if there's mold in your home don't panic you must take the proper steps to remove it mold needs three things to grow water organic materials and one mold source first have an inspection performed before beginning any repairs you must make sure that all sources of water and mold are found and corrected remember mold can be anywhere and there may be more than one source next be sure that all moisture has been removed from the materials being repaired this can be accomplished with dehumidifiers and large air movers if this step does not perform the mold will reappear and you'll have to begin the process all over again the last step prior to cleanup is to have the mold sample it's important that you have both before the cleanup and after cleanup samples to determine if the cleanup was effective it is extremely important that you isolate the area being repaired from the rest of the home so you don't spread the mold if you don't follow proper containment procedures you could create an even larger problem according to the EPA if you have a problem area that is less than 10 square feet you can repair the problem yourself the EPA has a guideline title mold moisture and your home that will help you with the process if you have a larger problem you should seek professional remediation do not use bleach to clean up the mold bleach is harmful to your health and it's 99% water due to its high water content it will actually add water to the materials being cleaned instead I recommend using a peroxide based cleaning agent whatever you use make sure that it's safe for you and your family