• When returning to a flood-affected house or building, open all the doors and windows to help it dry out.
• If possible, use the dry mode of air conditioners (often represented by a droplet symbol) or fans to speed up the process.
• If the roof space was flooded, it will need extra ventilation to speed up the drying process.
• Throw out porous items that can't be easily cleaned and have been wet for more than two days. This includes items such as mattresses, carpet, leather goods and ceiling insulation.
• Control moisture around your house to prevent mould growth. In high-rainfall areas, such as north Queensland, this is difficult to achieve, but other issues such as leaky plumbing, roofs and other fixtures should be repaired as soon as possible.
• Add anti-mould solutions to paint if you are repainting walls or other hard surfaces prone to mould growth. Ask your painter or hardware supplier for details.
• Plants and bushes growing on or close to outside walls help to hold in moisture and promote mould growth. Try to clear plants, bushes and soil away from walls.
• Use moisture-removing packs in wardrobes or cupboards.
• Dust regularly.
• Infrared or UVC lamps may help prevent mould growing on clothes and shoes in closed-in spaces.
• Keep fans on so air can circulate around the house and in areas prone to damp and mould.
• Use dehumidifiers and air conditioners with dry mode.

• You must have protective equipment and a well-ventilated area to work in when cleaning mould. Victoria Health says to wear rubber gloves, an N-95 mask, eye protection, covered shoes and a long-sleeved shirt and long trousers.
• Mould expert and mycologist Dr Heike Neumeister-Kemp says clove oil can work on fabric but is expensive and has limitations. Dr Jones agrees and says oil-based products leave a residue. He recommends hospital-grade disinfectant instead to clean leather and other semi-porous materials such as suitcases and backpacks.
• Dr Jones says microfibre cloths should be used to remove mould from semi-porous materials as microfibre will trap the spores instead of spreading them.
• If mould is on soft furnishings, don't try to clean it off with liquid detergents or disinfectants. Dr Jones says you should use a HEPA-rated (high-efficient particulate air) vacuum to clean the mould off soft furnishings. It will prevent the mould spores leaving the vacuum and going back into the air.
• If the vacuum doesn't remove the mould from the fabric you should dispose of the furnishings.
• If there's mould over your entire wardrobe, Dr Neumeister-Kemp says to vacuum the mould on the clothes and wash them in warm vinegar water. If this doesn't remove the mould you should dispose of the clothes.

• Once the area is clean, use bleach, hospital-grade disinfectant or hydrogen peroxide to kill any mould remaining.
• Dr Jones says vinegar (acetic acid) is also fine, but the sanitisers listed above are stronger and more effective mould killers.
• He recommends using canning vinegar if you can get it rather than what you find in the supermarket as it's much stronger than bleach, but beware that it will irritate your eyes.
• Use three buckets with multiple microfibre cloths. Rinse each cloth you use in a separate bucket before you use it again on the surface to prevent cross-contamination.
• Dr Jones says you can wash the cleaning cloths on a hot cycle with vinegar to clean them afterwards, but check it's safe to use vinegar in the machine first.

• Use microfibre cloths and hospital-grade disinfectant to remove mould from wood. Avoid bleach and hydrogen peroxide as these may ruin or discolour the furniture.
• Use microfibre cloths as they will trap the mould rather than allow spores to spread.
• Don't forget to use three buckets of clean water to rinse the cleaning cloths.

• Protect yourself with gear including an N-95 mask and eye goggles or safety glasses.
• Don't brush the mouldy area — spores that end up in the air can be breathed in.
• Throw out anything that can't be cleaned such as cardboard boxes and mattresses.

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