Hurricanes, tornados and other severe weather have caused major flooding in the United States and other parts of the world. Water damage can also cause surfaces to moldwhich can pose a threat to your health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say mold developing indoors may cause you to experience a stuffy nose eye and skin irritation wheezing and may even cause mold infections in the lungs of people with weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases!
The CDC recommends these tips for safely cleaning up and preventing mold growth:
- Open doors and windows, and run fans to promote rapid drying. Make sure fans placed in windows blow outward.
- Remove all items that have been wet for more than 48 hours and that cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried such as carpets and their padding, upholstery, insulation, drywall, wallpaper, wood and some clothing.
- Clean wet items and surfaces with detergent and water.
- Use commercial products, soap and water or a bleach solution of no more than one cup of bleach per gallon of water to remove mold from hard surfaces. Use a stiff brush on rough surfaces
like concrete.
Just a few simple steps can help protect your home and your health from mold sporesand keep you breathing freely!