How to Protect a Home From Mold

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Protecting a home from mold is a concern both structurally and health-wise. Those who have allergies can become very ill if mold is growing in the home. Structurally, mold can cause damage, and stain wood and drywall. Take a few steps and you will protect your home and your health.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Understand that mold is everywhere, and mold spores are always in the air. Mold spores are essentially the seeds of mold and require moisture to germinate and start growing the visible fuzzy colonies we associate with mold in our homes and on our old bread.

Step2

Keep your home dry. Be aware that some mold spores will germinate within one day, so it is essential to act fast to dry any moisture.

Step3

Use fans in the bathroom and kitchen to blow moist air out of the house. If you have a leaky pipe under the sink, fix it as soon as you can and dry the area promptly. If you are unable to fix the leak, catch water in a bucket rather than letting it seep into floors and walls.

Step4

Ventilate the laundry area and always exhaust the dryer outside.

Step5

If you have a front load washing machine, use the recommended, low sudsing detergent and run bleach through it once a month.

Step6

Use a desiccator in closets or drawers and when you store clothing. Silica gel, activated alum and anhydrous calcium sulfate are all moisture absorbing products. Use silica beads to sprinkle between layers of clothing. Hang a cotton bag of desiccator in a closet.

Step7

Circulate the air in the house by keeping windows open and using fans. Outside air is usually dryer than the enclosed air in a house. The smaller the house the quicker moisture can settle on walls and windows because the air gets saturated faster. Let the fresh outdoor air blow through and take the dampness away.