While we do our best to make sure that both our belongings and our homes stay clean, mold is sometimes a threat that we cannot always detect early on. A lot of times an odor has to develop in a room or it has to start growing visibly on the wall before we are aware that there is a problem. While there may not be a lot that you can do to detect hidden mold in your home as it just starts to grow, there are plenty of things that you can do to keep mold out of your house and off of your belongings.
A lot of people have a bad habit of tossing wet and dirty clothing or towels into the bathroom closet and just leaving them there until the closet gets full of dirty clothes. Not only can this cause mold to start growing on the floor in the closet, but the longer the clothes are left there, the mold will spread to the other clothes that you threw in on top of the wet ones. Washing rags or towels that have become mildewed together with things that are not mildewed does not usually do anything but cause the ‘clean’ clothes to become mildewed and smelly, as well. The best thing to do is empty the dirty clothes from your closet as often as possible; do this every day if you do not have a separate container to put wet items in. Keep mold from growing in the bottom of the closet on the floor by using a plastic laundry bin.
Clothes that are packed too tightly together in closets can also become moldy due to high humidity and lack of air circulation. Some closets have vents installed specifically to keep air circulating in the closet, but if you pack your clothes in there until you just can’t squeeze anymore in, you are defeating the purpose of the vent. Not all molds need significant warmth to survive, but it definitely helps. Your clothes are all the food that they will need and high humidity will provide the moisture.
Baby bottles that are strangely shaped can also become moldy or mildewed, but this can be prevented by washing the bottles, rinsing them, drying them as much as you can, and then putting them in the freezer until they are needed again. Mold does not like cold temperatures and while it can remain dormant in cold weather, if you just washed the bottle, odds are good that there is no mold on it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Los Angeles water damage and restoration services and Denver water damage restoration companies.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Keeping Mold Out of the Kitchen and Bathroom
After spending a long day at work, two of the first things people do when they get home are eating and bathing. No matter what social class you belong to, this is a pretty normal routine and most people expect their kitchens and bathrooms to be clean, but we all know that this usually is not the case unless there is a maid in the home. One of the worst things that you can find in your bathroom or kitchen, though, is mold. Dirty laundry or an un-mopped floor cannot hold a candle to the problem that mold can present to your home and to your family. There are some things that you can do to prevent mold, though.
If you have carpet in your bathroom, have it taken up and tile put down under it if there is not any. The toilet or the bathtub will eventually overflow and if you do not get it soaked up with towels or by any other means as soon as possible, your carpet will absorb all this water and so will the floor underneath it. If you have tile under the carpet, you are a little better off, but it is still a bad idea to have carpet in the bathroom.
One thing that you should have in both the bathroom and the kitchen is a vent to allow steam to escape the room while bathing, showering, or cooking on the stove. Boiling water or just generally cooking anything will give off steam into the air and this will stick to your cabinets, wall, and ceiling.
If you have wet rags or towels from the kitchen or the bathroom, it is not a good idea to just throw them into the closest dirty laundry closet and just leave them there. If left there for more than 24 hours, mold can start to grow. Avoid this by using a plastic laundry basket for these items and washing whatever is in it regularly. Putting them in the basket will help prevent mold from growing on your floor or walls, but it will not stop mold from growing on the clothes in the basket if you leave it there long enough.
Mold is also a problem with produce like fruit and vegetables. These should be refrigerated if you have the room and if you find mold growing on anything, it should be thrown away immediately before it has a chance to contaminate anything next to it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companies.
If you have carpet in your bathroom, have it taken up and tile put down under it if there is not any. The toilet or the bathtub will eventually overflow and if you do not get it soaked up with towels or by any other means as soon as possible, your carpet will absorb all this water and so will the floor underneath it. If you have tile under the carpet, you are a little better off, but it is still a bad idea to have carpet in the bathroom.
One thing that you should have in both the bathroom and the kitchen is a vent to allow steam to escape the room while bathing, showering, or cooking on the stove. Boiling water or just generally cooking anything will give off steam into the air and this will stick to your cabinets, wall, and ceiling.
If you have wet rags or towels from the kitchen or the bathroom, it is not a good idea to just throw them into the closest dirty laundry closet and just leave them there. If left there for more than 24 hours, mold can start to grow. Avoid this by using a plastic laundry basket for these items and washing whatever is in it regularly. Putting them in the basket will help prevent mold from growing on your floor or walls, but it will not stop mold from growing on the clothes in the basket if you leave it there long enough.
Mold is also a problem with produce like fruit and vegetables. These should be refrigerated if you have the room and if you find mold growing on anything, it should be thrown away immediately before it has a chance to contaminate anything next to it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companies.
Mold in the House
Mold is something that we are all taught early on that we are supposed to hate and get rid of, but just what is mold and what role does it play in the world? Why are we supposed to get rid of it from our homes? Is it just unsightly? Or is there another and more serious reason?
Mold is classified as a fungus that lives both in the indoor environment and the outdoor environment and whether you have asthma, emphysema, or are perfectly healthy, there is not really much that you can do to completely get rid of it. You can try all you want, but mold really is here to stay. It grows in all the colors that you can think of and even a few that you might not think of when the idea of mold enters your head. Living in a home that is infected with mold is definitely a long term risk to your health the longer that you continue to live in it.
Mold will affect you whether you are a healthy adult, small child, or senior citizen and if you have a good immune system, it will not take long for mold to wear it down. Pregnant women and anyone who has a compromised immune system, such as those with HIV or AIDS, is at a higher risk of health complications due to the presence of mold in their living area. Pregnant women should be aware that mold can cause birth defects.
Not only does mold do damage to the inside of your body, but it also does damage to the inside of your home. Ceilings and walls become discolored and rooms will start to smell. Mold begins to decompose the materials that your home is made out of, like the drywall, carpet, and wood. It particularly likes to feed on the paper on both sides of your drywall, but a good solution to this if you are building a new home is to invest in paperless sheetrock.
If you think that there might be mold in your home, you need to order some mold testing kits. Testing your home yourself for mold is not very difficult as long as you follow the directions that come with the kit exactly. After testing, they will be sent to a laboratory that specializes in mold detection and identification; the results of the test should be returned to you in a few weeks. If the test is positive, call a local mold remediation professional.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Mold is classified as a fungus that lives both in the indoor environment and the outdoor environment and whether you have asthma, emphysema, or are perfectly healthy, there is not really much that you can do to completely get rid of it. You can try all you want, but mold really is here to stay. It grows in all the colors that you can think of and even a few that you might not think of when the idea of mold enters your head. Living in a home that is infected with mold is definitely a long term risk to your health the longer that you continue to live in it.
Mold will affect you whether you are a healthy adult, small child, or senior citizen and if you have a good immune system, it will not take long for mold to wear it down. Pregnant women and anyone who has a compromised immune system, such as those with HIV or AIDS, is at a higher risk of health complications due to the presence of mold in their living area. Pregnant women should be aware that mold can cause birth defects.
Not only does mold do damage to the inside of your body, but it also does damage to the inside of your home. Ceilings and walls become discolored and rooms will start to smell. Mold begins to decompose the materials that your home is made out of, like the drywall, carpet, and wood. It particularly likes to feed on the paper on both sides of your drywall, but a good solution to this if you are building a new home is to invest in paperless sheetrock.
If you think that there might be mold in your home, you need to order some mold testing kits. Testing your home yourself for mold is not very difficult as long as you follow the directions that come with the kit exactly. After testing, they will be sent to a laboratory that specializes in mold detection and identification; the results of the test should be returned to you in a few weeks. If the test is positive, call a local mold remediation professional.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Testing the Home for Mold
Using mold testing kits in your home and sending the culture dishes to a mold laboratory to be analyzed has been around for years, but not many people are sure about how to do it. Most test kits come with instructions, but sometimes they might not be as clear as you would like them to be or they might not explain enough.
If there is mold growing visibly on your ceilings, walls, floor, or your ventilation system, one trick that some use to take samples of the mold is to take a piece of scotch tape and put it over a small spot of the mold and lift it from the surface. You could use a knife to scrape off some of the mold particles off of the surface you are trying to take a sample from, but this is not generally advised because this will stir up the mold spores. If you do choose to do it this way, do not do it barehanded and wear a respirator. After the mold has been collected, you should go and wash your hands with some antimicrobial soap. Even if you are going to test another area of the home immediately after, wash your hands, anyway, because you do not want the mold from one site being transferred to another.
Whatever form of test kit you use, you should clearly label it with your name, the landlord’s name, and address of the property, where you conducted this test in the home, the sampling method used, and the date. How long it took to conduct the test should also be listed in hours and minutes and the name of whoever performed the test and their phone number or address.
Samples from ventilation system ducts should also be taken after the system has been run on its fan setting for around ten minutes. This will stir up the mold spores in the system if they exist and after this is done, the test kit should be taped to the grill of the air duct so that the air being blown through the duct hits the test at a 90 degree angle.
Every room of the house should be tested for mold after a house fan is run for around 15 minutes. Rooms such as attics, basements, kitchens, and bathrooms are particularly at risk for mold and you should be certain to test these first if you only have so many test kits.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
If there is mold growing visibly on your ceilings, walls, floor, or your ventilation system, one trick that some use to take samples of the mold is to take a piece of scotch tape and put it over a small spot of the mold and lift it from the surface. You could use a knife to scrape off some of the mold particles off of the surface you are trying to take a sample from, but this is not generally advised because this will stir up the mold spores. If you do choose to do it this way, do not do it barehanded and wear a respirator. After the mold has been collected, you should go and wash your hands with some antimicrobial soap. Even if you are going to test another area of the home immediately after, wash your hands, anyway, because you do not want the mold from one site being transferred to another.
Whatever form of test kit you use, you should clearly label it with your name, the landlord’s name, and address of the property, where you conducted this test in the home, the sampling method used, and the date. How long it took to conduct the test should also be listed in hours and minutes and the name of whoever performed the test and their phone number or address.
Samples from ventilation system ducts should also be taken after the system has been run on its fan setting for around ten minutes. This will stir up the mold spores in the system if they exist and after this is done, the test kit should be taped to the grill of the air duct so that the air being blown through the duct hits the test at a 90 degree angle.
Every room of the house should be tested for mold after a house fan is run for around 15 minutes. Rooms such as attics, basements, kitchens, and bathrooms are particularly at risk for mold and you should be certain to test these first if you only have so many test kits.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
Taking Care of a Fireplace
Lots of people have fireplaces in their homes, but keeping them clean and smoke free takes some maintenance and effort on the part of the homeowner. The fireplace will not maintain itself, even though there are some fireplace cleaning logs on the market these days. These will not completely replace a professional cleaning, though, so you should have one of these done at least every year or two.
You should also have the proper tools stored next to your fireplace and these are available in many different materials and types. Cast iron is a good and durable material, but fireplace tools are also available in brass, pewter, nickel, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will surely be able to find what you are looking for.
A fireplace blower can help build up the fire and add more heat to it. You have probably seen one of these before and it can be a real help when first starting to build a fire.
Fireplace tongs can be used to move around logs that are obviously too hot to pick up with your hands and this is necessary, since the logs will not always be exactly where you need them to be to get the most heat and longevity out of the fire.
A fireplace poker can be used to stir around coals and spread them so that the heat is more evenly distributed. This helps larger logs catch on fire faster than they normally would.
A shovel is used to clean out the ashes that are left after a fire is out and a small broom is necessary to keep the area immediately outside the fireplace cleaned up.
If you are having problems building a fire that does not spill smoke back into the room, you need to make sure that nothing is blocking the chimney on top of the house. Leaves, bird nests, and sticks can clog it up during the spring, summer, and fall and make it completely unusable.
Using the correct wood is also important; logs that are freshly cut and have a lot of moisture still in them will smoke instead of catch fire. Use logs that are dried out and try to store them in a place where they will not get wet.
Start the fire slowly by building it up with paper and small sticks at first to get the chimney warm. Warming up the chimney is important so that the air inside it becomes warm instead of cold. Cold air pushes the warm air and smoke down and back into the house.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
You should also have the proper tools stored next to your fireplace and these are available in many different materials and types. Cast iron is a good and durable material, but fireplace tools are also available in brass, pewter, nickel, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will surely be able to find what you are looking for.
A fireplace blower can help build up the fire and add more heat to it. You have probably seen one of these before and it can be a real help when first starting to build a fire.
Fireplace tongs can be used to move around logs that are obviously too hot to pick up with your hands and this is necessary, since the logs will not always be exactly where you need them to be to get the most heat and longevity out of the fire.
A fireplace poker can be used to stir around coals and spread them so that the heat is more evenly distributed. This helps larger logs catch on fire faster than they normally would.
A shovel is used to clean out the ashes that are left after a fire is out and a small broom is necessary to keep the area immediately outside the fireplace cleaned up.
If you are having problems building a fire that does not spill smoke back into the room, you need to make sure that nothing is blocking the chimney on top of the house. Leaves, bird nests, and sticks can clog it up during the spring, summer, and fall and make it completely unusable.
Using the correct wood is also important; logs that are freshly cut and have a lot of moisture still in them will smoke instead of catch fire. Use logs that are dried out and try to store them in a place where they will not get wet.
Start the fire slowly by building it up with paper and small sticks at first to get the chimney warm. Warming up the chimney is important so that the air inside it becomes warm instead of cold. Cold air pushes the warm air and smoke down and back into the house.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
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