Having a mold cleaning program is extremely beneficial because it allows one to know how to protect themselves from mold, where mold can be found, and where the root cause of the mold can be found.

For example, at a minimum when dealing with mold, a person should have above the wrist chemical resistant gloves, an N-95 respirator mask, and un-vented safety goggles. This PPE serves to protect the individual from inhaling mold and mold spores and to protect the person’s skin and eyes from contacting the mold and the spores.

And knowing where to look for mold is critical in its removal from the facility as missing hidden mold can mean people still feeling the side effects of the mold, as well as continually contacting the mold can lead to more serious health problems. An example of places where mold can be present that aren’t readily visible are in air ducts, behind wallpaper, inside pipe chases, and on roof materials that are above ceiling tiles. Knowing that mold can be growing in these locations is critical if one is to remove the mold from a building.

Lastly, even if all the mold is removed from a building, without addressing the root cause of the mold, which is moisture, the mold will continue to grow back because the environment remains conducive for this. Places where moisture can come from are leaking pipes, a breach in the building envelope that allows the outside elements to get in, and places where condensation can occur such as something hot near something cold. Knowing where to find the causes of moisture in the building and then fixing those problems will break the cycle of mold continually growing.

Having a mold cleaning program ready to implement at any moment is very important as it prepares a person to know exactly how to protect themselves, where they can find the mold, and where they can find the moisture that is causing the mold, thus protecting the health of people.