Living in an air-tight closed air system home might sound appealing but a lack of outside air can lead to mold in your home. Here are five ways to avoid mold in the home.
The Main Culprit
There are many factors that can affect indoor air quality which in turn can bring certain illness and diseases to our loved ones including personal hygiene, housekeeping materials (deodorizers), pet dander, and such. But the most common cause is mold.
And because mold can survive and thrive in dark, moist places, it can lurk within your HVAC system, furniture, wallpaper, carpets, drywall, paneling and ductwork, as well as, in bathrooms, basements, and attics.
And even if you can be 100% sure that they have not yet invaded your indoor spaces, mold can certainly enter your beloved home through open doors, windows, and vents. It can attach to shoes, pets, and even your own clothing.
Mold from the outdoors can enter the home through open doors, windows, and vents. It may also become attached to clothing, shoes, and pets and therefore be carried indoors.
Keeping Mold At Bay
Throughout the United States, homes and office buildings are breeding grounds to more than a thousand types of mold, saturating the walls, ceilings, window frames and furnishings. As many as 25% of American homeowners have had to deal with mold at least one point in their lives. Toxic molds are the very worst of these molds and can lead to blindness, brain damage, or possibly even death.
If significant structural damage to walls or furniture has already occurred, ridding your home of mold can be an extensive process which can cost thousands of dollars. The solution? Keep your home mold free!
An infestation can be prevented if you take a number of cheap and easy precautions. Here are 5 ways to protect your home from mold.
1. Prevent Water Leaks
Mold’s number one ally is moisture. They grow and reproduce very rapidly around leaking pipes, walls and roofs. So the best thing you can do is always check for leaks and fix it right away.
2. Reduce Humidity
Humidity levels as low as 56% percent for a sustained period of time can trigger instant mold infestation. But this can easily be resolved by making your home get proper ventilation.
When the weather is nice and toasty, don’t just close all windows and doors so you can let your air conditioner blast off for the entire day. Choose a particular time when you have to open windows so it can be well ventilated. This is particularly important especially for mold-prone areas of the house – your kitchen and bathroom.
3. Deal With Laundry the Right Way
Don't leave wet clothes sitting in a pile for a long time because they provide the perfect vehicle for mold growth due to their high moisture content. Your top priority is to wash them immediately so you won’t forget them – even if there are ton of other chores around the house – and then dry them again afterwards.
Dry your clothes on a clothesline OUTDOORS. Drying clothes on a clothesline INDOORS will release moisture into the air, which increases humidity, which results in an ideal environment for mold growth. If not possible, especially during cold months, make sure your windows are open if you dry laundry inside.
4. Block Condensation
Condensation occurs when water vapor in the air cools and converts to liquid. This can be seen on concrete walls, windows and metal pipes. By keeping the right temperature at home, condensation can be abated. This means paying particular attention to your insulation around the house so you can keep all your rooms warm without racking up on your energy bill.
5. Keep HVAC Systems Clean
Keeping your HVAC system clean will ensure that it won’t promote and transport spores throughout the house. Change filters on a regular basis and keep coils uncluttered.
If your indoor humidity is too high, install a dehumidifier within your HVAC system not only keep your entire home at a comfortable humidity level but also to make it much harder for mold to begin forming.
When controlling mold, it can be helpful to know the different types that  are common in homes. This article can help you figure out what type you have and what can be a concern.
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