Tips from the CDC
Prevent mold growth
- Clean up and dry your home quickly after the storm or flood ends- within 24 to 48 hours if possible.
- Air out your house by opening doors and windows. Use fans to dry wet areas. Position fans to blow air out doors or windows.
- Throw away anything that you can’t clean or dry quickly (such as mattresses, carpeting, carpet padding, rugs, upholstered furniture, cosmetics, stuffed animals, baby toys, pillows, foam-rubber items, books, wall coverings, and paper products).
- Remove and discard drywall and insulation that has been contaminated with sewage or flood waters.
- Thoroughly clean all wet items and surfaces with hot water and laundry or dish detergent. For example, you’ll want to clean any flooring, concrete, molding, wood and metal furniture, countertops, appliances, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures.
- Fix any leaks in roofs, walls, or plumbing as soon as you can.
Clean up mold with a mix of bleach and water
- Never use bleach in a closed space. Open windows and doors first.
- Put on personal protective equipment to protect your eyes, nose, mouth, and skin. Wear goggles, an N-95 respirator, and protective gloves.
- To make your cleaner, mix 1 cup of household bleach with 1 gallon of water.
- Clean everything with mold on it.
- See Mold After a Disaster, CDC Flood Web site, and Homeowner’s and Renter’s Guide to Mold Cleanup After Disasters or more information on safely reentering flooded homes, cleaning up flood or storm water, worker safety issues, and mold cleanup issues.
More tips are available from on the CDC’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/cleanup/facts.html?fbclid=IwAR1mGLv9WlWIXDdClRVy2tcHmbeViy_Ueq8Ul58SsIGnUmN2QsHNWUeI2Bo