Keep Mold from Growing in Your Home

Do you windows fog up when you take a bath? Is there are drip under your sink? The best practice is to prevent mold from growing in your home. To Keep Mold from growing in your home, consider these tips:

• Eliminate sources of dampness in basements, such as pipe leaks or groundwater seepage.
• Use a dehumidifier in any area of your home that smells musty or damp. Keep your humidity levels below 50 percent. Remember to clean the collection bucket and condensation coils regularly.
• Use an air conditioner, and consider installing central air conditioning with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter attachment. The HEPA filter can trap mold spores from outdoor air before they’re circulated inside your home.
• Change filters on your furnace and air conditioners regularly. Have forced air heating ducts inspected and, if necessary, cleaned.
• Be sure all bathrooms are properly ventilated, and run the ventilation fan during a shower or bath and immediately after to dry the air. If you don’t have a ventilation fan, open a window or door while you’re showering or bathing.
• Don’t carpet bathrooms and basements.
• Promote groundwater drainage away from your house by removing leaves and vegetation from around the foundation and cleaning out rain gutters frequently.
• Keep organic plant containers clean and dry, such as those made of straw, wicker or hemp.
• Toss or recycle old books and newspapers. If left in damp places, such as basements, they can quickly become moldy.
• Thoroughly clean and dry flooded areas immediately.
• Ventilate shower, laundry and cooking areas.

If mold is growing in your home, you need to clean it up and also fix the moisture problem. Mold growth can be removed from hard surfaces. Alcohol and cleaning vinegar are the best solutions to actually kill the mold on these surfaces. BLEACH will NOT kill mold. Click here for more information on problems with the use of bleach.

Author: Carolyn Willbanks