Causes of mold: how to keep it from taking over your home



Mold is every homeowner's or tenant's nightmare. Once it's managed to take a hold of your home, it's extremely difficult to get rid of. It not only taints your walls, ceilings, and furniture, but also your clothes, and the very air that you breathe. Mold can be very tenacious, and often no matter what you do it keeps coming back. Anyone who's attempted to fight mold in their bathroom or in any damp area will know exactly how tough it can be to get rid of mold. Scrubbing mold out of grout or from tiles can be bad enough, but when it's taken hold of an area that's difficult to get to to clean, it can be a nightmare.



One of the best ways to deal with mold is to ensure that it doesn't grow in the first place. To prevent mold from growing, it's a good idea to brush up on the causes of mold. There are several causes of mold, but the main one is damp. Mold spores are always present in the air around us, unfortunately. However, it's when they're given an opportunity to grow that they become a problem. A major cause of mold is a combination of a damp environment and a surface that provides the mold with "food". Really, any surface that's not completely spic and span can offer a place for mold to grow, which is why it's so tough to prevent in the first place.

To help prevent mold, try to keep your home well aired. Ensure that your home has excellent ventilation, and that you regularly open windows and doors to let trapped air move around and away. This is particular important for areas that are prone to getting damp. Damp environments such as bathrooms, laundries, kitchens, and areas where water is likely to drop, such as spouts and drains are very prone to gathering mold. Be especially careful of areas where water and damp can collect, and that are difficult to keep dry. These are very likely to cause mold.

Leaving damp items around your home is another cause of mold. For example, leaving damp towels in your laundry basket can encourage mold growth and result in your washing smelling damp and mildewy. The same is true for items of clothing that are left on the line but that aren't given time to air out. These will often develop a pungent smell that is characteristic of mold. To keep this from happening, dry your clothes outside or in a well ventilated area. Ensure that there is enough room on the line for your clothes to dry properly. Also avoid leaving damp clothes in the laundry basket where possible.