Mold prevention tips. Dehumidifiers and clean AC units are the most important things you can do towards mold prevention says mold expert Kevin Bristol. Mold can wreak havoc on your health and in your home....
Mold can wreak havoc on your health and in your home. Mold spores float through the air and land on objects and begin to grow and multiply and decompose the object. A healthy person can have adverse reactions to being exposed to mold for even a short amount of time if it is toxic. An infant or elderly person or someone who is immune-compromised can get ill from being exposed to ordinary mold. You must keep your home free from mold growth and this article will tell you how.
According to the Minnesota Health Department, "mold needs three things to grow moisture, nutrients and a suitable place to grow". If you can control and modify these things you can reduce the possibility of mold growth.
Mold grows in damp, humid conditions. Keeping the humidity level in your home to below 50% is the first step. If you live in a humid climate you will want to avoid the use of a swamp cooler; instead use an air conditioner. Kevin Bristol, President of Advance Mold Remediation, advices, this quick tip, "when people go away for vacation and cut off their AC unit, that's the perfect environment for mold to grow. Anything above 55% humidity, mold will start growing. So in order to keep it below that, you need to make sure that the AC unit is running and kept between 74 degrees and 75 degrees." "Check your AC unit and make sure it's completely cleaned out. It should be serviced at least every couple of years and make sure that your filters are changed on a regular basis" states Bristol. You can also keep the humidity low and the air flow moving if you have a well ventilated home. You should have a ventilation fan in all of your bathrooms. Install a de-humidifier or air conditioner in your basement.
If your home has a leaky pipe or water seepage, fix the problem. If your basement has a mold problem check to see if the water is seeping in through the walls or the foundation and have it repaired. Do not put wall paper or carpet in bathrooms or basements where mold is most common. If you do have carpet in your home Bristol does not, "recommend steam cleaning, but instead using the dry method which is chem-drying." If your carpet gets wet or damp and stays that way for more than 44 hours you can have mold growth deep down in the fibers. "It depends on how good the technician is, if he pushes too much water down, or doesn't have good enough equipment to extract it, you'll know when your carpet gets mold because there will be a mildewed smell to it" states Bristol. If you have a flood in your home and your carpet gets soaked the best thing is to have it lifted or removed immediately as it will get moldy within 48 hours.
Keeping your home clean is important in mold prevention. If you have a particular area that is prone to mold, wipe down that area once a week with an anti-bacterial solution. Bleach diluted with water also helps in cleaning up mold. Paint your walls with semi-gloss paint that contains an anti-microbial agent as this will create a hardened surface that mold does not like to grow on.
