The U.S. Center for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency recently stated that homeowners should commission professional cleaning companies to tackle mold-damaged areas in homes affected by disasters like flooding.
While the principle behind the suggestion is smart – homeowners aren’t educated about mold and should hire experts to take care of it – the cleaning-company idea is a dangerous one.
If moisture in your damaged home has fostered toxic mold growth and damaged your indoor air quality, it’s absolutely smart to get a cleaning done. But the key is to have an actual expert to the job.
An environmental consulting firm won’t just clean out mold for you. Its experts understand what mechanisms cause mold growth in the first place and how to avoid accidentally spreading spores during a cleanup. An expert cleanup doesn’t simply wipe away the mold; it eliminates it and disposes of it in a way that ensures it won’t return.
A cleaning company may do a fine job on the surface but it may also make some uneducated choices, such as using bleach to fight mold. A certified environmental expert, on the other hand, would know that the bleach method is a myth, and that bleach doesn’t not kill mold entirely.
It’s not that a thorough cleaning after a natural disaster isn’t a good idea; anything that removes moisture and/or debris from your home is helpful. However, if you do decide to hire a cleaning company, consider also hiring an environmental consulting company to finish the job. The real experts will eliminate mold and check for other environmental threats like lead, radon and asbestos.
Cleaning companies may save you backbreaking labor but, in most cases, they don’t know anything more about mold than you do!
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
