Issue link: https://hi.iaq.net/i/691401
IAQA 18th Annual Meeting & Indoor Environment and Energy Expo (IE3) The views and opinions herein are those of the volunteer authors and may not reflect the views and opinions of IAQA. The information is offered in good faith and believed to be reliable but it is provided without warranty, expressed or implied, as to the merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or any other matter. this step in the remediation operation. The following table, summarized from a more detailed article, 8 describes many of the techniques currently available for addressing contaminated contents for sensitized individuals, and provides a great starting point for the sorting. Type of Material Type of Contamination & Suggested Cleaning Techniques Spore Deposition Visible Growth Porous Fabric, paper, upholstered furniture, clothing, etc. Air washing for documents, HEPA sandwich cleaning (HEPA vacuum, hot water extraction with drying and HEPA vacuum), dry cleaning (chemical residue may be a significant problem), specialized laundering such as Esporta Disposal and replacement unless high value, then specialized restoration such as freeze drying papers and HEPA sandwich clean, specialized cleaning of furs, etc. Semi-porous Raw wood,furniture, etc. HEPA sandwich cleaning, HEPA vacuuming with stiff bristle nozzle;may also include surface sealing after cleaning and inspection Disposal and replacement if structural damage or significant rot; scraping, scrubbing, sanding, or abrasive blasting if surface contamination followed by HEPA sandwich cleaning Non-porous Metal, plastic, glass, sealed wood, etc. HEPA vacuuming, wet wiping, washing, power washing, air washing, air blasting HEPA vacuuming, scrubbing, immersion washing, ultrasonic cleaning, power washing, air washing, air blasting, steam cleaning Specialty items Paintings, photos, electronic goods, taxidermy displays, sculpture, artwork, oriental rugs, etc. HEPA vacuuming in conjunction with air washing; disassembly, cleaning with deionized water, drying Professional, specialized restoration Cleaning of non-porous items is fairly straightforward.Soft goods pose a greater challenge because contaminants can become infused throughout the entire item. The more layers that make up the porous item or the bulkier the material, the more difficult cleaning and verification of the cleaning become. The ever-increasing variety of fabrics and materials that are used for soft goods compounds the problems because certain cleaning techniques are only appropriate or effective for specific materials. Fortunately, there are some proven technologies for dealing with contaminated contents. One technique that has been demonstrated to be effective is known as the HEPA sandwich. This process involves three steps, with vacuuming being the first and last activity. In between, some form of wet cleaning is utilized, such as damp-wiping, washing, or hot water extraction. While this HEPA sandwich approach has been used extensively for cleaning non-porous or semi-porous building surfaces, it has also been employedsuccessfully for a number of porous materials. For