7 Ways to Keep Your Home Mold-Free – Mold can ruin your things, damage your house and give you breathing problems or headaches. Luckily, it’s not too difficult to prevent mold from growing in your home. This article outlines seven things you can do to keep your house dry and mold-free.
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7 Ways to Keep Your Home Mold-Free
Mold (and its close cousin, mildew) are unwelcome guests in any home, but they often find their way in anyways These fungi love moisture. They’ll grow wherever they can find a source of food and water, like damp wallpaper, shower curtains, and books stored in the basement.
Besides being ugly, mold can affect your health and cause serious damage to your house, so it’s best to prevent it from getting a foothold in the first place. Here are seven simple things you can do to prevent mold from growing in your home.
1. Keep the humidity low
Mold thrives in humid climates. If you live in a humid area, keep the moisture level in your house as low as possible.
It’s a good idea to invest in a dehumidifier, especially if you’ve had mold problems in the past. Other things you can do include opening your windows, using fans to increase ventilation, and taking shorter showers.
2. Fix leaks right away
Inspect your house regularly for leaks, especially areas like the laundry room and bathroom.
If you find a problem, fix it immediately and you can read what to do if you have a water leak. Mold starts growing fast, typically within one to two days, so you’ve got be faster to keep it out of your house. The longer you procrastinate on fixing a leak, the more time mold has to grow and spread.
3. Keep your air conditioning system clean
It’s a good idea to clean your whole air conditioning system thoroughly every year. AC systems can get damp, and that means they often grow mold.
You don’t want your air conditioner blowing mold spores into the air you breathe, so give it a good inspection at the beginning of every summer.
4. Be vigilant about problem areas
Maybe your basement always gets damp after it rains, or maybe your bathroom tends to get especially humid.
If part of your house attracts moisture, keep an especially close eye on it to make sure no mold is developing there. You might want to clean these areas more frequently than the rest of your hose. just to make sure mold doesn’t have the opportunity to grow and spread.
5. Avoid bringing wet things into your house
Wet items are a breeding ground for mold, and they can make the air in your house wetter, too.
If you dry your laundry on a line, do it outside, not in the house. If you can’t avoid having wet things inside – bath towels, for instance – spread them out where they can dry quickly.
6. Air your house out thoroughly
Mold likes to grow in enclosed, undisturbed areas. You can deter it from growing by keeping your house well-ventilated. Use fans, including exhaust fans and ceiling fans, and open your windows if the weather is appropriate. Of course, in hot, sticky weather, It’s probably better to keep the windows closed.
7. Take actions immediately if you find any mold
Mold won’t go away by itself, so if you find any, get rid of it right away. If the mold is growing on an item, throw it out. If it’s growing on a surface in your house, such as a wall, you can kill it by scrubbing it with bleach diluted in water. Make sure to wear gloves and ventilate the area thoroughly.
Mold is unappealing at the best of times. At the worst of times, it’s downright dangerous. Keep yourself and your house safe by preventing mold from growing before it becomes a problem, see also Is it Okay to Eat Green Mold on Cheese?. These tips will help you prevent and get rid of minor mold damage, but if you find a major mold infestation somewhere in your house, it’s probably best to call a professional to remove it.
