Mold Prevention Tips!
Mold can have a disastrous effect on your home and health. To help you prevent any future headaches, here are a couple of mold prevention tips to help you and your family.
Here are 10 tips for mold prevention:
- Ventilate Bathrooms. The bathroom is usually culprit number one for mold grow. After showers or general use, make sure to properly ventilate the room using air conditioners or de-humidifiers.
- Use Exhaust Fans When Cooking. The second main hotspot for mold growth is the kitchen. Anytime you do anything that requires water, including dishwashing, cleaning and cooking, make sure to have an exhaust fan running to pick up excess moisture.
- Prevent Condensation. This is especially relevant in colder climate areas. In order to reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) you should consider adding insulation.
- Do Not Install Carpeting. This mainly applies to areas in which there is a perpetual moisture problem. Carpet is extremely porous, which means it will hold onto the moisture, causing mold to grow below your floors.
- Fix Plumbing Leaks. Anytime a water related problem occurs, fix it as soon as possible, especially when it comes to plumbing leaks. If water seeps into the walls, it becomes exponentially harder to properly dry.
- Throw Away Porous Materials. You may have your heart set on that certain tile or carpet, but if it has become damaged by water it needs to be replaced. Mold can grow on or fill in the empty spaces and crevices of porous materials, which makes mold difficult or impossible to remove completely.
- Reduce Indoor Humidity. Mold is all about moisture, and to decrease mold growth, you need to start by eliminating all sources of moisture.
- Dry Spills Immediately. Spills need to be dealt with immediately to prevent any mold growth.
Protect Yourself While Removing Mold:
- Wear Gloves. You should also always avoid touching mold. Long gloves that extend to the middle of the forearm are recommended when cleaning up mold. When working with water and a mild detergent, ordinary household rubber gloves may be used.
- Wear Goggles. Goggles that do not have ventilation holes are recommended. Avoid getting mold or mold spores in your eyes.
Hopefully you will never encounter mold, but if you do remember the tips above. And if you need help with your mold removal, there’s always tip number 11: Call Mold Zero!
When we checked my brother’s beach house to see if we can start settling in for vacation we found a couple of mold patches that we didn’t know how to remove. I wanted to make sure I know how to prevent them from coming and so it helped a lot when you suggested regular use of kitchen exhaust because I spend a lot of my time in the kitchen, so anything I can do to prevent moisture will definitely be a plus. I’ll be calling a mold removal service to take care of the house before we move in while I remember the rest of your tips. Thank you!