Small Particle Cleaning – A How To
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our full disclosure.
Small particle cleaning, also known as surface and content cleaning, is performed to address mold spores and mycotoxins that have traveled throughout your home or office as the result of a mold event. This is typically done after all the water damaged and mold-infested material is properly removed from the property and remediation on the impacted space is complete.
Small particle cleaning is a very detailed approach to ensuring that ALL surfaces and items in your home are completely free of mold spores and mycotoxins. This is very important for individuals who have experienced health issues because of a mold issue, immune compromised individuals, children and the elderly. It is also an important part of mold prevention. If you leave behind any mold spores you are definitely inviting trouble down the road.
The process is typically three parts. It begins with HEPA-vacuuming semi-porous and non-porous surfaces and items followed by wet wiping, followed by HEPA-vacuuming or dry wiping. Depending on the situation, fogging to knockdown particulate BEFORE the three part cleaning process can be advisable.
In the small particle cleaning, the goal is not to clean active mold growth off of things or to “kill mold” and leave the spores behind. Items covered in mold should be discarded and replaced or treated as part of the remediation process if we are talking about parts of the home itself. “Dead” mold spores actually still contain the mold toxins and mycotoxins themselves are chemicals that cannot be killed. This is why it is so important to take the time to go through the small particle cleaning process.
The cleaning of contents and surfaces can be completed by the occupants or by a professional mold remediation contractor. However, if you allow a remediator to perform this service, I would strongly suggest you understand the process yourself and micromanage it to ensure that it is done correctly.
When it comes to cleaning the items in your home, ideally you will remove everything and clean it outside, in a garage with an air scrubber running, or inside a storage unit that can be delivered to your property. If this is not an option, you can clean everything while it is still inside the home. However there is a risk that there will be spore and mycotoxins transfer as part of the process since the process of cleaning will cause the mold spores and fragments to become airborne. The ideal solution is to designate one room as the cleaning room and create a containment area as you would see during remediation. In this containment area you will have controls such as an air scrubber. (Be sure to see my article on DIY remediation to understand how to assemble a containment area).
If cleaning INSIDE of your home, make sure your AC/Heat is OFF during this process especially if you have already had the ducts cleaned! If the ducts have not been cleaned, get that scheduled before turning on the heat or air. You don’t want all your hard work undone! I do strongly advise duct cleaning first, sealing all the supplies and intakes, and leaving the air off during this process.
It is advised to wear personal protective equipment such as goggles or glasses, gloves and a respirator or at a minimum a professional dust mask. Showering and a clothing change are recommended after each cleaning session and before entering vehicles to avoid shedding of spores and fragments into vehicles or other areas. A tyvek suit might make life easier.
Once an item has been cleaned, it should be transferred out of the contaminated environment and back into the clean environment. If storage is necessary for the short term, the items should be covered and sealed with plastic to keep particles and fragments off its surface.
Cleaning supplies you will need:
HEPA vacuum – please see my article on HEPA vacuums
Microfiber cloths – you will NOT wash and use these again and you will use a lot of these! I order these microfiber cloths.
Swiffer cloths (optional for step 3 as you can use microfiber cloths)
Air Scrubber (if doing this inside the home or garage) – this brand tends to be the best priced air scrubber
Fogging Solution and Fogger if doing particulate knockdown. Any of the following will work:
Cleaning solution for wet wiping. Any of the following are acceptable and will tackle both mold spores and mycotoxins:
The Process
Initial Fogging If Needed
Following the instructions on the fogger of your choice, you will fog the entire room from the top down ensuring that the surfaces and/or contents to be cleaned are damp but not soaking wet. During the knockdown fogging, the small particles and particle fragments are weighed down to lower surfaces to make the rest of the process more thorough and likely to be successful.
Step 1 – Initial Vacuum
The purpose of the initial vacuuming is to loosen as much of the dust and particulates on the item as well as to remove what can easily be removed. The process isn’t rocket science. Anything that can be vacuumed thoroughly with the brush attachment or crevice attachment should be vacuumed. Try to vacuum in an “S” pattern. This means move up and then down or left and then right, make an “S” shaped turn where you have a 20% overlap with the area you just vacuumed. Go slow. Don’t speed vacuum.
Step 2 – Wet Wiping
Using one of the above mentioned cleaning solutions, you will begin the wet wiping process. This is where you will need and use a LOT of microfiber cloths. You will be replacing them and throwing them away after use.
It is best to fold the cloths into fours. This will give you 8 clean sides in which to wipe with. Wipe in one direction, turn, wipe in the opposite direction making sure there is a 20% overlap. This is called an “S” wipe pattern. Use a different side of the cloth until all 8 sides have been used. Frequent cloth replacement is important. You likely can use one full cloth for several small items. One cloth for a medium item. Multiple cloths for larger items and furniture. Change sides when it is visibly dirty or you have made several “S” wipe turns. Allow item to dry or dry with a new microfiber cloth.
Step 3 – The Final Vacuum or Wipe Down
The last step in small particle cleaning is to re-vacuum everything or dry wipe everything with microfiber cloths or swiffer cloths. This removes any lingering particulate that was not captured in the first two steps. You will use the same procedure outlined above for vacuuming or wiping.
Notes on Some Specific Types of Items
*Important* If mold was growing ON the item, discard it and replace it. It is not worth the risk of trying to clean and keep. This is not a comprehensive list of household items. These are items I am most frequently asked about.
Hard surface items (plastic, glass, glazed ceramic, etc.) – If they are small, they can be washed in the dishwasher provided you have a heated drying cycle. You will perform one cycle using EC3 Laundry additive in the detergent compartment. You will then run a second cycle using your regular dishwashing detergent.
Fabric upholstered furniture – this requires a bit more Step 1 cleaning. HEPA vacuum all surfaces very carefully. Multiple passes should be made on each surface of the furniture, with the vacuum attachment moved back and forth, then repeated in perpendicular strokes. If the cushions are removable, take them off and vacuum all sides of the cushions and the surfaces below them. Fabric furniture can go through the fogging process and then be re-vacuumed after the fogging solution dries. It’s impossible to predict if a piece of furniture is contaminated or if a newly cleaned piece is now safe. For high-value items you want to keep, cleaning and testing with a swab test or tap test is advised.
Leather furniture – The same procedure should be followed as for fabric upholstery.
Wood furniture and wooden decor – If wood furniture or décor is sealed or painted without any dents or scratches, it can go through the standard small particle cleaning process. If the wood is unfinished, there is a risk to attempting to clean and keep it. If the wood is finished but has a lot of scratches or dents, you will simply need to pay very special attention to those areas. They will need to be “detailed” during step 3 to ensure that all nooks and crannies are thoroughly cleaned. This might mean busting out the q-tips!
Carpeting – I always suggest removal and replacement of carpet. It isn’t just the carpet that is a risk for contamination but also the carpet pad underneath. If you really want to keep the clean the carpet, so long as it has no active growth it can be cleaned by HEPA vacuuming first. You will vacuum it in every direction including on the diagonal. This typically means 8 pass overs. After the knockdown fogging, you will then do a hot water extraction using the Haven Carpet Cleaner.
Clothing, towels, drapes, bedding, linens and other machine washable items can be laundered normally with Remedy Laundry Detergent, EC3 Laundry Additive, or my DIY Mold Remover Laundry Detergent.
Important documents and papers – These are very prone to moisture damage and mold. When possible, these should be discarded. If they will be used frequently then it would be preferable to make copies, store the original and use the copy for handling. Cardboard boxes are prone to mold so papers should not be stored in cardboard filing boxes. Instead, plastic air-tight filing boxes are a good choice. I personally use these filing boxes.
Books – I have an entire article addressing books as that is a process unto itself.
Plastic storage bins – Items that were stored inside a plastic bin that was sealed tightly with a lid should be okay and do not need cleaning unless the contents were previously exposed to a moldy environment. Plastic bins can be used to store items after they have been cleaned.
Inside of cabinets, closets, drawers, etc… Don’t forget that you must clean the areas where your household items lived before returning them! Cabinets, closets, drawers, vanities, etc… all go through the same small particle cleaning process! This is why some people prefer to go room by room to do small particle cleaning.
Again, this is not a comprehensive list of items that might be found in your home! Please feel free to contact me with any questions about specific items.
I understand that this process sounds overwhelming. I won’t lie. It is! It is why I suggest you hire a team of professional cleaners to help you or organize a group of friends. The first step can be accomplished quickly with the right amount of people! And step 2 is quick and easy. Step 3 does require some time but you did the hardest part in step 1.
Remember that your health and the health of your family is worth a week of intense cleaning! You do NOT want to have to go through something like this again. So it is best to do it right the first time.
Please reach out for support or advise. I am always happy to assist.
