Preventing Mold After a Disaster

Script

This is an important message from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. When rain or flood waters get into your building, take steps to prevent mold growth. Clean and dry wet items within 48 to 72 hours. Keep wet areas well-ventilated. Discard wet materials that can’t be repaired. If you see or smell mold, clean it with a solution of 1 cup household liquid bleach per 1 gallon of water. To learn more, call the CDC at 800-CDC-INFO.

American Sign Language (ASL) Script

This is an important message from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. When you get ready to go home after a disaster, here is some information you should know about mold.

Many people want to know how to get rid of mold. You can clean a small amount of mold yourself. Use a mixture of 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. Again, that’s 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water.

Remember, never mix bleach, or products containing bleach – with ammonia, or products containing ammonia. Read the label on any product to see what it contains.

If you see mold that covers an area of more than 10 square feet, consider getting a professional to remove it.

How about mold and your health? If you are allergic to mold, or you have asthma, being around mold may make your condition worse. If you have a chronic lung condition or a weak immune system, you could develop mold infections in your lungs, and you should try to avoid buildings contaminated with mold. If you think that mold is affecting your health, please see your health care provider.In general, you don’t need a protective mask, called an N95 mask, just for reentering a building after a disaster, but if you plan to clean up mold you should buy an N95 mask at your local home supply store. Follow the instructions on the package for fitting the N95 mask tightly on your face.

To learn more, call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or 1-888-232-6348 (TTY) or go to http://emergency.cdc.gov/.

Text Messages for Mobile Devices

Never mix bleach and ammonia to clean; the fumes can kill. More info from CDC 800-232-4636 or http://go.usa.gov/bws.

See/smell mold? Clean with 1 cup household bleach per 1 gal. water. More info from CDC 800-232-4636 or http://go.usa.gov/bfy.

Related Television Crawls for News Media

Never mix bleach and ammonia to clean; the fumes can kill. For more information: 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) or http://go.usa.gov/bws.