Dryout Before You Mold Out

Mold needs two things to thrive inside your home: water and food. While you may be thinking about foods in your refrigerator, we’re actually talking about mold food such as drywall and plaster. That’s right: mold eats the materials on which it resides. Not only is mold unsightly and unhealthy, it slowly eats through building materials. In any case, you don’t want it in your home or building, so make sure to dryout before you mold out.

Because mold needs a moist environment before it sets up a colony and begins devouring your home, it makes sense to get the water out! Whether your home has suffered from a major flood event or you have a steady drip, drip, drip in the basement, drying out is your first defense. In fact, the first 48 hours after water has arrived are the most crucial as far as mold is concerned. A prompt response is a must if you want to avoid mold.

For smaller floods such as an overflowing dishwasher in the kitchen, drying out can be a do-it-yourself job, especially if you have a tile floor and can easily mop up the water. Tools of the trade for these small, do-it-yourself dryout jobs include a mop, wet/dry vacuum cleaner, fans, cleaning supplies, and common sense. Any time you have an issue with standing water, you also have an issue with electrocution. Take all safety precautions to ensure that you are safe, even if they seem like overkill. Among the steps to take are: turning off power to the home, stopping the water from continuing to pour in, mopping up, cleaning, decontaminating, drying, and deodorizing. Once the standing water has been mopped up and it is safe to turn on the power, you may need to use a wet/dry vacuum cleaner to extract water from carpets or sofas.

For larger floods, a professional water damage restoration company is the better choice, especially since mold can sneak in within 48 hours. Professional water damage restorers have the industrial equipment required for a fast dryout. In addition to a prompt response using heavy duty blowers, scrubbers, and dehumidifiers, professionals use powerful products such as mold inhibitors and deodorizers to prevent mold from taking hold and keep the home smelling fresh.

While plumbing accidents and floods will prompt you to quickly evaluate your water damage and determine whether or not you can reasonably dryout your home or hire a professional to help you do it, other sources of water may be present in your home. These less visible sources of water may be encouraging mold to come on in and set up a colony. Left unchecked, you’ll soon have a moldy home!

Take action to dryout all wet areas, inside and out, immediately. You may need to install vents, repair plumbing leaks, or even re-grade your lot for better drainage. Your dryout efforts are important in ensuring that your house dries out and does not mold out.