HOMEOWNER’S 

AND RENTER’S 

GUIDE TO MOLD 

CLEANUP AFTER 

DISASTERS 
HOMEOWNER’S AND RENTER’S GUIDE TO MOLD CLEANUP AFTER DISASTERS

Cleaning up after a flood can pose health risks. You and your family should wait to re-enter your home until 

professionals tell you it is safe, with no structural, electrical or other hazards. 

Before you start cleanup activities, contact your insurance company and take pictures of the home and your 

belongings. Remember – drying your home and removing water-damaged items is your most important step for 

preventing mold damage. 

IS THERE A PROBLEM? 

Was your home flooded? If so, and you were not able to dry your home (including furniture and other items) 

within 24-48 hours, you should assume you have mold growth. You need to completely dry everything, clean up 

the mold, and make sure you don’t still have a moisture problem. 

You may see or smell mold on clothing, drywall, furniture, cardboard boxes, or books, but it may also be hidden 

under or behind items like carpet, cushions, or walls. 

MOLD BASICS: HOW MOLDS CAN AFFECT YOUR HEALTH 

Exposure to mold can lead to asthma attacks, eye and skin irritation, and allergic reactions. It can lead to 

severe infections in people with weakened immune 

systems. Avoid contaminated buildings and 

contaminated water as much as you can. 

Flood water may have carried sewage or chemicals 

into your home. This could expose you or your 

family to viruses, bacteria, disease carriers (such 

as mosquitos), and parasites, as well as mold. 

To learn more about cleaning and disinfection go 

to: http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/ 

flood/standing.html 

You can protect yourself and your family from mold exposure by following these steps. 

KEY MESSAGES 

• Wear personal protective equipment. Wear

an N-95 respirator at a minimum, goggles, 

and protective gloves. 

• Use portable generators carefully, outside

and away from the home, to avoid carbon

monoxide poisoning and fires.

• Ensure the mold cleanup is complete before

reoccupying your home.

BEFORE YOU ENTER ANY MOLDY SITE: 

•	 Protect yourself and loved ones against hazards. People with breathing problems like asthma or who have

weakened immune systems should stay away from moldy sites. Children should not take part in disaster 

cleanup work. Check for loose power lines or gas leaks. Make sure the electricity and gas are turned off. 

Look for sagging ceilings or floors or other structural problems. Watch out for wet, muddy, or slippery 

floors. 

•	 Protect your mouth and nose against breathing in mold: wear at least an N-95 respirator. If you plan to spend

a lot of time removing moldy belongings or doing work like ripping out moldy drywall, wear a half-face or fullface respirator. Basic information on using it is in OSHA’s general respiratory protection guidance.

•	 Protect your skin. Wear protective gloves (non-latex, vinyl, nitrile, or rubber). Do not touch mold or moldy

items with bare hands.

•	 Protect your eyes. Wear goggles that provide complete eye protection. Choose goggles designed to keep out

dust and small particles. Safety glasses or goggles that have open vent holes will not protect you against

dust and small particles.

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AFTER YOU LEAVE A MOLD SITE: 

•	 Protect yourself and loved ones. Shower and change 

your clothes. This will help you avoid carrying mold and 

other hazards back to your current living quarters. 

SHOULD I DO THIS MYSELF?
 

This job may be too difficult or dangerous for you. It may be 

best to get help from experienced and qualified professionals 

if you can. Hire a mold inspection or remediation 

professional affiliated with or certified by the National 

Environmental Health Association (NEHA), the American 

Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the Institute of 

Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), or American Council for Accredited Certification 

(ACAC) to inspect, repair, and restore the damaged parts of your home. Your state also may regulate mold 

remediation. 

Sampling for mold is not usually recommended. Understanding the results can be difficult, and no matter what 

kind of mold is in your home, you need to clean it up and fix the moisture problem. 

IF I MUST DO THIS MYSELF, HOW CAN I DO IT SAFELY? 

Follow these steps: 

1.	 Put on the personal protective equipment described above to protect your eyes, nose, mouth, and skin. 

2.	 Remove standing water and wet materials. Use a wet vacuum to remove water from floors, carpets, and 

hard surfaces. Dry your home and everything in it as quickly as you can – within 24 to 48 hours if you can. 

3.	 Open all doors and windows when you are working and leave as many open as is safe when you leave. 

o	 Open inside doors, especially closets and interior rooms, to let air flow to all areas. Take doors off their 

hinges if you need to. 

o	 Open kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanity doors; remove drawers, wipe them clean, and stack them 

to dry. 

o	 Open the attic access to let air flow to the attic. Before you open the attic door, make sure nothing will 

fall on you. 

4.	 When electricity is safe to use, use fans and dehumidifiers to remove moisture. Do not use fans if mold has 

already started to grow, because the fans may spread the mold. 

5.	 Clean with water and a detergent. Remove all mold you can see. Dry right away. 

6.	 If you use cleaning products, do not mix cleaning products together. DO NOT mix bleach and ammonia 

because it can create toxic vapors. 

7.	 Painting or caulking over mold will not prevent mold from growing. Fix the water problem completely and 

clean up all the mold before you paint or caulk. 

8.	 Throw away items that can’t be cleaned and dried. Throw away anything that was wet with flood water and 

can’t be cleaned and dried completely within 24 to 48 hours. If you have precious items that you want to 

preserve, follow these guidelines from the Smithsonian Institute: http://www.si.edu/mci/english/ 

learn_more/taking_care/mnm.html 

HOMEOWNER’S AND RENTER’S GUIDE TO MOLD CLEANUP AFTER DISASTERS 3 
SAFETY TIPS ON USING PORTABLE GENERATORS 

If you use a portable generator for electricity use CAUTION to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and fires. 

•	 Use portable generators OUTSIDE and at least 20 feet away from buildings. 

•	 Do not use portable generators inside your house or garage. 

•	 Do not put portable generators on balconies or near doors, vents, or windows. 

•	 Do not use portable generators near where you or your children are sleeping. 

•	 Never refuel a generator while it is hot. 

•	 For more information, go to: http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/portable_generator_safety.pdf 

AM I DONE? 

•	 If you still see or smell mold, you have more work to do. After a remediation, there should be no signs of 

water damage or mold growth. 

•	 You may need to ask a mold remediation professional to know whether your mold problem is completely 

fixed. As noted in the “Should I do this myself?” section, sampling for mold is not usually recommended; 

instead, a careful inspection of the work area for completion of the cleanup and absence of mold-related 

odors is usually appropriate. 

•	 If you have health problems that get worse when you return home, like asthma or allergy attacks or skin or 

eye irritation, you may still have some mold. 

LOCAL CONTACT INFO: 

HOMEOWNER’S AND RENTER’S GUIDE TO MOLD CLEANUP AFTER DISASTERS, JUNE 2015 

Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force - Indoor Environmental Pollutants Work Group 

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