In general, mold doesn’t grow or thrive in cold environments. Humid and warm conditions are perfect for mold growth.
So, in order to prevent mold growth, the temperature should be kept below 70 degrees Fahrenheit( 20 Celsius).
What Does Mold Need to Grow?
The primary things mold requires to grow in homes are moisture and organic materials that they can feed on.
In homes, it is very common to find a lot of organic materials where mold can live, including drywall, wood, and many other types of building materials.
On the other hand, moisture is easy to control, and this is why it is important to keep the moisture in your house low as this is the perfect way to prevent mold growth.
Prevent Moisture to Prevent Mold
Most molds require 24 to 48 hours of moisture for them to start growing.
Thus, if an ideal material inside your house is wet for over 24 hours, you only increase the risk of mold beginning to grow.
Prevent Water Leaks to Ward Off Mold
There are only several things that often cause moisture concerns in a home.
One of these is none other than water leaks. Water leaks can include things like leaking walls or roofs, leaking taps, leaking pipes, or a leaking shower.
When you have spotted or noticed any leaks around your house, you have to fix them right away.
There might be a need to check and inspect around your house to find water leaks you weren’t aware of in order to stop mold growth.
Condensation Prevention is a Must to Prevent Mold
Another common cause of moisture is condensation. Condensation tends to form on cold surfaces once the air’s water vapor cools and turns into a liquid.
You will often see condensation on concrete walls, metal pipes, windows, and water tanks.
One way to decrease condensation is to maintain a warmer temperature in rooms. For instance, you can do it by installing some insulation.
Aside from this, you can also try insulating the surfaces themselves like placing coverings on top of metal pipes.
Less condensation will also occur when you maintain low humidity inside your home.
Reduce Humidity to Avoid Mold Growth
Most mold species can start to grow solely from humidity if the humidity remains high for a long time.
In case you don’t know it, humidity only requires being more than 55% before certain molds can start to grow.
Ventilation is a great way to maintain low humidity in your house.
Keep the windows open during the daytime, specifically when it is hot because this is the time when humidity is often at its lowest outdoors. Meanwhile, close the windows when it is raining outside.
It is a must to ventilate those rooms where moisture and steam build up, such as the bathroom and kitchen.
Exhaust fans can help lower the humidity when doing things such as washing dishes or cooking.
You can also use air conditioners to lower household humidity as well as dehumidifiers.
Mold Prevention and Wet Clothes
Wet clothes are also common causes of moisture concerns.
After you have washed your clothes, you must dry them immediately.
Never leave them sitting in wet piles for a long time. Ensure not to leave some wet clothes lying around.
It is the best drying clothes outside on the clothesline if you could.
Hanging them indoor on a clothes horse or indoor clothesline won’t dry them as fast as possible. Aside from that, the moisture from your clothes would evaporate to the air, which can raise the humidity.
Once you dry them in the clothes dryer in your home, you must exhaust the air outdoors if possible. In some cases, see to it that the room where you are drying your clothes is ventilated properly.
Getting Rid of Mold
If mold has started growing in your home, it isn’t enough to take away the moisture source of the mold.
Molds that run out of moisture may lie dormant for a long time. Thus, if there is mold growth in your house, you have to take some steps to have that removed.
Food Sources of Mold and Cleaning to Avoid Mold
Mold feeds and grows on organic substances like cotton or wood.
The mold must not grow on the surfaces including glass, metal or plastic unless there’s a layer of grease or some organic substances that it can feed on.
Several materials mold usually grows in homes include inside air conditioners, ceiling tiles, dust, furniture, chipboard, leather, books, cotton, fabrics, plasterboard, wallpaper glue, paint, wallpaper, insulation, paper, food, carpet, wood, and almost any organic materials.
You must clean regularly to minimize dirt particles that mold could live on.
Oftentimes, dust can be removed using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. According to experts, almost 80 percent of mold grows on the dust.
Reducing Mold Spores to Avoid Mold
Mold spores can be anywhere in the air. They float through the buildings all the time and there’s no way to get rid of mold spores indoors.
But, if the mold spore concentration inside is higher than the outside, it could cause some health problems. A high amount of mold spores increases the potential for mold issues to begin.
Mold spores enter your house through air ducts, doors, windows, and so on.
They can be transported inside attached to the clothing, pets, hair, skin, and more.
Even if you can’t get rid of all mold spores in your home or prevent mold spores from entering, reducing the spores will prevent you and your family from suffering health problems that are associated with mold.
It can also reduce the chance of mold growth in your house.
To reduce mold spores, dust and clean often. In addition to that, vacuum your house on a regular basis with a HEPA filter to eliminate mold spores.
The best thing about HEPA air filters is that it can eliminate mold spores from the air.
Another way to prevent mold is by using a tool like a hygrometer to monitor humidity in your home.
With this, you can avoid mold growth by adjusting the temperature inside your house.
