It’s common knowledge that mold needs a specific set of conditions in order to thrive. Moisture, food and warmth are essential. Mold also prefers to grow in dark places where it won’t be disturbed. For example, a wallpapered corner of a room that’s constantly damp from leaky pipes is almost sure to attract mold of some kind.
There are, however, a number of things that people don’t normally consider when they think about mold removal and prevention. You want to keep your home or business mold-free in the long term—and if you’ve already got a mold problem, you want to make sure it doesn’t come back after treatment. In order to do that, it’s important to understand the lesser-known, hidden sources of mold.
1. The Utility Room
In most homes, the utility room has a washer and dryer, as well as a separate basin for other washing tasks. The combination of warmth created by the dryer and moisture from leaky washing machines and/or wash basins creates perfect conditions for mold to grow. People who don’t have automatic dryers often hang their clothes in this room when weather doesn’t permit outdoor drying—this adds a significant amount of moisture to the air.
To avoid this, keep a close eye on the moisture levels in your utility room, regularly scan for signs of mold, and avoid hanging clothes indoors whenever possible.
2. The Humidifier
Keeping the humidity at optimal levels inside your property can be a tricky task. Dryness is a problem in many parts of the country, and when the air is too dry, people often don’t sleep as well. It’s also possible to develop chronic dry skin and sinus conditions as a result of dryness in the air. There are many humidifiers on the market that can ease dryness and infuse the air with moisture. The only problem is, the air can easily get too moist. That’s exactly what mold is hoping for. Another way mold can grow and spread is by starting inside the humidifier itself, where abundant warmth and moisture allow it to flourish. As the machine emits moisture, it spreads mold spores into the home, in search of other places to colonize.
If you use a humidifier, make sure you don’t overuse it and make the environment too moist and conducive to mold growth. Also make sure the interior of the humidifier, including any filters, are cleaned and changed regularly to prevent mold growth inside the appliance itself.
3. The Bathroom
No room in the house is subject to as much moisture as bathrooms. The steam from daily hot showers constantly spreads through the room, creating optimal conditions for mold. Even though most people clean the bathroom regularly, mold often finds a way to grow here. Aging tile and grout in particular can provide mold with the nooks and crannies it needs to grow undetected.
Create a mold-proof bathroom by opening windows for ventilation, applying fresh grout every so often, and even performing renovations to update building materials that are susceptible to mold.
4. The Indoor Garden
You may not have anything you’d call an indoor garden, but you might very well have house plants. And why wouldn’t you? They’re a lovely addition to any home, and they help to create a more peaceful and aesthetically pleasing environment. The catch is, mold loves to grow on plants. You’ll often find it on the soil as well as the surfaces of the leaves themselves. And if mold is growing on your plants, you can rest assured it’s trying its best to spread to other areas of the home.
Prevent your plants from becoming a home to mold by routinely removing any soil that shows signs of mold growth. You can also clean the leaves with a plant-friendly solution and remove leaves that show significant mold growth.
Keep Your Home Mold-Free!
Keeping an eye out for these hidden sources of mold will make it easier to keep your home and family safe from the adverse affects of mold. We hope you’ve found this information useful, and would love to see your comments in the area below.