Emergency - we had slow water leak and its mildew & mold

Question

in my basement, we just found a crack in a pvc pipe and it slowly was leaking onto a shelf underneath . i think it is a blessing that the shelf was there, as it absorbed the majority of the leak. it ruined hundreds of dollars worth of collectible stuff on the shelves, but because the water was absorbed , it seems like it contained it to this shelf only and everything in it. i turned the water off in the house, so that will stop the water from continuing. i also have emptied the shelves and put everything outside of the house . i need help moving the shelf outside,

and will be done when hubby comes home.

the mildew or mold has cotton growing. what else can i do to clean , once the shelf is out of there. bleach ? vinegar ? an absorbing sponge has helped and thats on my list to purchase

please help with any suggestions.

Answer 1

Hoenestly you should just throw the shelf away. No need to take chances with your health.  

Answer 2

First thing to do is open a valve below the leak so that the water will stop leaking .The pipes are full of water so a slow leak could go on quite a while . Bleach works well on mildew but usualy not on mold spores.and bleach could damage your collectables.clean everything well and flush all that can be well with water since mold spores come back after a few days it may be necessary to repeat.

Answer 3

Hi, Bleach will work best with this but use a dilute solution of about 3/4 cup to a gallon of water. The surface that you are applying it to should be a hard surface or the mold may come back soon if allowed to be damp. If the shelving is really porous it may be better to just replace the shelf. Obviously you should apply the bleach with lots of ventilation and be drying out the area with a dehumidifier in the future.