Belongings After Mold: Clean, Keep or Let Go

Evidence: Inspector's practice (precautionary).

It also helps to know where the mold was. If growth was sealed inside a wall cavity, its particles had little way to reach furniture in the room, so those pieces are probably fine, unless they were contaminated while the wall was opened.

Glass, metal, plastic, ceramic and similar hard surfaces can be washed or wiped clean. Wood furniture worth keeping can be vacuumed with a sealed HEPA vacuum, especially on its raw, unfinished undersides and backs, and then wiped. Some pieces can also be saved by sealing the bare wood after cleaning. Very moldy furniture may not be worth the effort.

Upholstered pieces act like a bellows. When you sit, air is pushed out of the cushions. When you stand, air rushes back in, carrying any mold particles in the room. The next time someone sits, a puff of those particles comes out again. That is why a sofa that sat in contaminated air may not come truly clean and may need reupholstering or replacing. Leather furniture does not trap air the same way.

It depends on exposure. A mattress left open to room air may have taken in particles. One that was nearly always covered by bedding may be protected well enough. Some more cautious doctors advise replacing mattresses anyway, so ask your doctor if a sensitive person sleeps on it.

From a health standpoint, carpet is a poor investment. It holds years of fine particles, and even a good vacuum cannot get it fully clean. Bare floors are far easier to keep clean. Carpet that mold particles have spread into, or carpet that got wet and was not dried quickly, is often best removed.

Evidence: Well supported (EPA: wet porous materials not dried within 24 to 48 hours may need to be discarded).

Soft, porous items such as wicker, paper, fabric and cardboard soak up particles and, if damp, can grow mold. Some may need to be bagged and discarded. Move what you keep from cardboard into plastic bins. Wash clothing and fabrics that can be washed.

For antiques, artwork and heirlooms, consult a fine arts restorer or a museum before deciding anything.

A tape sample can settle many of these decisions. Touch one tape to many spots under and behind the furniture in a room; if it is clean, the room's furniture probably is too. If it is positive, test piece by piece to find which one is the problem.

Tell the crew in writing that nothing leaves the house without your approval, or mark clearly what may go. Move valuables out first if you can. Clients of one veteran inspector lost good rugs and furniture that she had tested and found clean.

A few very sensitive people find they must leave nearly everything behind to feel well. The inspector whose field work this builds on was clear that most people are not at that level. Make these choices together with your doctor, based on how the person actually reacts.

Evidence: Inspector's practice (precautionary).

This page is for education only. It is not medical, legal or engineering advice. The inspector whose work this builds on was an environmental consultant, not a physician. Talk with your doctor about health concerns, and use licensed professionals for electrical work and large mold jobs. Products, prices and labs mentioned reflect the years they were recorded and may have changed.

Source: the field work of environmental inspector May Dooley, MS, MA, CMC

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