7 Places Mold Hides and How to Prevent It

Mold spores not only thrive in the basement and crawl spaces but in other familiar places as well. Since mold is sneaky, you can find it in the most unusual places as long as it gets moisture and food to grow. It is quite prevalent after a flood or when you have a leak in one of the rooms.

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Also, since it can hide in unexpected places, it becomes difficult to get it and wipe out. Unless you make a living from removing mold in homes and other places. You should prevent its growth around the home by first learning the places it can easily grow. Below are some of the places that you might find the mold and how to prevent it.

Chimneys

Firstly, the chimney is commonplace to find mold. Either it is one in your house or a business area. As most chimneys are made of the porous surfaces of bricks and mortar, this is one reason it is a sensitive area. Also, depending on the design of the chimney cap, it can let in a good amount of snow and rain and thus encouraging mold to grow. Possibly organic material and other debris enter the chimney creating a conducive environment for mold to grow. Therefore, it is important that once in a while, you have a chimney sweep to help remove the mold and get the chimney operating at peak efficiency.

The Attic

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Interestingly, the attic is one part of a house that most people ignore unless otherwise. A lot goes on in the attic if no one ever goes there to clear the cobwebs and dust accumulation. The dust in the attic and poor ventilation creates a perfect environment for mold spores to thrive. This is one place that you check for mold often, and ensure that there is good air circulation in your attic as well. A leaky roof makes the problem worse as the water gets to the attic providing moisture for mold growth. Therefore, have your roof inspected regularly and repair any possible leaks immediately to prevent mold growth. This is best after extremely harsh weather or after a heavy rainy season.

Refrigerator drip pans

Do you always forget to empty and clean your refrigerator drip pans? This is possible as they are rarely visible. The drip pans collect condensation for your refrigerators, and also food from spills collects here as well. For that reason, they are a perfect breeding ground for mold to grow quickly. Therefore, many people forget to clean it as often. Have yearly appointments to clean the drip pans also the floor beneath the pans as well. Use a water and vinegar solution to clean the pan and the same for the floor as well. If you notice that there is a lot of mold growth, do the cleaning twice a year like after every six months.

Carpets and pads

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Mold easily hides beneath us without us knowing under our carpets. However, this is possible when the conditions are present for mold growth. For instance, moisture from concrete floors, pets that have accidents on the carpets, and not drying off your floor properly as you clean it. All this makes it easy for mold spores to grow, and yet they are preventable problems. Therefore, if your carpet seems damp or has a bad odor, probably there is mold already growing underneath? Therefore, it is easy to prevent this from happening. Ensure that you clean below the carpet regularly and that you leave it completely dry. Mold can make people in your home, sick and this is one of the potential places so, make sure you monitor it perfectly.

Front loading washing machines

These washing machines are highly efficient but are potential breeders for mold growth. This is possible as the gasket around the door is always wet, and since the door is always closed when not in use, it does not dry off. Therefore, it creates a conducive atmosphere for mold growth and off-odors. Preventing this is easy as all you need to do is wipe the glass and gasket dry before you shut the door. Additionally, if you notice any mold spots clean off with a water and bleach solution to kill the fungi and keep monitoring to ensure that it does not grow back.

Wallpaper

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Mold growing behind your wallpaper is an unexpected place to think of it growing. Unless it starts appearing on the wallpaper or it has peeling edges among the many signs that something is getting it off the wall. Therefore, if you suspect that there is mold behind your wallpaper. It is best to call the professional mold removers from awamoldinspections and schedule appointment for mold testing in New York, Florida, Texas, and North Carolina as they cover most of the US states. And if the results show it is mold, they have it sterilized before you put new wallpaper. Therefore, in case you want to have decorative wallpaper on your walls. Get a mold-resistant primer to treat the surface and also use a high-quality paste to put your wallpaper and have a professional do it to remove all the air bubbles behind it. To add on, avoid using wall papers in your basements and bathrooms as they have high moisture levels.

Air conditioners

Here as well, condensation is the problem. Since conditioning units tend to trap pollen and dust. As discussed in most of the other places above. When it mixes with the moisture from the air, it is a perfect environment for mold to grow. Therefore, if you detect mold in your air conditioner, it is best to have a mold remediation company to clean out the system for you. Then from there, it is easier to prevent mold from further developing by running you’re A/C for a few minutes every day to keep air circulating. An air conditioner that is never in use is more prone to mold growth and hence why it is important to run it often. Also, the humidity inside the home should be below 55% and not higher as it easily traps in the conditioning unit.