Many home owners, landlord and business owners who deal with a business or residential space are familiar with the risks of having mold. These risks pose threats not only to them and their health, but to their tenants or employee’s health, customers’ and clients health and, when dealing with other people, the overall business’ health in the form of potential lawsuits or legal issues, should the mold cause major health problems to those dwelling or doing business in the space.
As a leading mold testing company that has dealt with and seen many cases of mold takeovers, here are some insider tips from sunny Miami experts Quality Mold Testing, you can take to keep harmful mold at bay in your living or business space:
Control Humidity
Keep the air in your home or commercial space as dry as possible. Humidifiers are often used to keep spaces in a comfortable climate, however using one can easily cause mold and mildew. Depending on your comfort level, you can choose to use a dehumidifier to keep the air crisp and free of moisture. If, however, you are not comfortable with this, be sure to use fans going or air vents, specially after a shower or after cooking. Showering is the main source of indoor humidity, so be sure to keep this area ventilated by opening a window (assuming it is not more humid outside) or keeping a fan on. Keeping your A/C on helps remove moisture in the air and lower the temperature, which is of utmost importance and frankly, the most comfortable thing to do, specially in the summer seasons. According to the Nexus Energy Center, the ideal indoor humidity is between 45% to 55%.
Use a Humidistat
If you’re going to control the humidity, you need to be able to measure it. Using one will help you evaluate how effective your different humidity controlling strategies are.
Take Colder, Faster Showers
Unfortunately, for those who like to take steaming hot showers, this is a surefire way to turn your home into a sauna and a proverbial mold growing party. The steam from the hot water, specially hot water running for a long time can really speed up the process of mold growth.
Cover Food and Ventilate When Cooking
While cooking, do your best to keep pots and boiling items covered- again, the steam will do a number on the surrounding areas. Also, ventilating will help circulate and rid the air of excess moisture.
Dry Clothes Outside
If you don’t have a clothes dryer, do not hang up wet clothes or fabrics indoors; keep them outdoors until they are fully dry.
Ventilate Whenever and However You Can
It’s important to keep your home ventilated as much as you can and whenever you can. As a general rule, if there’s going to be steam or something wet inside, open a window or keep the ac and fans running to make sure the air circulates.
Regardless of if you take great care to follow all these tips, sometimes, (specially if you live in Florida or in any tropical, humid climate) mold will still find a way into your home. The good news is that the signs are usually fairly recognizable; If you do begin to notice signs of a mold takeover such as musty odor or black mold spots in different areas of the home.
Once you begin to see these signs, time is of the essence; call a certified mold testing company as soon as possible to perform a professional mold inspection, giving you a full assessment on how extensive the mold problem in your home or business is along with a recommendation and gameplay on how to fix the problem.