How to Know What to Keep and What to Throw Away After Mold Remediation
Mold grows best when spores are present and the environment is moist and warm. For example, buildings with flooding, leaks or virtually any scenario with excess moisture or humidity can be the perfect breeding ground for growing mold. When this happens, one may wonder what can be salvaged or what needs to be tossed. Understanding this aspect of the mold remediation process ahead of time can help expedite the recovery process, prevent mold from spreading and make a house feel like a home again.
Primary Prep
Before jumping right in, having a professional come in to properly assess your mold situation can be a wise first step to ensure you fully understand the extent of the situation and the best strategy to safely remedy it. For instance, some items may need to be removed by the experts, while others you can easily tackle on your own. From this point, you can better gauge the items you can keep or ones that should be replaced.
The Keep Pile
A primary rule of thumb is that anything that can easily be wiped off such as slick surfaces, or undamaged items that can be easily laundered are likely fine to keep after careful cleaning. This can include glass, plastic, metal and some fabric items.
The Replace Pile
It is safe to assume that any items that have been soaked through or worn from water or mold will need to be fully replaced. Organic and porous materials such as food, paper products, mattresses, furniture and carpeting are examples of items you’ll need to add to your shopping list.