Hey! How about those recent floods? Did you know that if water was inside your house for more than two days, you may have mold? Mold can cause breathing problems and allergies! I’m Hillary Smith with cleanup tips.

Open the windows and get air moving through your house. Cover yourself, put on rubber gloves, goggles and a good respirator, like an N-95, to protect your lungs. A well-fitted respirator is the only complete protection, but even a paper or cloth mask over your nose and mouth filters out some particles. Mix one cup of bleach in one gallon of water. Wash or scrub moldy surfaces; rinse with clean water; let them dry. Pour dirty liquids on bare dirt away from wells and streams, and out of the reach of children and pets.

If you can’t wash it in hot water or scrub it, throw it out. If you must save soggy items, dry them thoroughly in the sun. I’m talking about rugs, leather, even paper!

By the way, don’t ever mix bleach with ammonia, acids or other cleaners! This produces poisonous gases and could explode . Let’s play it safe.

More about mold: healthyvoices.org. New Mexico Center for Environmental Health Sciences.