You may consider yourself a meticulous housekeeper. You keep your home in tip-top condition. And yet, no matter how much time you devote to cleaning your home, you end up with mold growing in your home. You face the question of why is mold growing in your home?
When it comes to the matter of why is mold growing in your home, there are seven factors to bear in mind:
- Mold growth is necessarily connected with residential cleanliness
- Mold spores are everywhere
- Moisture control is mold control
- Inspect for mold regularly
- Clean up mold immediately
- Fix water issues promptly
- Address water-damaged areas and items immediately
Mold Growth Isn’t About Dirt or Grime
Although there are a good many situations in which a home that is less than clean is also facing a mold growth issue, the two do not necessarily go hand in hand. The reality is that you can have a generally clean home and still face a problem with mold growth in your residence. While mold might be more apt to be present in a home that is not regularly cleaned, the fact is that dealing with dirt and grime and addressing a mold issue are separate endeavors.
Mold Spores Are Everywhere
Mold spores are a major part of the natural environment. Molds do play a key role in breaking down dead organic matter, including such things as fallen leaves. In other words, in the outdoor world, mold plays a major and important role.
Because mold spores are so commonplace – they are everywhere – indoor areas can easily become tainted with mold. Mold spores can easily germinate in an indoor space that is moist and relatively warm.
There are many types of mold spores and mold. All of them are capable of germinating and growing if a very small amount of moisture is present and the space isn’t too cold. No matter the type of mold spore that enters your home or other location, those spores are capable of growing in your home.
There is evidence that some types of mold are more dangerous to humans than others. With that said, any type of mold that grows in a home or other building can cause permanent and significant damage to the structure and objects in that structure.
Moisture Control Is Mold Control
A simple mantra to keep in mind when it comes to understanding why mold is growing in your home is moisture and moisture control. If you want to prevent the growth of mold in your home, you need to be on top of preventing moisture accumulating in your home.
Bear in mind that mold spores need only a very small amount of moisture to germinate in the first instance. Moreover, only a minute amount of moisture is needed to keep mold alive and allow it to grow and even thrive in your home or other structure.
The bottom line is this: If you want to prevent mold from growing in your home, you need to banish moisture that provides spores an opportunity to spring to life.
Inspect for Mold Regularly
When it comes to the matter of why is mold growing in your home, one reason is because you have not taken the time to give your residence a once-over inspection yourself. With regularity, you need to give your home a personal inspection to not only identify growing mold in your residence but evidence of conditions that might provide a springboard for mold growth. These include:
- Leaky pipes, faucets, tubs, showers, sinks, and so forth
- Pooled water
- Seepage in foundation, walls, crawlspace, attic, basement, and so forth
If you’ve had problems with mold in your home in the past, you also need to consider engaging the services of a mold inspection professional. If you find mold growth somewhere in your home, you may have such a condition elsewhere that you’re unable to readily detect. If you detect a moldy smell in your home but don’t see visible evidence of growth, you also may have a mold growth situation not easily accessible to you. These are both prime examples when you need to give very serious consideration to calling in mold inspection and remediation service.
Clean Up Mold Immediately
You cannot be lackadaisical when it comes to the prospect of mold growth in your home. What this means is that if you find a small path of mold growing somewhere in your home, you can’t let it linger. You can’t neglect tending to eliminate it promptly for two important reasons.
First, if you neglect to clean up a manageable mold growth immediately, it very well may flourish and spread significantly. Indeed, it can take over a significant area in little time.
Second, even a small mold growth has the ability to produce and spread a considerable amount in the way of spores. Also in little time, you can end up with mold spores spreading throughout your home – including via your HVAC system – resulting in even more mold growth throughout your home.
Fix Water Issues Promptly
Another reason why may have mold growth in your home because of a failure to promptly address the plumbing related issues discussed a moment ago. The failure to address even a seemingly miniscule plumbing related issue can result in a significant mold problem. For the reasons discussed a moment ago, the mold growth will extend not only to the site of the plumbing issue but because of mold spores can end up in other locations throughout your home.
Address Water Damaged Areas and Items Immediately
If you end up with some level of water damage in your home, you must tend to it immediately. Upholstery, carpeting, and other items in your home that have been damaged by water must be remediated within 24 to 48 hours. If that is not done, these items will become sites of mold growth.
You need to bear in mind two important points about water damaged areas and items in your home. First, you may need professional assistance to remediate the water damage. Second, some water damage cannot be repaired. Thus, such an item will need to be removed from your home and you will need to dispose of it.