Decreasing Mold Exposure
Follow these steps to decrease the growth of and exposure to mold in your home.Use a miticide to kill the mold spores and an inhibitor to prevent regrowth on areas where mold has been identified.
Reduce the likelihood for future growth by making installing mechanisms that increase ventilation and facilitate better drainage in your attic, basement and garage.
Use a gauge to monitor relative humidity indoors, keeping it between 35 and 40 percent, and never over 50. In times of high humidity, use an air conditioner or dehumidifier. Use a special air conditioner filter and/or a HEPA room air cleaner or Air Sterilizer to trap airborne allergens.
Because mold can grow in humidifiers, keep them mold-free by cleaning with a diluted bleach solution or white vinegar. If you plan to use a fireplace or wood burning stove, do not store any firewood inside as mold grows on the bark.
To keep mattresses mold-free, encase them in allergen-impermeable zippered covers.
To remove humidity after showering, use an exhaust fan or open windows, and use a squeegee to remove excess water from the shower stall, tub and tiles. Use mold-killing and mold-preventing solutions to wash shower curtains, bathroom tiles, shower stalls, tubs and toilet tanks.
Because the basement level is an area of high humidity conducive to mold growth, those with allergies should avoid extended exposure to this level of the house.
Outdoors, external air conditioners and vent openings are notorious for trapping molds at point-of-entry. Vent or central furnace filters and room air cleaners can help reduce or remove airborne spores. Units with heating elements to kill airborne mold spores can prevent the spread of mold. Wear a tight-fitting face mask to prevent inhalation of mold spores when working outside around soil, compost piles, sandboxes, hay, fertilizers and barns.
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