As you carry on daily tasks around your home. The tasks you carry out may be part of the mistakes that lead to mold growth. The mold fungus thrives best in warm and moist areas both inside and outside your home. Most people detect them by their musty smell and when they get health symptoms from the mold like allergies. Therefore, you must know how best to avoid these mistakes to prevent having to deal with mold.
Below are some of the mistakes that lead to mold growth:
-
Overwatering Houseplants
This habit is common with new plant parents that just bought their first indoor plants. What they do not know is that they are doing more harm than good by overwatering the plant. First, for the plant itself, too much water will rot the roots making it an unhealthy plant. Besides, it is also an open invitation for mold to move in that appears on the soil’s surface or the leaves.
Hence it is important to cut down on overwatering your plants and water them when you have checked the soil is dry at least an inch below the surface.
-
Having Stacked Cardboard Boxes in the Garage
Mold grows on various surfaces around the home where the conditions are conducive. So, when you have stacked cardboard boxes in the garage and there’s high humidity or there is a leak that makes the box wet. The mold will easily grow on the card boxes.
For this reason, separate the boxes you have stacked in your garage to improve airflow and also check any leaks that will make the boxes wet.
Alternatively, opt to store the contents in the boxes if possible in plastic storage containers that have tight lids.
-
Not Fixing Small Leaks
If you have already seen mold in different parts of your home. Consult AWA environmental New York mold inspection service. In this way, you get advice on how best to deal with the issue. Nonetheless, it is possible that avoiding to fix small leaks is the main mistake.
For instance, the leak beneath your kitchen sink, the leaking roof, the drip behind the toilet, or water next to your washing machine. All these, among others, that you tend to ignore or postpone to repair lead to the growth of moisture that leads to the growth of mold in various places of your home.
Therefore, call a professional or fix it if you have the skill set as procrastinating will not only add to your water bill, but you will have mold growing all over the place and the spores spreading to other areas.
-
Venting Moisture-Producing Appliances Inside
When your house retains moisture from the moisture-producing appliances you have, the only exit is the ceiling. The possibility of mold growth is very high. These include your clothes dryer, stove, air conditioner, bathroom fan, and humidifiers. So if the humidity produced by these appliances settles at the attic, that is already a warm area.
This greatly supports mold growth and so it is best to find ways to vent this moisture outside the house. Importantly, remember moisture that goes outside the home can also cause mold. So use vents with moisture traps that will help keep humidity under control.
-
Leaving Spills on Carpets
Sometimes you can spill different beverages on your carpet. Whether it is a glass of water or any other liquid, it does not have to be a big puddle, but it seeps through your carpet. Most people assume that it will dry on its own and this is a big mistake as the damp padding is ideal for mold to flourish.
Thus, always clean the spills immediately even when it is just water if you don’t need mold growing. Plus, you will also prevent carpet stains that occur from such spills.
-
Not Vacuuming Often Enough
The importance of vacuuming is to help clear any spores that settle on the carpet and other surfaces. As mold spores drift through the air, they will settle and they can be spread easily around the home by pets and other family members as they walk around. So, if the spores land where they are undisturbed and the area is moist, they will grow fast and start dividing. Since it takes mold less than 48 hours to establish a colony as the spores find a damp and warm spot.
For this reason, vacuum all the floors in your home especially carpets and rugs every week to help remove any mold spores. Where possible use a vacuum with a HEPA filter bag.
-
Leaving Wet Clothing on the Floor
When you leave your wet towel, sweaty running shirt, toddlers bathing suit, among others on the floor. This wet fabric on the floor is an open invitation to mildew. Although it will not happen immediately. Constantly having this bad habit among you or your teenager will create an ideal condition for mold to grow. T
his nuisance fungus can easily grow in two days and you will smell the distinctive musty odor. Thus, hang up towels after using them and wash sweaty clothing once you are done with it. Optionally, you can hang it up to dry before you put it in the laundry bin.
-
Steamy Kitchen
Another favorite spot for mold is the kitchen. As there is a lot of cooking in the kitchen there is a lot of moisture present that settles in various places, some of which are hard to reach areas. Therefore, the mistake that most people make is to have no way to vent out this moisture or lack to open the windows as they cook.
Hence, when you have boiling pots ensure you run an exhaust fan instead of letting the moisture disappear in the ceiling. Also, wipe spills right away and also avoid leaving piles of dirty dishes in the sink. Spread out your kitchen towels so that they dry well and also wash them regularly.
Have you ever had to deal with mold in your home? If so, what did you do to get rid of it? Let us know in the comments below!
