It
is normal to find mold spores in a homes indoor air and surfaces such as
clothes, walls, and furniture. Most of the time mold spores
found indoors are from outside sources. Regular housekeeping cleaning helps
keep mold levels low. Cleaning small areas of visible mold, like the mold around your shower, is obligatory to maintain sanitary conditions.
When
you should be more concerned is when your home has a large-scale of active mold
growing. Such problems are most likely to happen when there’s been an on-going
water leak, flood, or excessively high levels of humidity in the
home. Indoor mold growth may lead to high levels of airborne mold spores, which, in turn, can trigger the spread of mold growth from the
original source to additional areas of the home having high moisture levels.
Extensive
mold growth will damage your home and furnishings, like carpets, sofas and cabinets. Over a period of time, uncontrolled mold growth can even instigate
damage to structural elements of your home. While there is no practical way to
eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment, keeping your home clean and dry can avert
extensive mold growth and the ensuing damage.
Damage
to your home and possessions is not the only reason to be concerned with
mold. Although most people are exposed
to small amounts of mold or their spores on a daily basis without apparent harm,
mold is an unsanitary condition that may
present potential health risks to certain individuals.
Possible
adverse health effects produced by molds can include allergic, irritating, or toxigenic effects, and even infections, allergic reactions being the most common.
Symptoms reported by affected people include: respiratory conditions, such as wheezing, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath, sneezing and/or nasal congestion, eye and/or throat irritation, headaches and fatigue.
Here
are a few tips to keep moisture from becoming a breeding ground in your home
for molds.
1. Ensure
that bathrooms, dryers and other
moisture-creating sources are vented to the outside
2. Take
care not to block any of your house’s air conditioning vents
3. Install
de-humidifiers in basements and crawlspaces.
4. Use
your kitchen’s exhaust fans when cooking
5. Install
insulation on cold surfaces like piping, air ducts or basement walls to lessen
possibilities of condensation
6. Install
moisture sensor alarms in potential water back-up and overflow areas to alert
you when a leak occurs.
dehumidifiers, toxic mold, mold growing in home, mold cleaning tips
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