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. example, carpet that is impacted by deposition of mold spores but is not supporting visible colonies of fungal growth has been efficiently cleaned by HEPA vacuuming before and after a professional hot water extraction of the floor covering. Thousands of pieces of upholstered furniture have also been successfully saved using this method. The concept of specialized laundry systems to remove contaminants is only about a decade old. It is a rethinking of the standard agitator or tumble washing processes that characterize most top- or front-load washing machines. The primary innovation that led to the term specialized laundry was a machineintended to clean sports equipment, known as the Esporta Wash System. This piece of equipment was designed to use hydraulic water pressure rather than agitation as the primary means of forcing cleaning solution through materials. Once the inventors were able to get complete penetration of multilayered soft goods, they needed to match the physical cleaning action of the water with neutral pH cleaners to preserve washed materials. Since much of the malodor associated with dirty sports equipment comes from bacterial contamination, the Esporta system was engineered to force antimicrobial compounds through dense products like foam-padded hockey gear. As it turns out, this process produces an incredible kill rate for microbial contamination in many items, including those that are constructed of both hard and soft materials.This claim is not simply sales hype from the manufacturer. The Esporta Wash System has been subjected to a number of independent tests to determine the cleaning effectiveness of the process, andmultiple studies have demonstrated impressive efficacydealing with contaminated soft goods. 9 An often overlooked aspect of content cleaning is the sequencing and transportation of goods. If the same truck that was used to take the contents from the contaminated building is used to return the cleaned goods, without the interior of the truck being thoroughly decontaminated, all the cleaning efforts may be for naught. Whether the contents are cleaned on site or at a dedicated facility, how they will be moved and where they will be stored are critical questions that need to be answered before the work begins Removing the Reservoirs Perhaps the most common error affecting sensitized individuals who go through a mold control process is the determination of whether or not cleaning is necessary in areas of the structure outside the isolated remediation work area. While detailed cleaning of an entire structure may not be necessary for individuals who are reacting to the water-damaged building with a typical allergic response, additional cleaning is almost always necessary for those who are suffering from biotoxin illness. The fact that mold and other contaminants were growing in the structure to the point that it triggered or exacerbated a health problem, means thatcontaminants and reservoirs exist in other areas of the structure. This was graphically demonstrated by the EPA through the development