damp living -- a lament from Wales

[OakLeaf]

Anything that traps moisture (bedding, carpet, curtains, unfinished wood floors under carpeting) is a breeding ground for mold.

A 10% solution of bleach is usually recommended on floors, etc. It seemed to do the job adequately after Hurricanes Charley/Frances/Jeanne. Use a sprayer, scrub with a brush, let it stand 10 minutes, mop or sponge up any excess moisture, let it dry thoroughly.

There are mattress and pillow covers designed for allergy sufferers that aren't as loud or uncomfortable (or as potentially toxic) as the old vinyl covers. If your mattress actually has visible mold, though, I agree with Tulip, it's done.

If you have carpet and can't or don't want to replace it with hard floor covering right now, keeping the air circulating will help keep the mold down.

Dehumidifiers are expensive and loud, but sometimes necessary. You could run one only when you're not home.


ETA: Yes, it will come back, because the spores are in the air, but you can clean off the large visible colonies that are breeding in your house, and that will cut down on the number of spores you're exposed to. Air filters can be helpful too (not the ionization kind, just regular filtration), but again, potentially loud and expensive. If there are actual colonies living in your drywall, you'll need to rip out the walls. Decontamination of a seriously infested house is a big deal.