Control the Moisture – Control the Mold
Mold and spores are a potential source of irritation including allergic reactions, asthma and other respiratory maladies. The EPA tells us that “All molds have the potential to cause health effects”. Mold reproduces through ‘spores’, which are invisibly small and can float around on air currents in a home, office or school. Breathing in these spores can cause sickness and allergies as well as having an unpleasant odor.
The best defense for controlling mold is to control the moisture. If excess moisture is present, it will not be long until mold is growing. So controlling the moisture that mold feeds upon is the best defense. The best offense for mold is to use SNiPER to clean it safely, without introducing highly toxic cleansers into your home!
Wherever mold is growing there must be some water source. Find it, fix it. Look under the sink – is it often wet down there? If yes, find where it is leaking and get that fixed. Other places to check include the drain for your A/C system. These drains can become blocked and then spill over. Check near windows during cold weather – humid indoor air can often condense on cold windows. Check Your Home for Water Leaks
Reduce the Humidity
Reduce the humidity in mold-prone areas such as a basement to limit the growth of mold in these areas. You can reduce humidity by:
- using air conditioners (which remove excess moisture) or de-humidifiers
- increase ventilation
- use exhaust fans that are vented outside when cooking, dishwashing and cleaning
- make sure dryers and bathroom vents are vented outside and not blocked
If you have just had your carpet cleaned, use fans to speed drying and run the fan on your A/C. Prevent condensation around windows by increasing insulation. In areas where moisture is an issue – such as basements and bathrooms – do not install carpeting.
Use SNiPER to Clean Away the Mold – and the Spores!
When using SNiPER to clean mold, you may need to wear a protective mask, not because of SNiPER, but because you really don’t want to breathe in too much of the spores floating around. The EPA recommends a “N-95” respirator. They also recommend that you wear rubber gloves and goggles to avoid having direct contact with either mold or spores. If you can see mold growing, then spray directly on and around it. Use a scrubber to gently scrub away any crud that can be scrubbed away. Wipe up this crud, re-spray the area and walk away allowing it to air dry. For more complete application instructions, see: https://nokout.com/Cleaning-Mold-and-Mildew.html.
Remove Mold Spores in the Air
A professional would use a machine called a ‘fogger’ to treat the air. These machines are great, but they are also expensive! There is a great DIY solution that is not expensive: use a common household vaporizer. For full instructions on how and when to use this common household machine, see https://nokout.com/Vaporizer-How-to-use.html
For more information, see:
