Mold Bacteria Consulting Services

Serving Ontario and British Columbia

  • Home
  • About MBS
  • Services
    • Mold Inspection
    • Bacteria Testing
    • Bioburden Testing
    • Legionella Investigation
    • Online Training
  • Equipment/Supplies
  • iBlog
  • Kids’ Corner
    • School Science Fair Projects
    • Bacteria Pictures
    • Fungal Pictures
  • Contact Us
  • Login
You are here: Home / Archives for books

Could I Save My Clothing, Books, etc After Mold Contamination?

Jackson Kung'u

Question: Hi, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. It is so hard to get any advice on this subject. My apartment had toxic black mold (Stachybotrys, Aspergillus, and Penicillium). It was a small area under a window. I was very sick and still do not know if I was just “sick” (flu like) or if it was the mold. Anyhow I moved out in May, and have been trying to salvage what I can from my apartment. I was wondering if I could save my clothing, books, etc? I have a microbial cleaner that says it can be used on paper. What do you think? There is no visible mold on any of my things. The mold was on the wall and in the air. Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it so much.

Answer: Yes, you could save your clothing, books and other belongings. If the apartment had only a small amount of mold, I don’t think your belongings are significantly contaminated with mold spores. However, if you’re still concerned you could have the items that cannot be washed, cleaned with a HEPA vacuum. I would not recommend use of microbial cleaners unless it’s something already approved for that purpose. Items that can be washed should be washed and then dried properly immediately. For additional information refer to the articles below:

  • Should We Throw Away Our Furniture, Books, Photo Albums…After Mould Contamination?
  • Mold On Books

Filed Under: Fungi, MBL Answers Tagged With: Aspergillus, books, mold contamination, penicillium, stachybotrys, toxic black mold

Mold On Books

Jackson Kung'u

Books are prone to dampness if the relative humidity is not maintained below 60%. Prolonged damp conditions results to mold growth on the paper and on the bindings. Mold growth on books leads to damage of books through staining and or breaking down of paper and other book components. Besides the damage, many molds isolated from books are a health hazard capable of causing serious respiratory diseases and allergies of various degrees. Molds commonly isolated from moldy books include species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Trichoderma, Chaetomium, Stachybotrys, Epicoccum and a number of others. Trichoderma, Chaetomium, and Stachybotrys are strong producers of the enzyme cellulase that breaks down the paper.

Procedure for cleaning moldy booksMold growth on a book

If the books are not extensively damaged (i.e, the paper is still intact), they can be saved. Below is a brief procedure that can be used to clean moldy books.

  • Workers must wear appropriate personal protective equipment when handling contaminated books. This includes wearing coverall or other protective coat over street clothing, a respirator (i.e. N95 or better) and vinyl examination gloves. Unprotected individuals risk aggravating or developing allergic sensitivities to the mold spores.
  • Cleaning must be conducted within a temporary containment unit away from air intakes, other building openings and public areas.
  • Moldy books must be HEPA vacuumed on the following areas: outside front and back covers, joints between the covers, spine, text block and inside back and front covers. A soft-bristled brush may be used to remove stubborn mold growth. (NB: Care must be taken not to damage the books).
  • Once cleaning of books is completed, book carts that were holding moldy books must be cleaned with disinfectant and paper towels. Refer to the material safety data sheets (MSDS) of the disinfectants before use.
  • Before re-shelving, the cleaned books must be given a quick wipe down with an appropriate disinfectant solution, the floors and shelf areas must be cleaned and disinfected and the shelves and flooring must be cleaned with disinfectant and paper towels.
  • After completing the cleaning, the exterior of the HEPA vacuum cleaner is wiped down with a disinfectant to kill any settled spores.
  • Workers must remove protective coveralls, eye protection, respirator, and gloves outside and wash hands with soap and hot water after completing the cleaning session.
  • A record of where the problem areas are, the cause of the problem, a list of the cleaned books, the time and day when the cleaning took place must be kept for future reference.
  • Implement a preventative cleaning program to address the continuing mold problem in the library.

Filed Under: Fungi, Mold Tagged With: Aspergillus, books, chaetomium, cladosporium, Epicoccum, mold growth, mold on books, penicillium, relative humidity, stachybotrys, Trichoderma

What’s New?

  • Indoor Air Quality Testing in Toronto, Ontario
  • Air Quality Testing in Vancouver, BC
  • Mold Testing in Toronto, Ontario
  • Mold Testing in Vancouver, BC
  • Salmonella food poisoning and symptoms
March 2023
S M T W T F S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Jun    

Salmonella food poisoning and symptoms

Salmonella food poisoning has been a growing concern in recent news. It has frequently lead to recalls of beef, salads and organic products and, even peanut butter products. Salmonella food poisoning occurs when one eats raw or undercooked foods such meat, poultry, eggs or egg products. Properly cooked food can get contaminated with Salmonella if […]

Legionella pneumophila – Guidelines for Laboratory Interpretation

Legionella pneumophila is a Gram negative, aerobic bacteria that is characterized as an opportunistic pathogen. It is the cause of Legionnaires’ Disease, a severe form of pneumonia and, it is the cause of Pontiac fever, a non-pneumonic form of L. pneumophila infection. Legionella spp.’s mode of transmission is through aerosols or aspiration of contaminated water. The Public Health […]

The Indoor Mold Is An Early Warning Device

The mold (or mould, in the Queen’s English) has been the victim of a bad press. Mention the word and it conjures up an image of something rotting or in the process of decomposition. And yet, were it not for the mold that inspired the discovery of penicillin millions of lives would have been lost. […]

Copyright © 2023 . Mold & Bacteria Consulting Services (MBS). 1020 Brevik Place, Unit 1A, Mississauga, L4W 4N7. Log in