low cost testing” in an effort to capture that larger paycheque….the mold removal contract, when professional efforts may, in fact, not be needed at all.  It’s also important to remember that the person testing and inspecting your home or office for mold should not be the same person trying to sell you a solution to your mold contamination problem.

Once as proper inspection and testing has been completed, and it is determined that the contamination present within your environment is within the size and scope that can be safely handled on your own (as recommended by Health Canada), there are a number of measures that can be employed to effectively treat and kill the mold contamination present.

If you have small children, are pregnant, have asthma or other respiratory weakness, or any type of immunosuppression, it may be in your best interests to employ the services of a professional mold removal company, regardless of the size or extent of mold contamination present.

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