I am in the middle of a huge house cleaning right now.
I live in NY.

We usually run a dehumidifer in the basement, but not 24/7, a couple
of hours here and there.

The basement has wood walls.

I noticed that there is mold along the bottom of some of the walls.

Also, in another room of the basement (which has regular concret
walls) I noticed that on the ceiling (which is just wood-its just the
floor of the room upstairs, the ceiling is not finished) there is a
lot of mold, all over.

What is the best way to get rid of it? Just beach and water?

I saw a spray by Lysol that says "Kills germs, mold, mildew" should I
just buy a bottle and spray the mold. Would that work?

Are there cleaning crews that fix this, or are they really expensive?

Thanks

(T) wrote in message . com...
I am in the middle of a huge house cleaning right now.
I live in NY.

We usually run a dehumidifer in the basement, but not 24/7, a couple
of hours here and there.

The basement has wood walls.

I noticed that there is mold along the bottom of some of the walls.

Also, in another room of the basement (which has regular concret
walls) I noticed that on the ceiling (which is just wood-its just the
floor of the room upstairs, the ceiling is not finished) there is a
lot of mold, all over.

What is the best way to get rid of it? Just beach and water?

I saw a spray by Lysol that says "Kills germs, mold, mildew" should I
just buy a bottle and spray the mold. Would that work?

Are there cleaning crews that fix this, or are they really expensive?

Thanks


If you're not sick it's probably not the kind of mold we hear so much
of in the news today. Black mold can be serious enough to have a house
torn down. Your situation sounds common and pretty minor. You can
provide a sample of the mold and have it tested for how serious it is.
Call around to furnace and duct cleaning companies and ask for a
referral.
Most people clean simple basement mold with bleach and water. The job
stinks. Worse than that the concentration of chlorine can harm your
lungs. I would always use a respirator with a charcoal canister during
the work. You don't even smell the bleach with a mask on. Maybe you
can find something less toxic. After the area is cleaned you could
paint with a stain killer to finish the job.
Don't let some company scare you into expensive remediation until you
know what you have.
None of the above will keep the problem from returning. You have to
move more air in the basement. You need some fans or ventilation.

T wrote:

I am in the middle of a huge house cleaning right now.
I live in NY.

We usually run a dehumidifer in the basement, but not 24/7, a couple
of hours here and there.

The basement has wood walls.

I noticed that there is mold along the bottom of some of the walls.

Also, in another room of the basement (which has regular concret
walls) I noticed that on the ceiling (which is just wood-its just the
floor of the room upstairs, the ceiling is not finished) there is a
lot of mold, all over.

What is the best way to get rid of it? Just beach and water?

I saw a spray by Lysol that says "Kills germs, mold, mildew" should I
just buy a bottle and spray the mold. Would that work?

Are there cleaning crews that fix this, or are they really expensive?

Thanks


Heed Bundy's advice; do not spray *anything* in there
willy-nilly. Whatever you use will create a toxic cloud that
is difficult to deal with. Severe lung disease can result from
working in that atmosphere.

That said, I think you have a very difficult problem on
your hands. It may not be the dreaded black mold,
but it sounds like it is very extensive and has a
foothold.

At the very least, you need to get the humidity down
all year long. Buy a hygrometer so you can actually
measure the humidity; it should be close to 55%
to suppress mold growth.

Then take a look at why the moisture is getting in;
that will be a major project in itself.

Jim

Forgot:

Do a GOOGLE: mold + remediation

You'll have to wade thru a lot of commercial sites selling
services, but there is a ton of good info out there.

Jim

If you're not sick it's probably not the kind of mold we hear so much
of in the news today. Black mold can be serious enough to have a house
I actually sleep in the basement, but in the next room, and Im not
coughing or wheezing, so I assume its not the dangerous mold.

Most people clean simple basement mold with bleach and water. The job
Im just concerned that as I wipe at the mold, some of it will
float into the air and land (and grow) somewhere else.

Thanks

Heed Bundy's advice; do not spray *anything* in there
willy-nilly. Whatever you use will create a toxic cloud that
is difficult to deal with. Severe lung disease can result from
working in that atmosphere.
Really? But the lysol spray says "Kills Mold, Mildew" on it. So
its not that safe?

Then take a look at why the moisture is getting in;
that will be a major project in itself.
Im not sure how the mositure is getting in...I've always thought
its a basement, its usually more humid than the rest of the house?
I guess it has to do with it being underground?

In article ,
T wrote:
If you're not sick it's probably not the kind of mold we hear so much
of in the news today. Black mold can be serious enough to have a house
I actually sleep in the basement, but in the next room, and Im not
coughing or wheezing, so I assume its not the dangerous mold.

Most people clean simple basement mold with bleach and water. The job
Im just concerned that as I wipe at the mold, some of it will
float into the air and land (and grow) somewhere else.

Load a spray bottle with Clorox or equivalant and spray it. Then wipe
off.

Caution, don't leave the Clorox in the spray bottle. Back to the jug
and rinse the sprayer or it will destroy the sprayer.

--
Rich Greenberg N6LRT Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507
Eastern time zone. I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L
Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L

Load a spray bottle with Clorox or equivalant and spray it. Then wipe
off.

Caution, don't leave the Clorox in the spray bottle. Back to the jug
and rinse the sprayer or it will destroy the sprayer.

Thats what I was thinking...could I put some bleach (and water?) into
a spray bottle.

Spray the mold (well, more like the entire ceiling, lol) and then let
it work on the mold for a day or so, then come back and wipe it off?

(T) wrote in message . com...
Heed Bundy's advice; do not spray *anything* in there
willy-nilly. Whatever you use will create a toxic cloud that
is difficult to deal with. Severe lung disease can result from
working in that atmosphere.
Really? But the lysol spray says "Kills Mold, Mildew" on it. So
its not that safe?

Then take a look at why the moisture is getting in;
that will be a major project in itself.
Im not sure how the mositure is getting in...I've always thought
its a basement, its usually more humid than the rest of the house?
I guess it has to do with it being underground?

Lysol in the spray is meant for small limited projects and bleach
doesn't usually come in a spray for a reason. When you aresol that
stuff you better protect not only your lung, but also your eyes and
skin. I can smell chlorine forever until I physically get rid of it.
You may react this way also. I would not leave something sitting
there overnight as the fumes will go all through the home. I would
clean it, scrub it, rinse it, and dry it as fast as possible. When dry
I would stain kill it to cover any residual chemicals.
Keep researching as suggested until finding something you are
comfortable with.

In article ,
T wrote:
Load a spray bottle with Clorox or equivalant and spray it. Then wipe
off.

Caution, don't leave the Clorox in the spray bottle. Back to the jug
and rinse the sprayer or it will destroy the sprayer.

Thats what I was thinking...could I put some bleach (and water?) into
a spray bottle.

Spray the mold (well, more like the entire ceiling, lol) and then let
it work on the mold for a day or so, then come back and wipe it off?

If its the Clorox or equivalant you get at the local super, don't add
water, use straight. Otherwise yes. You may need some additional
scrubbing if its on tight.

--
Rich Greenberg N6LRT Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507
Eastern time zone. I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L
Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L