How to Remove Mold from Your Commercial Building

As a small business or building owner, discovering mold in your commercial space or facility can be a scary experience—especially given the potential health consequences of mold growth for anyone working in your building—but there's no need to panic. With proper care and swift action, it's possible to remove mold from your building and make the space safe again for employees, visitors, and customers. Here are 9 steps you can take right away to deal with a mold issue inside your space.

Mold is essentially caused by excess moisture, which gives it an ideal environment to grow and spread. As a result, mold will thrive in damp spaces with high moisture levels and high humidity. 

To reduce the moisture level in your space, check and repair any and all leaks immediately. This should be a part of your regular maintenance plan, but it's never too late to address any cracks or leaks that could be contributing to a mold problem (in addition to other potential issues, like water damage). If necessary, call a professional to repair pipes, exterior walls, and anywhere else water can get inside the building.

Once you've discovered a mold problem in your building, make sure to use the proper PPE to protect yourself and anyone else in the space. Mold can cause potentially serious health issues for those who are exposed to it, so it's important to protect the eyes and respiratory system whenever a risk of mold exposure occurs. Consider masks, gloves, and eye protection as a means to protect yourself and team members from mold.

Just as mold can be caused by leaky pipes or walls, any build-up of condensation or moisture inside your building can create a friendly space for mold to proliferate. Stop the problem in its tracks by focusing on areas with high moisture levels, such as unventilated areas, bathrooms, basements, and anywhere water could be hiding behind walls, paneling, or tiles.

Mold can spread quickly through the air, so make sure to isolate and seal off any areas where mold spores have been found. You may also need to shut off ventilation or HVAC systems that could help spread mold to other areas of your building.

Within about 48 hours of noticing the signs of mold, you should clean and thoroughly dry any areas where moisture and mold may be present. Acting as quickly as possible will help to stop the spread of mold before it becomes a larger problem in your commercial space.

A serious mold problem in your commercial building may require the use of containment equipment, such as powerful dehumidifiers, air scrubbers, air movers, and moisture meters. If you don't have this equipment on hand, consider renting or purchasing it to deal with your mold issue. You may also need to hire a professional who is experienced in mold remediation.

If any items in your space—from inventory to bits of drywall, tile, or furniture—have been contaminated with mold and can't be sufficiently cleaned, it's best to dispose of them properly and quickly. The existing mold can create a larger problem when its spores spread throughout the space, so you'll want to remove damaged items as soon as you can safely do so.

As mentioned above, mold remediation in a commercial space can be a difficult and even dangerous task that often requires special equipment and expertise. As a result, it's often worth hiring a professional mold remediation service. They may be able to do a more thorough job of removing any mold than you can, solving the problem more efficiently and effectively. After all, you don't want to have to deal with a mold problem more than once.

Finally, while it won't help you as much once mold has been discovered in your building, mold prevention is the most important step you can take against its spread. Learn more about how to prevent mold growth in your building in our recent guide.

Prevention is the best way to deal with mold, but once it has been discovered in your commercial space, it's definitely possible to remove it and solve the problem. Make sure you act quickly (and safely) to protect your team from any possible health consequences. If the mold problem is extensive, consider hiring a professional or using containment equipment to get the job done.

Shopping for PPE, mold removers, dehumidifiers, and more? Find everything you need to create a safe work environment at Zoro.com!

Product Compliance and Suitability

The product statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such product statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness, or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand, and follow all manufacturer instructions.