Reader’s mound insight

Bob Gillies of Geduld writes:

In 2006 a group of 18 of us Springites went to New Orleans to do house clearing after the Katrina hurricane.

Houses had been immersed in flood water for up to 16 months when we arrived.

Most had toxic mould present in many rooms and we were outfitted with overalls , gloves and masks.

We did not have to treat the mould as we were stripping the houses of ceilings , walls and all fittings.

However, the treatment of bathroom and other mould is not difficult or expensive if you follow these procedures:

• Wear protective clothing, gloves and a good face mask or respirator.

• Fix any water leaks that may be causing damp areas.

• Scrub ceilings and affected areas with a mild detergent and warm water.

• Let the area dry.

• Mix ¼ cup bleach with a litre of water and wash the areas, wait 20 minutes and reapply.

• Wait another 20 minutes.

• The cleaned ceiling does not mean that mould spores won’t develop again

• Mix a solution of Borax and apply to the ceiling – one cup of borax to 5 litres hot water. Don’t rinse this mixture off as it will stop mould from growing in the future. Borates (Borax) have stain removal properties and control bacteria and fungi.

• To prevent mould from re-occurring make sure you have searched for any water leaks that are causing damp areas and fix them if not already done.

• Increase ventilation in the affected room by leaving doors and windows open to get maximum ventilation. Toxic mould spores can cause fatigue, nausea , headaches , lung and eye irritation and other health problems

• It may not be necessary to repaint the ceiling.