Controlling Mold In Your Florida Home
Mold is a normal and common part of our natural surroundings. When mold invades our homes, however, it becomes an aggravation and a potential danger to our health. Controlling mold in your home is vital to keeping this nuisance from getting out of control.
Mold requires four factors to establish itself and thrive in your indoor locations:
- Mold spores: These tiny microorganisms can be found almost everywhere. Their abundance means that the basic requirement for mold growth is always present in your home.
- Food: Mold is a living organism, so it requires food to grow. Any organic substance can serve as nutrition for mold. This includes wood, paper, human or animal food, and even skin oil or soap residue.
- Correct temperatures: Mold grows best in warm environments at about the same temperature that keeps humans comfortable. However, even near-freezing environments or temperatures much hotter than those normally preferred by people will give mold a place to grow.
- Moisture: Mold requires moisture, so environments that are moist and wet will be good for mold. High-humidity areas such as kitchens and bathrooms are especially prone to mold growth. Unnoticed water leaks or areas of your home that stay wet can also encourage mold.
Eliminating mold or the factors that produce it would be impossible. Your best option for controlling mold is restricting the conditions that favor it.
- Keep your indoor environment dry. Use ventilating fans in kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms. Wipe down bathroom surfaces after bathing and don’t leave wet towels or clothing lying around. Use dehumidifiers to remove moisture from your living spaces.
- Take care of spills quickly. Wipe up smaller spills as soon as possible. If your carpet has been soaked by a leak, remove water with moisture extractors, then point fans at the wet areas to speed drying.
- Improve indoor ventilation. Add a ventilation system, such as a whole-house or energy-recovery ventilator, to increase airflow that moves moisture out of your home.
Symbiont Service Corp. has been serving HVAC and GeoThermal system customers around the Florida Suncoast for more than 30 years. Contact us today for more information on controlling mold in your home.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Englewood, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about mold and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
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