North Queensland Faces Mould Challenges Post Flood Recovery
The North Queensland flood recovery is underway, with many individuals tackling mould removal using methods suggested by experts. Precautions during clean-up are essential for health safety.
As the recovery effort begins from North Queensland's flood emergency, many people face the mammoth task of removing mould from their homes.
Experts say oil of cloves and fresh air are some of the ways mould can be killed and prevented, while health authorities are urging precaution as people start cleaning up.
Tackling mould
Household cleaning expert Shannon Lush said strict measurements of oil of cloves were best for getting rid of mould.
"You need a quarter of a teaspoon of oil of cloves per litre of water in a spray bottle and you mist it over," she said.
Ms Lush noted that the fungus thrived on moist conditions with limited airflow.
For wet carpets, she recommended hiring commercially available extraction carpet cleaners. "You use one of those but you use it with nothing in it ... not even any water, you use it empty and you just run it over the carpet and it pulls all the moisture out," she explained.
To tackle both mould and mud, Ms Lush suggested a mix of two tablespoons of bicarb soda, two tablespoons of white vinegar, two tablespoons of methylated spirits, a teaspoon of lavender oil, a teaspoon of oil of cloves and a teaspoon of tea-tree oil could be used in the machine. "If you use that combination instead of the commercially available carpet cleaner it will kill off mould, it kills off bacteria and it dries in two hours once you've done it," she added.
Precaution urged during clean-up
Townsville Public Health unit director Steven Donohue said while hospitals generally didn't see admissions from mould in the immediate aftermath of a wet weather event, precautions should still be taken.
Although people with a normal immune system were unlikely to be infected, Dr Donohue warned that those with allergies or weakened immune systems could face aggravation.
"People with weakened immune systems can get pneumonia or even a bloodstream infection from mould just as they can from bacteria," he noted.
"What is growing visibly out of your walls following rain damage in really humid and warm environments, that's not generally the ones that cause human infection but they can cause a lot of distress and aggravation of chest and allergic symptoms in some people."
Dr Donohue advised that when cleaning mould, individuals should use protection, cover up their eyes, wear gloves, and ideally wear a mask.
"Often what we see after floods is people are in a big rush to clean up and of course they are worried about dirt and germs and smell and insurance and getting all the waste onto the street where it can be taken away," he said. "Every time there's a big flood we see people who are not wearing proper shoes; they're either barefoot or they've got flip flops on." He cautioned that any minor cut exposed to floodwaters can easily get infected.
