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Protect Your Home And Your Family From Mold

Always be on the look-out for mold inside or outside your home. There are many types of mold. Molds are a part of nature and they break down dead organic materials such as fallen leaves or dead trees. If mold is allowed to grow on the side of your house or on a wall in the closet, it will eventually begin to break down or damage the paint or surface.

Some people may think that mold and mildew is dirt. In the deep south, you do not have to shovel snow but you do have to clean the mold off your house.

Molds reproduce through tiny spores that are invisible to the naked eye. They float through the air outdoors and indoors. When these mold spores land on wet surfaces, they begin to grow. Mold will not grow without moisture or water.

Mold Outdoors At Your Home
The black and green residue that grows on anything outside is mold. It may grow on your roof, your patio, the bricks or siding, your driveway, your privacy fence, your patio furniture, and decorative ornaments in your yard or by your door.

You can spray with a bleach and water mixture of a one part bleach to four parts water. Then spray with a garden hose with a nozzle to get more pressure. You may need to use a brush to get all of the mold. You will have to do this once a year. If you go longer than a year the mold will be more difficult to remove and also may begin to damage the surface.

The more your house is shaded, the closer that trees and shrubs are to the house, and if the irrigation system sprays water on the house all cause mold to grow faster. The more sunlight that your house gets then the less mold that you will have.

Mold Inside Your Home
Mold growth indoors should be avoided in order to prevent health problems. Regularly look behind pictures and cabinets. In the bathroom, wipe down the shower door and walls after use. If you have a shower curtain, then trim the bottom so that water will drip and not collect.

If you have a water leak, then get it fixed immediately. Clean and dry the area throughly. It may take 24 – 48 hours to dry. A leak in any house in the country can cause a mold problem.

Don’t place damp towels or clothes in the hamper. Dry them first then put them in the clothes hamper. You can also wash them immediately.

Frequently leave the closet doors open and run the ceiling fans or a portable fan to circulate the air. Occasionally rearrange packed closets. Watch out for mold spots by checking the walls of the closet especially where boxes or items are touching the wall.

Health Problems from Mold
Molds are usually not a health problem inside your house unless the mold spores land on a damp or wet spot and begin growing. Mold can be a potential health problem. Molds may produce allergens which can cause allergic reactions, irritants, and in rarer cases toxic substances.

Sensitive individuals may have allergic reactions such as hay fever-like symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes, or a skin rash. Allergic reactions to mold are common. People with asthma may have an asthma attack due to the exposure to mold.

Being exposed to mold can irritate the eyes, throat, nose, or lungs. If you find mold growing in your home and your have the above symptoms then consult your health professional.

Take precautions and keep your family safe from mold in your home.