BTDT advice needed about Black Mold

[aguinn]

So, I found the dreaded black mold in LB's room. Yes - IN his room! We've cleaned all the surfaces with bleach and water and shampooed the carpets, run all the linens, clothes and toys, etc, through hot water wash, and aired out the room, but I keep thinking it's not enough and that he's going to end up with asthma or something worse.

If you've BTDT, what advice do you have?

;)amy
momma to DS#1 "Big Brother" (BB) and, finally, DS#2 "Little Brother" (LB)

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"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." ~ Neil Postman

[abigailsmom]

We found black mold in all of the air vents in the apartment when we moved in!!!! I absolutely had a fit and they hired a company to come in and clean all of the duct work and replace the vents themselves. I also pitched a fit until they came in and cleaned the carpets also!

That is my only time dealing with it. I don't know if that helps or not, but I hope so!

[bluestar2]

We don't have black mold where we live but we have plenty of mold issues in our warm and humid climate. I'm not sure how black mold is different from other molds, but we are constantly battling it even though we run dehumidifiers regularly. We also have an air cleaner in DC's room but I'm not sure how much of a help that is since it only a small one and their room has an open ceiling.

You may want to find the source of the moisture which allowed the mold to grow. Is there a water leak anywhere? Is your DC's room near a bathroom? Have you checked the house thoroughly for more mold? Other than that, I can't think of anything else. We find that mold likes to grow in places that don't get much air flow. It seems to love growing on leather and cordura for some reason, as well as anything else that might have food or sweat on it.

[kijip]

I'd look for the source--water leaking, bad windows or whatever and try and tackle it there (new windows, fix leak etc). Also, if this is your house you are talking about and you can manage it I would look at getting the carpeting replaced with hard floors.

[missym]

While mold is definitely something you don't want around, not all black molds are toxic - and not all toxic molds are black. You can send a surface or air sample to a lab for analysis to determine if it is a toxic variety.

Sorry, I have to go for now, but I'll try to come back later to post some links.

Missy, mom to Gwen 03/03 and Rebecca 09/05

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[bluestar2]

This is true... we have a black colored mold that grows here but it is not the "toxic" black mold variety and doesn't make one any sicker than other molds.

[marchmommy]

I'm curious--how did you know this mold was there? We moved into a 1950s house a year ago, and never tested for mold--should we do this?

[mamamayi]

True here, too. Our black mold was not the toxic black mold. We had it in our basement. I cleaned with bleach, painted all the walls with a water blocking paint, and installed a dehumidifier. No mold has grown back.

My biggest advice is to wear a good mask or respirator when working in the moldly area (getting rid of the mold). And remember, it's not gone right away just because it's not on the walls anymore. The spores can get released into the air when they are disturbed. I already have asthma, but did not have a problem as we contained the mold, removed it, and then took measures to prevent its regrowth.

[missym]

Here are a few links, including procedures for cleaning the area. If the mold contamination covers an area greater than 10 square feet, you should hire a professional. The CDC does not recommend lab tests on the mold because there are no standards for testing. Apparently, air sampling can only tell you if mold is there or not, which you already know.

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldguide.html
http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldresources.html#Health%20and%20Mold
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/mold/stachy.htm

Missy, mom to Gwen 03/03 and Rebecca 09/05

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