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Wherever there is moisture in a home, the chances you will find mold there are high. Mold is used to make brie and penicillin, and it grows under different conditions, but it is not a good sign when it grows in a home.
When mold grows in a home, it compromises your health, causing throat irritation, nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, coughing, or skin irritation. Molds form on any surface in the home, not minding whether it is textile, wooden furniture, tiles, painted concrete walls, plastics, carpet, clothing, food, paper, it inflicts its slimy or fuzzy shades of black, blue, red, or green on it.
Molds can also affect the structural integrity of your home, as it grows undetected for months or years, in areas with high moisture from your bathroom to kitchen, basement, or crawl spaces. The ability of molds to spread around the house is fast and not quite easy to eradicate without having to tear down drywall, replace furniture or carpet.
The swift spread of the infestation has caused health issues in many households, but disaster plus mold remediation recommends that homeowners should normalize using the services of a certified Applied Microbial Remediation Technician for inspection of fungal contamination in a home.
But since prevention will always be better than cure, here are tips to follow that will deter molds from growing in your home.
Improve Airflow To Confined Spaces
There are various ways in which mold can infest a place, but the best way to prevent molds in your home requires having constant airflow in abundance. A well-ventilated space lowers indoor carbon dioxide levels.
When using the kitchen, crack a window open to let out damp air, do the same when you are in the bathroom, to let out steam. Don’t forget to open your closet doors more frequently or move furniture away from the wall to provide better ventilation to confined spaces.
Use a Dehumidifier
Home experts recommend you keep the humidity of your home between 30 and 60 percent. Obvious signs of excessive humidity in a home include condensation on windows, pipes, and walls, and when you notice this, dehumidify immediately.
Dehumidifiers help you reduce humidity levels in your home, making it a haven from black mold or other infestation. It helps you collect water from the air that can dampen walls, windows, or tiles.
Contain Moisture Areas and Sources
Ensure to contain areas where water is usually used, as kitchens and bathrooms are the most common sites for mold, it would be of benefit to confine excess moisture to those rooms when in use. Steam has a way of traveling around the house, forming condensation on walls and causing molds.
Also, ensure that you monitor all outdoor moisture areas as water may collect there and seep into your crawlspace or basement through these channels.
Repair Leaks
It is worth examining your house for any leaks or cracks that could bring excess moisture into the home and fix it appropriately. Do not forget that a simple inspection and clearing of roof gutters could save you from mold infestation.
Fix the leaks on the roof, walls, crawl space, foundation and regularly unclog the drains in the HVAC units.
Monitor Ventilation Areas
This is quite important, you would think you are covered but make certain of it by constantly checking your ventilated areas or air circulation ducts to see if it is not clogged or needs to be serviced.
For instance, the basement’s ventilation system may no longer be sufficient for space and need to be changed, so it does not cause mold infestation.
Constantly Clear Clutter Areas
Make it a point to clear the clutter areas in your home, be it your coat closet, which could carry rainwater residues. Also, sort out your cupboards and wardrobes to give room for ventilation in these spaces, do not forget your garage or tool-shed areas in your home as air circulation is vital for controlling mold growth.
Clean Your Extractors
The extractor fans in your kitchen or bathroom and AC vent can become clogged because of dust or residue and refuse to function optimally, especially in seasons when you need them the most.
Keep extractors and vents running smoothly by having them serviced and cleaned regularly.
Clean Up Moisture Immediately
This is one thing that we overlook mostly during our day-to-day life in our homes, make it a point to clean up wet surfaces immediately to prevent them from gathering more water that could attract mold. Take note: it takes mold two days to grow, so clean up wet materials or surfaces immediately.
When you notice stains on your carpet or rugs, have them removed and cleaned to prevent further spread. Endeavor to vacuum your carpets regularly or get them professionally cleaned too.
Don’t Dry Clothes Inside
Make sure that after emptying your washing machine, the clothes are not spread on clothes horse or radiator to dry them indoors, they could contribute to the moist air in the room as the moisture will evaporate from the clothes and settle on the ceiling and walls, contributing to your mold problem.
So endeavor to have a good ventilation system in place when you decide to dry clothes inside the house.
Care For Your House Plants
Homeowners have discovered that one of the worst ways to bring mold into your house is neglecting your house plants, therefore you should not get house plants if you know you can’t cater for it.
The moist soil in indoor plants is a good breeding ground for mold and could spread to other areas of your house. Constant watering and removing dead branches can save you from having mold infestation in your home.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that all these tips may not rid your home of mold infestation, but if you make sure to have mold removal and prevention products available in your house, it could help you deal with it before it spreads to other parts of the house.