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Acting Surgeon General Issues ‘Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes’

Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., today issued The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes at a press conference from the National Building Museum in Washington D.C.

The Call to Action looks at the ways housing can affect health; its release will initiate a national dialogue about the importance of healthy homes.

“The home is the centerpiece of American life,” Galson, a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, said during today’s press conference. “We can prevent many diseases and injuries that result from health hazards in the home by following the simple steps outlined in this Call to Action.”

One of the primary examples Galson mentioned was mold:

Improve air quality in their homes by installing radon and carbon monoxide detectors, eliminating smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke, and controlling allergens that contribute to asthma and mold growth.

Go to the Center for Disease Control website to promote healthy homes:

www.cdc.gov/healthyhomes

On New Buildings - Pre-Treat!

To avoid having a mold problem in your new building, you can take steps to stop it. The process we follow is:

1. Check for current microbial issues. Prepare the building material for treatment.
2. Apply an Advanced Surface Cleaning Solution to the frame and foundation, interior drywall, and interior finishes.
3. Apply a Microbial Shield
4. Test with an independent environmental professional to get an insurance-backed warranty.

Following this process will result in lowering the risk of major, disruptive, and costly remediation and you've now created the healthiest mold mitigated building humanly possible.

After a Flood, Get Rid of Mold

Mold will grow in your house. It can make you sick. You will need to clean your house!

- Take things that were wet for 2 or more days outside.

- Things that stayed wet for 2 days have mold growing on them even if you can’t see it.

- Throw out stuff made of cloth, unless you can wash them in VERY HOT water. Also throwout stuff that can’t be cleaned easily (like leather, paper, wood, and carpet).

- Use bleach to clean mold off hard things (like floors, stoves, sinks, certain toys, countertops, flatware, plates, and tools).

If you are positive the mold growth is less than 10 square feet (2 feet wide x 5 feet long, or roughly 3 feet x 3 feet), follow these steps:

- Never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners.

- Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, goggles, and N-95 mask.

- Open windows and doors to get fresh air when you use bleach.

- Mix no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water.

- Wash the item with the bleach and water mixture.

- If the surface of the item is rough, scrub the surface with a stiff brush.

- Rinse the item with clean water.

- Dry the item or leave it out to dry.

- REMEMBER: Mold on a wall may be just the tip of the iceberg. What's on the other side of the wall may surprise, and hurt you.

If there is a chance the mold growth is larger than 10 square feet, CONTACT ME!

You will need a mold remediation professional to help you clean up the mess and make your place safe!

This time of year, moisture is in the air – and so is mold!

The world needs mold, just not inside your building

Molds are part of nature.  Outdoors, mold breaks down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees.  Indoors, mold growth must be stopped.  Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through the air.  Mold begins to grow indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet.  There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.

Mold can cause health problems

Molds produce substances that can cause allergic reactions, irritants, and potentially toxic substances.  Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.  Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash. Allergic reactions to mold are common.  They can be immediate or delayed.  Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.  Research on mold and health effects is ongoing.  For more detailed information consult a health professional.  

Get rid of mold

It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors; some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust.  However, mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present.  Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors.  If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the water problem.  If you clean up the mold, but don't fix the water problem, then, most likely, the mold problem will come back.  If your mold problem is suspected to be larger than 10 square feet, consult a professional.  Remember that mold is like an iceberg – you may see a small patch of it but the rest can be hidden in the walls, under carpet, under floors, in closets, etc.  You will need to test for mold first to see how big the problem is, then have another company treat the mold outbreak and clean it up, stop the moisture intrusion source, and then get the original test company to retest.  

I represent a remediation company that has a new "Green" formula for treating mold. Contact me today!