Table of Contents
Common Causes of MoldMold spreads via tiny spores that are invisible to the naked eye. They float through the air, growing in places with plenty of moisture, which can include food, damp fabric, wood, and other places where excess condensation and moisture tends to collect.
Mold usually starts to grow within 24 to 48 hours, so it’s important to act fast if you notice water forming inside your home.
Some common situations that can lead to mold include:
- Water damage from a leaking pipe
- Flooding from a natural disaster or excess rain
- Spoiled food
- Excess humidity
- Leaks in the roof or foundation of your home
- Excess condensation from cold surfaces such as a window, pipes carrying cold water, cold concrete floors and other metallic surfaces
- Wet clothes that haven’t properly dried
- Pools of water around the sink or bathtub that fail to properly evaporate
- Lack of ventilation so wet surfaces can’t dry
- Basements with poor ventilation or excess humidity
If you have mold growing in your home, you might notice a few white spores on a piece of fabric, on the wall, or in the corner of a room. Remember, do not touch or inhale the mold. Use proper mold remediation techniques or contact a mold remediation specialist immediately for further assistance.
How to Prevent Mold from Growing in Your HomeThere are many steps that you can take to prevent mold from growing in your mold. Mold is the result of moisture, so it’s important to keep an eye out for water damage and excess humidity. Use these tips to prevent mold growth based on recommendations from the Center for Disease Control.
Keep Humidity Levels at 50% or Below
Unlike water damage and leaky pipes, humidity can be hard to detect on your own unless you have the proper equipment. If you’re serious about preventing mold growth, get a humidity meter and keep the level in your home at 50% or below. Humidity levels can change on a dime, so you’ll need to check up on the meter at least several times a day. You can turn up your air conditioning or use a dehumidifier to keep levels under the 50% threshold.
Use Exhaust Vents
Not having proper ventilation in your home will make your mold problem much worse. All the steam from your morning shower and bath routine can lead to excess pockets of moisture and humidity. Try adding a bathroom or an exhaust vent to the bathroom and kitchen.
You also need to make sure that your clothes dryer vents outside, not into your basement or another room in your house.
Use Mold-Killing Cleaning Products
When you’re cleaning your bathroom and kitchen, there’s bound to be traces of mold in the corners of your tub and sink. To stop the mold in its tracks, use mold-killing cleaning products to make sure that these moisture-ridden areas don’t develop into a full-blown mold problem.
Fix Leaks Right Away
Remove Wet Carpet or Switch to Hard-Surface Floors
Carpet can be a breeding ground for mold because it’s so difficult to keep dry. If you’ve experienced some water damage, remove the moist carpet entirely before the mold can spread. If you really want to mold-proof your home, consider removing the carpet from your home all together. Especially remove carpets from high-traffic areas like the living room or dining room where people tend to eat and drink.
If you suspect or notice mold growing in your home, act immediately. Don’t wait to start the cleanup process as the mold will spread to other areas of your home.
Contact the mold remediation professionals at Total Care Restoration for fast mold cleanup services in Miami and South Florida.