Dealing with mold in your home? It’s not just unpleasant; it can also be a major health risk. High mold counts in indoor air can trigger allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems.
Fortunately, there are many effective ways to reduce mold counts, improve the quality of your indoor air, and make your home a healthier place. Here are some practical steps you can take that will help reduce mold in your indoor air:
Understanding Mold and Its Impact
What Causes Mold to Grow Indoors?
Mold is a type of fungus that loves damp and humid environments. When moisture is present, mold spores – tiny particles in the air – can settle on surfaces and grow into visible mold.
Common sources of indoor mold include leaky roofs, windows, pipes, and areas with poor ventilation, such as basements and bathrooms. Mold growth is usually most common in high-humidity areas, especially where water damage has occurred.
Why Mold Counts Matter for Health
Mold spores in indoor air can cause various health problems, particularly for people with allergies, asthma, or weakened immune systems. Symptoms like sneezing, coughing, skin rashes, and watery eyes are common reactions to mold exposure. Long-term exposure to high mold counts can even worsen respiratory issues, so controlling mold in your home is essential for overall well-being. Plus, if the molds you are dealing with also produce mycotoxins, secondary metabolites that are toxic to both humans and animals, you could be exposing your body to harmful chemicals known to cause chronic illness, disease, and, in some cases, even death.
How to Reduce Mold Counts in Indoor Air
1. Control Moisture Levels
Mold needs moisture to grow, which means that controlling the humidity levels in your home is the first and most effective step. Aim to keep indoor humidity below 60%, ideally between 30% to 50%.
Using a dehumidifier can prove useful towards helping you control moisture, especially in your basement. It can keep the humidity in check, which makes it difficult for mold to grow in the first place.
Another way to control moisture levels and humidity in your home is to run exhaust fans while cooking or showering to reduce moisture buildup.
Finally, make sure to fix any leaks promptly: regularly check for leaky faucets, pipes, or roof issues and have them addressed as soon as possible to prevent mold from taking hold.
2. Improve Ventilation
Improving ventilation allows for air circulation, which helps prevent moisture buildup in the first place.
Opening windows regularly to let in fresh air is a good way to ventilate your home. It’s also recommended to use exhaust fans in high-moisture areas, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
Finally, keep your furniture away from walls to allow air to circulate in typically stagnant areas. When air can flow freely, it’s harder for mold to find damp, undisturbed spaces to grow.
3. Clean Regularly to Remove Mold Spores
Regular cleaning is an important step in managing mold, as it can remove spores before they have a chance to settle and grow.
Dusting and vacuuming weekly using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter can capture tiny mold spores. Bathrooms and kitchens are prone to mold growth especially, so keep them clean and dry by wiping down all surfaces immediately after use.
4. Try Mold Candles for Extra Protection
Mold candles, also known as air-purifying candles, are specially formulated to help reduce mold spores in the air. Micro Balance Health Products’ mold candle, the EC3 Air Purification Candle, is available in two variants: soy and beeswax. Both contain Micro Balance Health Products’ proprietary natural citrus seed blend of ingredients that aerosolize when the wick is burned.
As the botanical ingredients in these candles disperse, they bind to pollutants, allergens, dust, and yes – mold spores in the air. To learn more about these mold candles, visit the Micro Balance Health Products website now!
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