How do I safely and effectively remove mold?

In the great outdoors, molds are very helpful with breaking down organic material. Inside your home, molds create bad odors and can also cause allergic reactions in some people. Commonly found in basements and garages, mold will grow in any place that has water or moisture to support it. If you've discovered some mold in your house, you'll want to take the following things into consideration for its removal.

Water - Mold needs water to survive. You should find the source of your water or moisture build up and fix the problem. Otherwise, you might be volunteering yourself for another round of mold duty when that certain leaky pipe creates a new puddle.

Safety - Reactions to mold in your body can be similar to the common cold. It's nothing to be scared of, but unpleasant nonetheless. Before diving right in, you'll want to protect yourself with a few simple items:

• Respirator - This device will limit your inhalation of mold spores while working. Usually found in the painting section of your hardware store, a respirator is the upgrade for a basic paper construction mask and is relatively inexpensive.
• Gloves - Avoid touching the mold with your bare hands by wearing long rubber gloves.
• Goggles - You should also avoid getting any mold spores in your eyes with non-ventilated goggles.

Clean Up - Now that you have your gear together, all you need is your household surface cleaner and a little elbow grease. If the mold has corrupted a carpeted area, you'll unfortunately need to replace the carpet and clean up the mold underneath.

Professional Removal - There are some situations that call for professional mold removal, also called mold remediation:

• There is a health risk involved with you or someone in your household doing the job.
• The mold covers a large area - anything bigger than a few feet in diameter.
• Mold has grown on items of value, such as furniture or artwork.
• The mold damage is caused by contaminated or sewer water.

You can find professional mold remediation services on Kudzu.com.