Mold is not innately bad, modern medicine has made huge use of it thanks to penicillin, and its an essential part of the circle of life. But if it starts growing in your house, you should be getting worried, because it spread easily and getting rid of it is incredibly important. Mold can also extend in some dire situations to such levels that it becomes a health hazard.
Now then, the question becomes, what can you do against mold? And the answer to that is quite simple, you do everything to clean your house. But it’s not just “normal” cleaning, because there are various important things to deal specifically with mold.
Clean Up Moisture
Moisture is what really makes mold grow, so whenever you’re cleaning deal with it as soon as you can. Any moisture that pops up, be it a simple spill on a carpet (read more about cleaning the floor here), or something more drastic like a leaking pipe should be dealt with within a day or two. If you’ve had something more severe like a flood, make sure to remove all furniture that can’t be completely dried. This also extends to daily things like wet clothes, that need to be properly dried. All of this helps prevent mold growth.
Ventilate
Another important step to take is to prevent moisture from popping up by having good ventilation in your house. There are certain objects in your house that constantly use water and as such are prone to have a higher level of moisture, such as the dishwasher or the shower-head, and you should take the necessary steps to vent these. Whenever you do this make sure that you’re venting the moisture outside and not to the attic where it might pile up. Dehumidifiers are the best way to do this but don’t forget that they might be victims of moisture as well and require some periodic cleaning to avoid potential issues.
Clean Your Gutters
Roof gutters may also be the main cause of your humidity problem. Be sure to check them whether they’re full or whether they’re damaged, and try to repair them whenever necessary. It’s more important to check them during storms or heavy rains, given that those are the moments where leaks are more visible and are a bigger problem.
Hopefully, those ideas on what to do are the difference between having or not any mold in your home. A shining, well-functioning house will not allow any amount of mold to grow up in your home. Lastly, try to learn a bit about your region’s climate patterns. Moisture appears differently in different locations around the world, there really is no catch-all solution, so try to learn and adapt to what may come.