8 Tips for Dealing With Mold in the House

Mold can be a scary thing that leads to sickness and sometimes even death. Its spores spread quickly, and it can grow practically anywhere. The good news is we have some ways to prevent mold before it becomes an issue as well as ways to deal with it if you have it.

It’s All About Moisture

Mold and mildew love areas where there’s water damage or high humidity. Mold can begin to develop within a day when a surface is wet. Regularly check areas in your home where mold is frequently found like basements, attics and crawl spaces.

Clean Mold In Tile and Grout

Mold can often be found in the kitchen and bathroom areas between the grout or on tiles. Not only is it unsightly and gross, but it is unhygienic. Fortunately, can remove this kind of mold relatively easily. Keep tiles clean by wiping them with a cloth or mopping regularly. This prevents organic matter from building up on them where it can serve as food for all sorts of fungi. If it is in the grout, it is a little bit more difficult to clean. You can use bleach to kill the mold and to make stains fade away. Start small with an inconspicuous area first and then keep working though affected areas until you are confident that you won’t make things worse. Finish off by scrubbing the area with a scrubbing brush or old toothbrush. Watch the area over time to ensure mold doesn’t come back.

How To Fight Bathroom Mold

Bathrooms are one of the most common places where mold is found. Baths, showers, toilets, pipes, and sinks are places mold loves to grow. Mold in the bathroom is particularly dangerous for children who are more prone to come in direct contact with mold and not understand it’s detrimental effects.

When it comes to prevention, it doesn’t matter if you’re the most sanitary person on the planet. If you don’t have proper ventilation, the wet atmosphere of a bathroom is a natural breeding ground for mold. After you bathe or shower, run your ventilation fan for about 30 minutes. This will keep the air circulating through the entire area. A shower curtain is a huge magnet for mold. Install a mildew-resistant curtain it, and make sure to wash it frequently. Always keep an eye out for any leaks under the toilet and/or sink. Check the cabinets to make sure water isn’t escaping into them. Wash the rugs in the bathroom on a regular basis as they hold moisture.

Properly Ventilate All Areas

Breathability is the number one weapon to beat mold. If you don’t have proper ventilation, you will get mold. Think of your home as a little box without windows or vents to the outside world. It’s then a breeding ground for all sorts of things. When you’re cooking dinner or doing laundry, make sure the area is properly ventilated. You don’t realize the moisture that goes into the air from these simple tasks. Always run dehumidifiers and AC units when you don’t have great ventilation in the home. Think of the steam on the mirrors after you shower. If that steam has nowhere to go, it sits there turning to mold. Proper ventilation in the home with drastically lower your risk for mold.

Condensation Prevention

Condensation is something that is often found throughout the year in most homes. It forms on colder surfaces when the water in the air cools down and becomes liquid resting on other surfaces. You’ll see it forming on the walls, windows and pipes. You can’t rid of condensation, but you can reduce it. Keep the temperature warmer in rooms where moisture is frequent. Install insulation in bathrooms and other areas with frequent moisture. Cover metal pipes. Keep the humidity in your home as low as possible.

Dry Areas That Get Wet

It’s impossible to keep all floods and moisture away from your home. Things happen. Once moisture gets into a room or an area, towel it off. Heavy rainfall often brings water into window areas or basements. You may find water standing underneath a cabinet from a leaky pipe. A spill on the carpet could even lead to mold growth. If your home is flooded, quickly remove the carpets and anything else the water touched. Always check your home for small leaks that might spring. Towel away the area, and make sure to fix the leak so you don’t get water damage or mildew growth.

Mold Resistant Products

If your home is older, you might not be able to install mold resistant products, but you can if you’re renovating areas or building a new home. You can use drywall, paint and sheetrock that are resistant to mold. This type of drywall does not contain paper. It helps in areas like the bathroom and kitchen that are frequently wet.

Clean Carpet With Mold or Mildew Stains

It’s tough to get mildew and mold out of carpets, but it can be done. First, vacuum as much as possible. Mix one tablespoon of liquid laundry soap with two cups of water. Apply this to the are with a damp cloth. Do not over-saturate the area. Repeat until the mold stain is gone. Make sure the area is dry. If there is any water left in the area, it will likely turn into mold again.

If mold has dug in deep, you may not be able to deal with it yourself. If you cannot rid of the mold in your home, call in the professionals and take care of it right away. It can have serious long term health effects not to mention negatively impact your house’s value. Even if you have to dig into your savings, you’ll be glad that you got it taken care of quickly. But with some preventative measures and a little elbow grease, hopefully you can prevent it from getting that far.