Keep It or Toss It? Sorting Belongings After a Mold Problem
Hard, non-porous things like glass, metal, ceramic and hard plastic can usually be cleaned and kept. Porous things that mold has grown into, like ceiling tiles, carpet pad, mattresses, upholstered cushions and cardboard, usually can't be cleaned well enough and are thrown away. Solid wood furniture is often saveable if it's sound. Clothing that's only musty can often be laundered. Anything soaked by sewage or floodwater is a different category and is usually discarded.
After the walls are dealt with, the next question is always the stuff. Boxes in the basement, the couch that sat against the damp wall, the rug, the old photo albums. The rule is simpler than it looks: things mold can’t get into can be cleaned, things it has grown into usually can’t, and the in-between items are a judgment call.
Usually keep: hard, non-porous things
Glass, metal, ceramic, porcelain, stone and hard plastic. Mold sits on the surface of these and doesn’t get in. The EPA’s advice is to scrub mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water and dry them completely. That covers dishes, tools, metal shelving, plastic storage bins, appliances’ outer surfaces and most hard toys.
Do it outside or in a space with good airflow, and wear the gloves, goggles and N-95 respirator the CDC recommends for mold cleanup.
Usually toss: porous things mold has grown into
- Carpet pad, and usually wall-to-wall carpet that’s grown mold
- Ceiling tiles
- Mattresses and box springs
- Upholstered cushions and stuffed furniture that’s grown mold
- Cardboard boxes and the paper goods in them
- Insulation, drywall and other building materials that mold has grown into
The EPA notes that porous materials like these may have to be thrown away once moldy, because mold can get into them in ways cleaning can’t fully reach. Bag it before it leaves the room. The EPA’s mold course calls for double-bagging in 6-mil plastic, and says the bags can usually go out as ordinary construction waste.
The judgment calls
Solid wood furniture. Often saveable. Mold on finished or solid wood tends to stay near the surface. HEPA vacuum it outside, wipe it down, dry it, and check that it’s sound. Veneered particleboard that’s swelled or delaminated isn’t worth saving.
Clothing and washable fabrics. If it’s only musty or lightly spotted, launder it warm and dry it completely. If staining or smell survives a couple of washes, let it go.
Leather. Sometimes cleanable, often stained. Worth trying on something you care about.
Books and papers. Everyday paper that’s grown mold isn’t worth saving. Valuable or irreplaceable documents and photos are worth asking a professional restoration service about. Photograph or copy what matters first.
Electronics. Don’t plug in anything that was wet. Let a repair shop decide.
A different category: sewage and floodwater
Anything soaked by sewage, or by floodwater that came across the yard, is a different story. It carries more than mold. Porous items it touched are usually discarded, and the cleanup is a job for professionals with the right protection.
Stop the next batch before it starts
Storage-heavy basements are where a lot of belongings get ruined, slowly. Cardboard pressed against a damp wall is mold food. Once you’ve sorted what’s left:
- Use plastic bins with lids, not cardboard
- Keep everything a few inches off the floor and a foot off outside walls
- Run a dehumidifier that empties itself
- Check after heavy rain. Rain falls here every month of the year
Where basement water comes from in the first place is in basement mold in Gettysburg homes. If it was a flood, the first 48 hours are in the sump pump quit.
Take a photo before it goes to the curb
If you might file an insurance claim, photograph everything before you throw it away, and ask your adjuster before you toss anything big. That photo is the receipt. For the building itself, what gets cleaned versus replaced is part of my mold remediation scope, and the overview of mold remediation in Gettysburg, PA walks through the rest.
Questions about saving belongings
Can moldy clothes be saved?
Often, if the fabric is washable and the mold is on the surface. Take them outside to brush off what you can, then launder in the warmest water the fabric allows and dry completely. If a smell or staining survives a couple of washes, or the fabric is falling apart, let it go. Dry-clean-only items can go to a cleaner, but tell them about the mold so they can decide whether to take it.
What about important papers and photos with mold?
Copy or photograph what matters first, while you still can, and wear gloves. Valuable or irreplaceable documents and photographs are worth asking a professional document or photo restoration service about. Everyday papers, old magazines and cardboard boxes that have grown mold are usually not worth the effort and should be bagged and thrown out.
Should I throw away a mattress with mold on it?
Usually, yes. A mattress is thick and porous, and mold that's visible on the surface has often grown deeper than you can clean. The EPA notes that porous materials like these may need to be thrown away once they're moldy. Before you replace it, find out why it got damp, whether that's a leak, a basement bedroom or condensation against an outside wall.
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