Water damage, mold, & your health: Take it from me, a person who should probably be dead from fungus, you want to go above & beyond what your insurance company or landlord is offering to deal with the floods. I'm happy to answer any questions. Here are some DIY thoughts:
Yes, you want an industrial grade dehumidifier running as soon as possible even if the waters receded. I totally understand if you cannot afford it. I also could not afford to move out of the apartment that was killing me, but in retrospect it cost me SO MUCH MORE to stay.
I make my own fungus killing solution. If you want to be proactive, it's 1 part orange oil, 1 part tea tree oil, and 3-4 parts vinegar. This does not replace professional mold remediation, but if you are dealing with surface level stuff, it goes a long way.
Please note your pets' livers cannot handle this like you can. My cat hates it anyway and removes himself, but keep them out of the room if you're spraying a lot. My husband also wears a mask when doing a big spray because it makes him nauseous.
Want to make sure your insurance or landlord actually prevented/got rid of the mold? You can buy Mold Armor Test Kits (& other brands) at hardware stores, Amazon, whatever for a pass/fail. If you need to pursue legal options, I have used MIT Mold Inspection multiple times.
Is it illegal for your unit to have mold? Yes. Is it enforceable most places? No. I am forever disabled from my building and almost couldn't get an attorney at all. The city & county of Los Angeles did nothing, and our landlord retaliated, leaving me homeless.
I'm sorry to everyone whose home was damaged. I hope insurance & landlords do right by you, but some will not. Happy to answer any specific questions, including what mold did to my health & how I've treated it.
Clean up & insurance tips in this thread:
https://twitter.com/cillic/status/1433262703351582725?s=19
If you want more information on mold & your health, @jenbrea is one of many leaders among chronic illness patients. This thread is about the lack of research:
https://twitter.com/jenbrea/status/1433445008737128450?s=19
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