FAQ Archives

September 30, 2011July 24, 2014

Cleaning Up Mold – Mold 101

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

August 17, 2011October 24, 2022

Allergies and Carpet, Not a Positive Trend part 1

I read an article from the Associated Press wire service this past Sunday that has had me steamed. In fact, I needed a few days to calm down enough to be able to write about it. It is bad news for allergies and carpets.

Seems the new hot trend in interior decorating is a return to carpeting. Especially in the bedroom.

Now, I realize that interior decorating is much like fashion and there are trends that come and go. Also, like fashion, if you wait long enough, what was old will be new again. In the case of carpeting, it is a real shame, because there are definite health benefits to living with hard surface floors.

Anyone with allergies knows they should not have carpet. Allergies and carpets go together like oil and water.

The trend towards hard surface floors began in the early. As people began to rip out the carpeting and install hard floors they usually noticed a couple of things. First, they discovered that their house had much more dust than usual.

This is because many times the carpet was removed and the hard floor installed while the forced heating or air conditioning systems were running. This allowed all the dust from under the carpeting as well as the debris from the floor installation to be drawn into the ductwork and circulated over and over again.

The result was a visible increase in dust in the house. The second thing people noticed was despite the additional dust, was sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and sniffling less.

This is because carpet fibers are the perfect environment to trap dust mites, dust mite feces, pollens, mold spores, animal allergens, cockroach parts, and other components of household allergens. You can spend money on carpet cleaning, but you can’t clean the carpet. Don’t let anyone selling carpet cleaning services try to convince you otherwise.

Just imagine if you took your favorite sweater or flannel shirt and threw it on the floor and walked on it for six months. After 6 months, you would probably think it was looking a little dirty.

So in order to clean it you would throw some hot soapy water on it and then vacuum the water up. Do you honestly think that shirt would be clean? Come on now, be honest with yourself, you know it would not be. Well, that is what happens when you have carpet in your house and then try to clean it.

If you have allergies, asthma, or other health concerns(whether respiratory or not) I implore you to buck this decorating trend. Hard surface floors do not capture allergens the way carpets and rugs do and when you clean a hard surface floor it is clean.

When I clean my tile floors with my Vapamore steam cleaner, you can absolutely feel the difference with your bare feet. The soil and allergens have been removed. And because there is no residue, they stay clean longer.

When I spray a few squirts of AllerDust Dusting Aide on the kitchen towel that I attached to an old Swifter head and run it over my wood floors, all the dust and dirt are captured. You can see and feel the cleanness. You just can not get that with carpeting.

If you can’t buck the trend or if you live in a rented space with carpeting that you cannot remove, don’t despair. It is possible to minimize the allergens in the carpet by the use of denaturing agents. More about that later.

Til next time!

Cheryl Krause

The Allergy Store

August 11, 2011July 28, 2014

Dust Mite Proof Covers with a Membrane – Are They Better?

We got a great question from Facebook recently. A Mom wanted to know which type of cover was best for the control of dust mites; the dust mite proof covers with a membrane or the membrane-free dust mite proof covers.

Now this is a Mom that was on the ball, she had already figured out that dust mite proof covers fall into two broad categories. First are the coated fabrics, these are the normal, everyday fabrics that are coated to make them resistant to dust mites and bed bugs. These are the dust mite proof covers with a membrane. We carry two of these sorts of fabrics. Both are coated with a one millimeter thin urethane membrane. This membrane is heat sealed to the fabric to make a lasting bond. Because dust mites and bed bugs can’t penetrate the urethane backing, this makes a cover that is completely resistant to allergens. In addition, moisture can’t penetrate the membrane so this type of cover gives waterproof protection as well. The downside to this type of material is that while it is water vapor transmissive it can still be warm.

The other category of fabric are the microweaves. These fabrics are created by tightly weaving the fibers to create a fabric where the average pore size is so small that allergens cannot penetrate the fabric.. The upside to these fabrics is that they are thinner and thus cooler than the membrane fabrics. The downside is that they are much more expensive as it takes a lot of yarn to weave fabric that tight. Also, only the strongest fibers (such as polyester) can be woven extremely tight.. So, if you are a cotton lover, you have to give up some pore size to get an all cotton fabric. If you decide on a microweave, you want a mean (average) pore size of at least 8 microns.

Whether you decide on a fabric with a membrane (like our Linen) or a membrane-free fabric like the Pristine Luxury, all of our zippered mattress covers will give you complete protection against dust mites, molds, pollen, animal allergen and other common household allergens. It is just a matter of personal preference and budget.

Til Next Time

Cheryl
The Allergy Store