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Move over, “Hot Girl Summer.” Hot Mold Summer is here. As temperatures rise, so too does your risk of mold growth. Mold loves humidity (especially levels of 55% or more). So, thanks to hot, humid temperatures across the United States, now is the time that mold thrives.
Mold isn’t just unsightly. It can be very dangerous to your health, so it’s important to get rid of it before the issue becomes unmanageable. In fact, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire police department just had to spend over $1 million to deal with mold growth and subsequent employee health issues caused by the toxic fungi.
Before you have to shell out lots of money to rectify mold issues, and before mold starts to negatively impact your family’s health, you need to figure out how to get rid of mold as fast as you can.
Reduce Humidity Levels In Your Home
First, understand what mold needs to grow. As mentioned above, humidity is a big contributor to mold growth. That’s why you will often find mold growing in places like the bathroom or the laundry.
Know where areas prone to dampness may be in your home and maintain them properly. If you continually seem to feel moist air in certain spaces, consider installing a dehumidifier in that area to bring down mold growth before it even begins.
A well-maintained bathroom exhaust fan is also key to getting the humidity out of that area and preventing mold growth. Yes, a bathroom fan can help waft away (ahem) unpleasant odors, but its true job is removing excess moisture from the air.
Keep Your Home Dry And Leak-Free
Second, it’s important to keep things as dry as possible in the home. Leaking faucet? Damp carpets? Soggy towels piled up in the laundry room? Can you say mold heaven? This is especially a concern during the summer when kids may toss a wet swimsuit or pool toys in the corner and then neglect to wipe up the damp mess.
Make sure you fix leaks quickly, and that you regularly wash and dry areas that become wet often, such as bathroom rugs or basement carpets. A portable air mover/carpet dryer can be a useful household appliance, especially if you live in an area prone to flooding or you have experienced leak issues in the past.
How To Get Rid Of Mold
Third, when you see mold, clean it promptly. One of the best ways is by spraying the area with plain white distilled vinegar. Douse the area well and then let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Then, wipe clean with a sponge.
You can also clean mold with either bleach OR hydrogen peroxide, but never use both of these powerful cleansers at the same time as it could be very dangerous. You can also just stick to mold-killing products like Concrobium 27400 Mold Control Aerosol.
If there is a spot in your home that just consistently seems to have mold growth coming back time and time again, consider using a primer like Rust-Oleum 276087 Mold Killing Primer. It works to kill existing mold and mildew as well as keep it from returning, so you won’t have to keep re-enacting Lady Macbeth’s infamous lines every month: “Out, damned spot!”
Last but not least, if you are concerned that you have mold in your home, you can get a DIY Mold Testing Kit that you can use to test your home for mold spores. That’s often the first step in learning how to get rid of mold, so get to it!
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