In March, New Englanders open their windows, eager for fresh air. But when they see swirling dust glistening in the sun, they know its time to get to work. We chatted with area cleaning professionals to get the down and dirty on 10 different aspects of spring cleaning. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but should get you off to a clean start.

Jonathan Glazer, owner of PowerBees, a mold removal and remediation company, recommends controlling basement humidity with self-draining dehumidifiers. If it smells musty, have the air tested. Check for visual cues, too. Look up at floor joists: anything white and cottony is probably mold, Glacer says. And check cardboard boxes and Sheetrock for gray or black spots. Mold can grow in attics too, resulting from condensation caused by poor ventilation. Glacer says that soffit vents covered by insulation are the most common culprit. The solution: Pull insulation away from eaves and vents to help get air moving.

Unfinished attics and basements make terrible storage places, says Christa Hagearty, president and chief executive of Dependable Cleaners. Keep clothing in dark, dry, cool environments in breathable containers to prevent mold from growing. That means no plastic. Hagearty recommends acid-free cardboard boxes, cloth bags, or just a cotton sheet. Also, be sure to clean garments before storing, as organic materials, like sweat or sugar from what Hagearty calls invisible stains attracts bugs and fungi, and can stain clothing yellow.

To revive feather pillows, says Dependables Hagearty, recommends a service that sanitizes feathers by killing dust mites with ultraviolet light, then blows them into new ticking. If you prefer a home remedy: Be sure there arent tears or holes in the ticking, wash pillows two at a time in hot water with a bit of gentle detergent, blot with towels (dont wring, youll break the feathers), and fluff in the dryer with tennis balls.

Beat rugs, pre-vacuum carpets

Trung Nguyen, owner of VioClean carpet and upholstery cleaners, recommends that area rugs get a deep cleaning at least once a year. Rugs hold a lot of dirt, says Nguyen, So its best to get them out of the house. On-site area rug cleaning only pulls up surface dirt. Nguyen uses a vibrating tool that shakes debris free. For wall-to-wall carpet, be sure to pre-vacuum before deep cleaning. Finally, dont forget about those entry mats. Youd be surprised how much debris a good wiping shakes loose from your shoes.

Dryer Vent Wizard owners Webb Dickson and Bob Dalimonte stress that dryer vents should be cleaned, or at least inspected, annually. Warning signs that a dryer is poorly vented and in need of cleaning or replacement include excessive drying time, hot but damp clothing at the end of a cycle, a dryer top that is hot to the touch, and lint accumulating on the outside of the machine. Glazer of PowerBees advises that professionals with suction hoses clear debris from long dryer vents. If the vent is less than 6 feet, a homeowner maybe be able to do it with a vacuum cleaner, or can just replace the vent altogether.

Clean in & around appliances

Vacuum refrigerator condenser coils at least twice a year, more if you have pets, says Shaban Banushi, service manager at Yale Appliance, since excessive dirt and fur can impede function. If you have a self-cleaning oven, dont run it right before the holidays, because if something goes wrong, parts can be hard to come by. Every few years have a professional recalibrate the oven. (Note: store-bought thermometers can be 50 to 100 degrees off.) Also, you can use dishwasher deodorizer tablets to banish buildup in garbage disposals. As for dishwashers themselves, use a paperclip to clear debris from holes in the spinning arms.

Keith Campbell of Acu-Bright uses his own invention, a handheld ultrasound machine to clean chandeliers. If you opt to tackle your dining-room chandelier the old-fashioned way, Campbell cautions against chemical spray cleaners sold as quick solutions, as they will corrode the protective lacquer coating of the metal components, as well as the circuitry. Instead, after cutting the power and photographing the fixture so you know how to put it back together, remove each crystal and soak in hot water with a drop of dish detergent. Place on clean towels until partially dry, then buff with a cloth diaper. Before reassembling, wipe down the fixture itself with a microfiber cloth.

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Coming clean

By Corinne Reilly The Virginian-Pilot March 24, 2012

Despite delays that Lincoln Military Housing blames on new state standards related to mold, the company has made marked progress in cleaning up hundreds of its houses across Hampton Roads, Lincoln officials said this week.

But for several families who may sue over the issue, it's too little, too late, according to their lawyer.

A private company based in Texas, Lincoln manages roughly 4,400 Navy rental homes in southeast Virginia, some of them on bases and others in neighborhoods nearby. In November, a TV station began airing reports that many of the company's properties were infested with mold. Families alleged that Lincoln repeatedly failed to fix leaks and water intrusions, allowing mold to grow. They told of collapsed ceilings and spongy walls filled with visible fungus, and some residents said they'd been made sick.

Lincoln and the Navy initially denied widespread problems, but after local congressmen got involved, the company promised independent home inspections for all residents who asked for them, remediation for all units found to have moisture problems or mold, and a change in maintenance contractors. Lincoln also fired some workers and moved dozens of concerned families into hotels.

In an interview Thursday, the company's president, Jarl Bliss, said that while Lincoln is making headway, one unexpected roadblock has slowed progress: state standards adopted last year for the licensing of mold inspectors and remediators. Bliss said that because Virginia's requirements reached further than many other states, the companies that Lincoln hired to conduct the tests have had a hard time recruiting enough certified inspectors.

"I wish we could go faster. I know there have been some frustrations," he said. "But given the circumstances, I'm pleased with where we are."

In the months that have passed since the mold problems were exposed, Lincoln has identified roughly 800 homes in need of independent testing. Of those, about 550 have been inspected, and Lincoln has received results for about 300. Bliss said roughly one-fifth have come back calling for significant mold or moisture remediation. Some of the others have recommended minimal fixes. The work has included everything from the special cleaning of hard surfaces and installation of air filters to the replacement of carpet, walls and ceilings.

About 30 Lincoln families are living in hotels, waiting for repairs to be finished.

Bliss called the cleanup a "multimillion-dollar effort" and one that Lincoln is committed to getting right.

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Military housing firm cites progress in mold abatement

Its easy to panic when youre told you have dangerous mold growth in your home. Mold can cause health risks and lower the value of your home if its not addressed.

A professional mold remediator can make the necessary repairs, which could cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the extent of the damage. Though its always important to hire reliable professionals, the health and cost implications of a mold remediation project makes your hiring research especially critical. Highly qualified and trained mold remediators will be happy to show you their credentials.

But like any industry, there are those who offer services that are not as reliable. The two biggest red flags:

Remediation companies that conduct their own testing to determine whether you have dangerous mold.

High pressure sales tactics that involve predictions of immediate health risk unless action is taken right away.

Reputable mold remediation companies send mold tests to an independent lab to determine whether the mold is dangerous. This provides a buffer between the test conductor and the remediator. Homeowners can also hire other companies that offer testing, but do not do remediation work. Some home inspection companies offer this service, for example.

Mold is most commonly found in crawl spaces, basements and attics and is usually identified by its visual presence or a musty smell.

Probably the majority of our work is mold treatment in crawlspaces, said Julie Hurst, president of American Mold Experts in Centerville. As a general rule, if a water leak is not caught or cleaned up in 48 hours, then mold is going to grow.

Testing for mold generally includes an air quality test, which consists of obtaining air samples from the interior and exterior of the home and comparing those samples to determine what airborne molds are present and at what levels. Testing should always be done after mold has been remediated to ensure its been satisfactorily removed.

Its really a good idea for the same company to do the pretesting and the post testing, said Christie Kirchmer with Guardian Inspections, a home inspection company in Mason that offers mold testing. There are a number of things you have to do identically so you can get the same results when you do the testing, from what type of equipment you use to what types of spore traps youre using. You want to keep everything as similar as possible so youre comparing apples to apples.

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Be careful when hiring a mold remediation pro

Posted: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 6:11 pm | Updated: 8:55 pm, Wed Mar 7, 2012.

Justice is on the move, literally, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown.

County staff has been scrambling over the last several weeks to find temporary office space for six county judges after mold was found on the inside walls in the area where their offices are located.

"There is no immediate danger but we wanted to get the judges out so we can get rid of it as soon as possible," said Communications Director Frank X. Custer Jr., noting that this situation is yet another problem the new administration inherited from the prior administration and is trying to address in a timely fashion.

The six judges had complained about the air in the plaza section where their offices are located. Custer said he did not know the judges' specific complaints.

However, the new administration contracted with Accredited Environmental Technologies Inc., whose parent company already was on site doing studies in connection with the courthouse parking garage, to test the air quality. The testing cost $5,600.

"Tests found that the air is safe," said Custer.

There is no problem with the air quality and no particulates were found in the air, according to Custer.

But while on site, the testing company did discover mold on the inside of the walls of several of the offices, Custer said.

The county currently is soliciting emergency bids from companies to remediate the situation. The commissioners hope to award the contract at their meeting next week, he added.

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Mold found in Montco courthouse

The mold help site Molderizer.com is releasing mold remediation companies secret non-toxic solution to battle mold. The website has been in tight negotiations to reveal its mold kit to the public. Now after several years being only available to select mold remediation companies, Molderizer.com is releasing their non-toxic solution to the public and offering a complimentary sample for a limited time.

New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) March 07, 2012

The non-toxic mold removal product is comprised of unique ingredients in which breaks apart the mold DNA to give certainty that the mold spore is eliminated. As for mold prevention, Molderizer.com has also released in its mold remediation kit their mold prevention product, called Safe Shield. This is non-toxic formula with will prevent mold amplification, creating a clear barrier on surfaces to suffocate mold spores. This process will entrap the spores and prevent any sort of reproduction. Molderizer.com claims that this science has saved mold remediation companies thousands in cost, by reducing labor and future worries for their clients.

Ifanyone would likemore information on these unique mold remediation products, they may visit the site to claim their complimentary sample of the mold remediation kit.

Be sure to visit http://www.molderizer.com and grab your complimentary sample.

Janice Iquina http://www.molderizer.com 1 (888) 440-3826 Email Information

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Mold Remediation Companies Secret Non-Toxic Weapon That Saves Mold Victims 1,000's, Molderizer.com Reveals Secret

Mold is an indicator of unhealthy home environment, as well as a cause of various respiratory problems. Because the mold growing conditions, such as warmth and moisture, will only get better in the next few months, Budget Waterproofing encourages homeowner not to delay the mold inspection.

BALTIMORE, Md. (PRWEB) March 07, 2012

According to the recent CBS21 story, some areas of Pennsylvania and Maryland are still dealing with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee that hit East Coast past September. Mold is a common complaint among the flood victims, and because many homeowners didnt have flood insurance, the problem wasnt dealt with properly.

Budget Waterproofing, a Maryland mold removal and waterproofing service provider, keeps receiving calls from people with flood-related mold issues. We help many homeowners claim their basements back, and we encourage everyone to examine their houses before it gets too hot and humid outside, says Robert Bollinger, the president of Budget Waterproofing.

Mold needs warmth, humidity, and organic matter to grow, according to the National Institute of Building Sciences. Bollinger also added that mild winter in combination with spring rains and warm temperatures will provide excellent conditions for mold to thrive.

We have provided mold remediation services in Maryland for many years and have developed a checklist to aid our customers in evaluating mold problems, said Bollinger. He pointed out that looking for these signs will help determine if professional mold removal help is needed:

Fogged windows;

Bollinger also noted that mold is usually a symptom of some other problem in your house, such as a leak or poor ventilation, which has to be eliminated to prevent or minimize future mold growth. The recent inspection of a police station in Titusville, Fl., has revealed extensive mold infestation caused by plumbing and insulation issues that yield $600,000 in clean up.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there is a direct correlation between mold and dampness in living premises and an increase in several respiratory health outcomes. Twenty one percent of current asthma cases in the United States were caused by poor air quality due to mold and elevated humidity.

Some of the mold spices are toxic and can cause serious health issues and even death after a prolonged exposure, according to the Toxic Black Mold Information Center. These molds emit toxins that may get inhaled or ingested resulting in a range of problems from irritation and difficulty breathing to mood swings and internal organ damage.

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Budget Waterproofing Encourages Homeowners to Conduct Spring Mold Inspection

Molder.com has released its new mold remediation products that help mold contractors save thousands in remediation costs. The non toxic mold kit is formulated specifically to reduce the labor in a mold remediation project. To prove the effectiveness, Molderizer.com is releasing complimentary samples to mold professionals for a limited time this week.

St Louis, MO (PRWEB) March 06, 2012

Initially, Molderizer.com special formula was licensed to select few large environmental companies in the United States. Now after rigid testing and renewal of their agreements, the creator of the mold remediation product is releasing a complimentary sample for a limited time to the rest of the public.

The director of relations explains, "Currently, Molderizer.com is extremely excited with it's huge success with other mold professionals. The company has helped professionals drastically reduce mold removal costs and labor costs when involved in a mold project. To prove it's amazing results and labor saving abilities for mold remediation companies. Molderizer.com for a limited time is offering a complimentary sample of its two flag ship mold cleaners andprevention products. Be sure to visit Molderizer.com for more information and to grab your complimentary sample."

The mold help site is releasing a complimentary sample of its mold kit, which includes Molderizer and Safe Shield. One may be able to visit the website and claim both samples for a limited time.

To receive your complimentary sample be sure to visit http://www.Molderizer.com

Janice Iquina Molderizer 1 (888) 440-3826 Email Information

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New Non-Toxic Mold Remediation Products Only Available To Select Mold Companies Now Being Released To The Public ...

Mold in Dontrael Starks and Tiffany Jones’ home (credit: CBS)

DENVER (CBS4) – A northeast Denver family is fighting for a healthy home. They had a mold clean-up job done in December, but say the mold still exists.

The family contacted 4 On Your Side Consumer Investigator Jodi Brooks for help. She organized different mold tests. CBS4?s test results confirm high levels of mold still in the home.

A bathroom tested high, and so did the master bedroom. CBS4?s test results now have the attention of the people in charge of the remediation project.

“It’s just crazy. It needs to end,” homeowner Dontrael Starks said.

“There’s still mold. There’s still a bunch of mold in here,” homeowner Tiffany Jones said.

Jones and Starks have three children — twins Aadyan and Honor, who turn 3 years old in March; and little Zaryia, who will turn 2 years old also in March. Jones and all of the children suffer from asthma, and Aadyan also has autism. So for the family, a healthy home is paramount.

“I couldn’t image someone else’s family going through this and being this patient for all this time,” Starks said.

For more than 80 days now the family has been living in temporary housing, refusing to move back into their home.

“We just wanted the job done right, and i feel that they just didn’t do that at all,” Jones said.

Jones and Starks volunteered for a research study conducted by National Jewish Health. The consent form provided to the family calls it a “Healthy Homes: Healthy Kids” study. Offering “no guarantees or promises,” but with the purpose of “improving your home environment” to “improve you or your family’s health.”

Northeast Denver Housing Center is a partner in the project along with Denver Urban Renewal Authority.

“It upsets me because I just feel like nobody cares. I just feel like they don’t care; like honestly do not care about our family,” Starks said.

Because after the work was done, and their case was officially closed, Jones and Starks strongly believed mold still existed.

“Even on your finger you have enough moisture to have it read in this case 24.7 percent moisture content,” Bob Woellner with Quest Environmental said.

Removing the moisture and its source is key in mold remediation,” according to Woellner.

“Anything less than 12 percent is considered to be dry,” Woellner said.

So with the moisture meter Woellner checked the bathroom and behind the laundry room.

“Pull up a tile, there’s a loose tile here. The wood and the grout underneath it is 40 plus moisture content. “I would not want to move back until all the work was completed, which means making sure the sources of moisture are eliminated.”

But the only way to confirm mold remains in the home is to test it. Weecycle Environmental Consulting based in Boulder did the initial mold tests back in July of 2011. CBS4 hired them again.

“I’d say we still have an issue,” Weecycle Environmental Consulting President
Judy Sawitsky said. “At this point I would say this is not a particularly healthy house to live in.”

One-hundred-twelve northeast Denver families have been enrolled in the National Jewish Health study. Sixty of those homes required remediation work and 40 of those 60 involved mold.

According to Dr. Mike Van Dyke of National Jewish the Jones and Starks home is the only home that continues to have issues.

“Every indication we had by multiple individual reports was that this job was fixed,” Van Dyke said.

But then Van Dyke reviewed the latest mold test results. He said the cause of the mold in the home was from a leaky water heater, a leak under the kitchen sink, and a leak behind the shower surround in the bathroom.

It’s clear the work is not complete.

“Oh we’re definitely committed to seeing what needs to be done and try to see where that mold is coming from,” Van Dyke said.

It’s a step closer.

“We can’t live like that,” Jones said.

National Jewish has been in contact with the family and plans to inspect the home this week. Anything they identify as a quality issue related to the work that had been performed will be corrected.

National Jewish says it will do its best to figure out the mold issue, but it cannot promise it will pay for all the problems.

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Mold Chases Denver Family From Their Home After Clean-Up Job

Is this mold? It turns out, it’s oxidation on the metal. (CBS)

CHICAGO (CBS)–  It’s one of the scariest things a homeowner can hear: “You’ve got mold.”

That’s just one of the scare tactics 2 Investigator Pam Zekman found one company using to trick suburban homeowners into paying for expensive mold remediation that they apparently did not need.

A company representative “was saying that everyone in this house could get sick and he was saying that I would not be able to sell this house,”  Deerfield homeowner Craig Davishoff says.

Another homeowner, Julie Newman of Northbrook, had a similar experience.

“I was scared and asked what I could do about that. And he offered on-the-spot remediation,” she says.

For an additional $800, TriState D.U.C.S  agreed to take care of Newman’s alleged mold problem.  That was on top of $400 she was already paying for duct cleaning.

“I feel like the whole thing now, in retrospect, is a scam,” Newman says.

Why?  Newman and other customers related how TriState technicians would use a swab to get material from inside the vents.  They would then put the swab into a chemically treated vial and, if it turned purple, the technicians would say the homeowner had mold.

But, the test kit instructions say on the box that the swab test “is only a screening tool that cannot and should not be used as a definitive measure of protein containing mold.”

“It could be any one of four or five biological things. And even if it were mold it doesn’t differentiate the different types,” says Larry Schwartz, owner of Safestart Environmental.”

To do that, experts certified in detecting mold, like Schwartz, send a sample to be tested in a lab. Schwartz was hired to do just that by the Parsons family after Tri-State said their Lake Zurich home had mold.

“I totally just freaked out, was envisioning the worst possible scenario,” Denise Parsons says.

But lab tests Schwartz requested were negative for all molds except one of the most common.

“That’s a usual and customary level that we all breathe all of the time,” Schwartz says.

When Schwartz told Denise Parsons that she didn’t need any mold remediation, she was visibly relieved.

“That’s wonderful. What a relief. Thank you so much,” she said.

In Davishoff’s Deerfield home, a TriState technician did a swab test in the children’s bedroom and then said the results showed “this is a real bad mold problem,” Davishoff recalled.

Then the technician pointed to white streaks on his basement ductwork as more evidence of mold

“I was shocked,”   Davishoff says.

He was shocked and concerned enough to agree to pay $1,200 more to TriState to fix the alleged mold problem.

Later Davishoff feared he’d been duped and hired Safestart Environmental to double-check for mold.

“It’s nothing more than oxidation on the metal,”  Schwartz says.

Schwartz took samples to a lab for further tests, but once again the verdict came back as “no mold.”

“I was suckered. They lied to me, then they tried to rip me off,” Davishoff says.

Davishoff wasn’t ripped off because he stopped payment on his check to TriState before they could cash it.

The operators of Tri State D.U.C.S, who have used  a variety of similar names,  did not  return calls seeking comment for this story.

Experts say if you really have a mold problem you must find the source of moisture, which is what typically causes mold. It must be repaired and any damaged surfaces should be removed and replaced.

The links listed below are to organizations that can help you select qualified duct-cleaning companies and mold detection or remediation specialists if it turns out you really need them.

The Indoor Air Quality Association

American Council for Accredited Certification

National Air duct Cleaning Association 

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2 Investigators: Firm Accused Of Bogus Mold Cleanups

NANUET, N.Y., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, the tri-state area's leading fire and water damage remediation experts at Total Environmental Restoration Services, Inc. (TERS) were called upon by a major New York State government agency to handle full smoke mitigation of a 13-floor government building in New York City.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120216/NY54891LOGO&nbsp😉

TERS responded immediately by deploying their in-house team of specialists and state-of-the-art equipment to the scene.

TERS was chosen for the job based on a successful 20-year reputation in fire and smoke remediation, water damage restoration, flood repair, air quality restoration, and mold removal, throughout New York (NY), New York City (NYC), New Jersey (NJ), Connecticut (CT), and as far reaching as Rhode Island (RI), Pennsylvania (PA), Delaware (DE), and Maryland (MD).

Loss Description

As the result of an underground fire, smoke infiltrated the basement and all thirteen floors of a major government agency building in New York City causing significant air quality damage. The restoration project required immediate and swift attention to minimize loss of productivity and taxpayer expense, and maximize safety.

"The officials managing this cleanup did the right thing by introducing experts right away. We were able to collaborate with local fire officials, customize our approach, and quickly implement solutions," said TERS Environmental Analyst, Gary Shaked.

Unique Issues

Once the fire was fully extinguished, building owners and government officials required an urgent assessment of the microscopic damage to air quality, removal of all pollutants, and prevention of the spread of smoke damage.

Based on the importance of this particular government body, the in-house TERS team worked around-the-clock to provide complete smoke damage remediation. The building was closed for only 24-hours, during a weekend, to ensure that employees could swiftly and safely reoccupy the space. Remediation and mitigation projects of this magnitude typically require 7-10 days of cleanup and restoration; TERS completed the project in just 36 hours.

Job Elements

TERS technicians began the effort with a thorough air quality analysis using state-of-the-art laser particle meters and indoor air quality (IAQ) monitors to accurately measure contamination concentrations. Their testing also confirmed the absence of asbestos or other dangers that can be aggravated by fire and smoke. Immediate steps were taken to isolate the affected areas of the building and begin remediation.

Using their organic, non-chemical and low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) approach to air filtration TERS eliminated all microscopic air contamination and deodorized the building without adding new toxic substances. As a result, employees returned to a smoke-free, toxin-free work environment.

"We're an environmentally-focused, science-based company," said Shaked, "our primary goal is to purify affected areas, not introduce new toxins."

Job Recognition

After the 36-hour cleanup period, TERS provided full documentation to the building owner, the employees' union, and all pertinent state and local government officials to certify full remediation. The Department of Health verified their work and the safety of the air quality, commending TERS for their strict adherence to EPA and other regulatory guidelines, while exceeding expectations for the smoke cleanup.

"Our in-house team is poised to handle everything from smaller, homeowner jobs to large-scale projects such as this," added Shaked. "Our techs are regularly trained in the latest technology and environmentally-sound remediation techniques and can respond instantly to your needs."

TERS remediation and mitigation experts are available 24/7 through their emergency hotline, 877-777-3117. A complete overview of their emergency remediation services is available at http://www.TERS.com. 

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Successful and Swift Smoke Cleanup for New York City Government Office with Total Environmental Restoration Services ...