Mold & Mildew Cleanup in Wimauma, FL

Local conditions in Wimauma

Wimauma is a small south-county community built around Lake Wimauma, along State Road 674 east of U.S. 301, and home to the Church of God camp meeting grounds. Like the rest of the Tampa Bay area, it lives with a long, rainy summer and air conditioners that run most of the year. Homes on slabs with the AC cycling off on mild nights, closets on outside walls, and bathrooms without a working exhaust fan are the classic places mildew takes hold. Roof leaks after summer storms and hurricane-season rain are the other common source, often showing first as a stain or speckling on a ceiling.

Do it yourself or hire it out?

For DIY work, EPA recommends gloves, goggles and an N-95 respirator, scrubbing hard surfaces with detergent and water, and drying everything well. Never mix bleach and ammonia, and don't paint or caulk over growth.

Signs to watch for

• Spots on the ceiling near a roof penetration or vent pipe
• A musty smell that grows stronger when the house is closed up
• Gray film on window sills and the tracks of sliding doors
• Fuzz on shoes, bags or clothing in the back of a closet
• Black dots in the grout or silicone around a tub that come back within weeks
• Peeling or bubbling paint on a bathroom wall that shares plumbing with the shower

Any of these that keeps returning after a careful cleaning is a sign the moisture is coming from somewhere you haven't found yet.

Timing in Wimauma

Mildew tends to surge from late spring through hurricane season, June through November, when outdoor humidity stays high and afternoon storms test every roof and window seal. That is the time to check that AC drain lines are flowing and drip pans are clean, as EPA recommends, and to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent. After any leak, the goal is to dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours, before growth starts.