FAQ Archives

We have been getting plenty of calls from people who were flooded as a result of the recent rains on top of the deluge from Irene and Lee.

Mold in basements, mold on docks, mold on decks, in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms…..mold is everywhere! They all want help in cleaning up mold.

Sounds like a good time to review Mold 101.

Mold Wants Water – Stop the Water

Mold wants moisture This is not hard to come by lately, especially if you are in the mid-Atlantic, Northeast or Deep South. The first step to cleaning any mold problem is to get rid of the moisture. If there is a leak, fit it! You are wasting your time and money if you are cleaning up mold and not stopping the source of water. The mold will just return when the water returns.

Mold Wants Food – Cut Off the Food Supply

The second step is removing water-damaged materials. If this includes taking down walls or removing cabinets, make sure that you set up a containment area and run a HEPA air cleaner for mold to keep from spreading the spores. Cleaning up mold also means containing mold. When we did mold remediation, we removed drywall in 4 foot sections. If the furring strips and studs are in good condition, they can be HEPA vacuumed with a sealed vacuum (such as made by Nilfisk) to remove any spores. By removing the water damaged areas, you are removing the food source for the mold. If you are cleaning up mold and not removing the food source, you are wasting your time and energy.

Kill The Spores – Die Mold Die!

The entire area needs to be treated with an antimicrobial agent to kill any remaining mold. We recommend Vital-Oxide antimicrobial spray over bleach. The active ingredient in Vital-Oxide is chlorine dioxide. It will kill the mold spores without the pungent odor and corrosive properties associated with chlorine beach. It is also much safer to use than bleach. Vital Oxide is vital to cleaning up mold to keep it from returning.

Keep the Mold from Coming Back

Once the treated area has dried, you might want to use a sealant like SureCote if the area is going to continue to be exposed to the elements (like an outside deck or patio). The SureCote will provide a clear, protective coating that resists mold growth. If the area is not outside, you can skip the SureCote. Just proceed to rebuilding.

Remember, Mold 101, first stop the moisture, then clean up, then treat with an anti-microbial.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

We get lots of questions from people trying to decide what size dust mite cover to buy for their mattresses. Over the months, I have written lots about the different fabrics, but I don’t think I have ever addressed how the dust mite cover should fit.

How Should It Fit?

There is a misconception that the cover needs to fit tightly. Actually, the opposite is true. If you try to put a too-small cover on a too-large mattress you will put stress on the seams and the zipper closure. Those are the weakest points in your line of defense against dust mites. You don’t want any strain or stress on those seams or zippers. So, your dust mite cover should fit loosely and not tight at all.

How Do You Measure the Depth?

Most people know what “size” their mattress is (queen, king, twin, full, etc) but they are not sure of the depth of the mattress. To measure the depth of your mattress, you need to strip the bed down. That means removing all the bedding, including the sheets and any mattress pad you might keep on the bed.

Get down at eye level with the mattress (only measure the mattress for depth, do not include the box spring in the depth measurement) and measure from the top seam to the bottom seam. If you have a pillow-top mattress, take the measurement in several places.

Round Up or Round Down?

Round that measurement up to determine the proper depth mattress cover to purchase.

For example, if your mattress measures 10″ deep, you want the 12″ deep cover. While you might be able to stretch and tug to get a 9″ cover on that 10″ mattress, chances are you are going to stress the seam or tear out the zipper in your attempt.

While the 12″ cover will give you a little extra fabric, it does not affect the dust mite protection of the zippered mattress cover. Just take that little bit of extra fabric and tuck it between the mattress and the box spring. Your fitted sheet will hold it in place.

Properly sized, your dust mite mattress cover will last for years and give you night after night of protection. So make sure your dust mite cover fits right.