4 Tips to Keep Yourself Safe from Mold this Fall
As we head into fall, keep these tips in mind to stop mold exposure before it happens.
Clean Your Heating Vents
Before you fire up your furnace, be sure to check the heating vents, as well as changing your filter. Mold spores and other allergens like dust can build up in the vents during the summer while not in use, and once your furnace is turned on, those spores will be spread throughout your whole house. This can not only cause the air quality in your home to worsen, but also gives mold a chance to grow from the spores if they happen to land somewhere ideal.
Changing your furnace filter is also important, as it also helps stop contaminants from spreading through your vents. Furnace filters should be changed regularly, with 1-2 inch filters replaced every 1-3 months, 3-4 inch every 6-9 months, and 5-6 inch every 9-12 months.
Don’t “Leaf” those Leaf Piles!
While colorful leaf piles may be symbolic of Fall, they also provide a perfect space for mold to grow. Be sure to rake your yard to ensure leaves don’t build up, and also dispose of the leaf piles made after raking. Otherwise, each leaf pile will become a little apartment building for mold to thrive.
If you have allergies that make it difficult to rake up leaves in your yard, consider wearing an N95 mask while cleaning. These are designed to specifically filter out any small foreign particles, including allergens like mold.
Pull the rug on your bathroom rugs
Bathroom rugs are an often overlooked hiding space of mold. Especially because few people properly dry them when they get wet. Bath rugs should be hung up like towels to dry everytime they get wet. Be sure to frequently wash and dry bathroom rugs, as once a mold spore finds a suitable place to grow, it only takes 24 to 48 hours to develop.
Another option is to ditch traditional bathroom rugs and use a wooden bath mat instead. These mats don’t need to be dried after use, and they can transform the look and feel of your bathroom to be more like a spa.
Dehumidify so Spores can’t Fly
Mold prefers high humidity environments, so using a dehumidifier to keep humidity between 35% and 50% is important to help stop the spread. This is especially important in rooms that often get very wet, like bathrooms with showers. Running a fan in the bathroom during and after showers also helps keep humidity low.
Use these tips to help protect yourself from mold this fall. If you suspect that mold is growing somewhere in your home, don’t hesitate to call Aloha today!
