Mold buildup can have many significant effects on health. For instance, it can cause sore throat, stuffy nose, skin rash, allergic reactions, and burning eyes. People with lung disease or immune-compromised health may also get infections in the lungs due to mold.
There will always be mold everywhere. It can appear anywhere anytime and may enter your home uninvited. Mold get in your home through vents, open windows, doors, and air conditioning systems. You can even bring mold inside your home as it can stick to your bags, clothes, shoes, and pets.
Generally, mold grows in moist places. You can often find mold in the pipes, roof leaks, or a flooded area in your home, but it can grow on wood, cardboard, paper, and ceiling tiles. Also, mold may develop in wallpapers, drywall, fabric, insulation, and paints.
The Effects of Mold on Health
Allergies, irritation, and infections
Some people are more allergic to mold than others. If they live in a house with mold, they will most likely experience the following:
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Watery eyes
- Blocked nose
- Wheezing
- Sinusitis
- skin rashes
In case the allergy is severe, a person may even feel shortness of breath. People with weak immunity may suffer lung infections. Those diagnosed with HIV or cancer are often at risk of lung infection and other effects of mold in health.
Black mold is believed to be hazardous to health due to mycotoxins. While there is relatively little evidence supporting a person may suffer mycotoxicosis by touching or inhaling mold, doctors suggest that it could happen by eating food with mold.
Mold in your Home
Mold typically looks likes spots. It comes in various colors and may have a rusty scent. If you find mold buildup in your home, you must remove them as soon as possible.
But it’s not just about removing the mold. It would be best if you also fixed what causes the moisture. As mentioned, mold grows due to moisture, so if the root cause is not fixed, there’s a chance for the mold to keep coming back despite your diligent cleaning.
Cleaning Mold
The good news is that you can remove mold with households products like bleach solutions or laundry bleach. Mix the bleach with a gallon of water. Yet, keep these things in mind if you use bleach to clean mold:
- Do not mix bleach with other cleaning products or ammonia. Doing so will produce poisonous gas that may have harmful effects on your health.
- Read the label of the product and use it according to instructions.
- Open the windows before you start cleaning.
- Protect yourself by wearing goggles, boots, and rubber gloves.
- If the mold buildup is too big or occupies many spaces in your home, it would be better to contact a professional mold remover.
Preventing Mold Buildup
While it’s not that hard to clean mold, it would still be much better to prevent its occurrence in the first place. The most important thing to do is avoid mold to prevent it from affecting your health and family. It’s also advisable to inspect the real estate property you intend to buy if it has mold buildup.
Here’s what you can do to prevent mold:
- Keep your home moist-free as much as possible. A dehumidifier or air conditioning system can help you keep the humidity levels of your home low. You can purchase a humidity checker so that you can always check if your home’s humidity levels are getting higher.
- Ensure that natural air flows inside the house. Install exhaust fans in bathrooms and the kitchen. The dryer of clothes should also have proper ventilation.
- Inspect your home at least once a year to see if there are any leaks or plumbing issues. Fix the problem right away to prevent mold from forming.
- If your house gets flooded, make sure to clean everything and dry out the entire home within two days.
- Prevent mold by adding mold inhibitors to paint before painting the house.
- Always have some mold-cleaning products at home and clean your bathroom diligently.
- Remove carpets or pieces of furniture that have been soaked and cannot be dried out. If possible, get rid of these things as they only put your home at higher risk of mold buildup.
- Never leave wet clothes inside the washing machine. Hang your clean clothes immediately.
- Wash your shower curtains frequently.
- Limit your indoor plants as mold can also grow in plant soil.
As you can see, mold has many adverse effects on health. So it’s essential to take precautionary measures to ensure that your home is free of mold. After all, preventing mold and cleaning it is not a hard job at all. If you’re having a hard time getting rid of mold, it’s probably time to call a mold expert to inspect your entire home.