Here at AnswerLine we receive many calls about mold in the home. It’s very common especially in the humid midwest summer months. Mold exposure may cause health problems; it’s not safe to live in a house with high mold levels.
Molds can usually be detected by a musty odor, and discoloration of surfaces is common with mold growth. Colors can include white, green, brown, black or orange. If you see or smell mold, you have a problem. Reliable sampling for mold can be expensive since it requires special equipment and training. Testing is not generally recommended as a first step, but instead finding the source of the moisture and controlling it and cleaning existing mold to remedy the problem.
Molds need moisture to grow. Water leaks, flooding, high relative humidity and condensation are all situations that increase the growth of mold, and it can develop almost anywhere in a home. There are measures you can take to prevent mold growth in your home. Most of these steps involve moisture reduction.
Mold Prevention:
- Cleaning, disinfecting and drying surfaces prevent mold growth. Mold will grow on damp surfaces within a couple days at normal temperatures.
- Reduce moisture levels in the bathroom by running an exhaust fan during and after showers.
- Fix plumbing leaks and seepage to prevent the buildup of moisture and prevent the growth of molds.
- Store clothing dry and clean to prevent the growth of mold on clothes.
- Reduce humidity levels with the use of dehumidifiers and air conditioning when humidity levels are high.
- Increase the flow of air within your home. Moving furniture away from walls and opening closet doors to permit air circulation limits the growth of molds.
- Prevent condensation. Insulating walls and installing storm or thermal pane windows keeps walls warm and limits condensation.
For more detailed information on mold prevention in the home check out NDSU Extension Service’s Keep Your Home Healthy website.
Stay tuned next time – we’ll discuss mold CLEANUP in the home.
contributed by Jill Jensen, former AnswerLine Specialist
Beth,
Karen Youngberg here. I have a question. Our lot is on or close to a natural spring that comes out of ridge at our neighbors Tom Smith. I run a dehumidifier constantly during the summer months in our basement. If I don’t, enough moisture gets in the air to make our carpet expand and create rolls. I don’t see any mold. I made it very clear to our builder I wanted a dry basement. However, with that kind of moisture in our basement, I was wondering if there is mold I am not able to see since we have part of our basement dry walled. Is there a way to test for mold without tearing into dry wall?
There are molds on the walls of my house, and I have no idea what could have caused it. I never knew that one of the prevention for this is turning on the exhaust fan during and after a shower. I guess, it’ll be best to hire a mold inspection service, so they’ll be able to address this concern.
Hi, typically Extension and Outreach does not recommend hiring a mold inspection service, since they charge a lot and don’t tell us much more than we can detect ourselves. If you see or smell mold, then you have a wet/damp area that must be dried out. If it is limited to your bathroom, then check to see if there is a lot of moisture left after bathing. If it is located in other parts of the home, check to see why there is moisture. You must be able to dry it out and keep it dry or after mold removal, new mold will return to that same area. For further discussion, please feel free to call us. 515-296-5883 from anywhere or in Iowa 1-800-262-3804 or Minnesota 1-800-854-1678.
It’s useful to know that mold usually grows in places with high humidity levels. We live in a tropical area, and last night, we noticed that our bathroom and basement have mold. We’re worried about how dangerous mold can be, especially since our son has asthma, so we’ll look for a professional mold removal company now.
I read to kill fungus gnats in drains, you merely pour a little bleach down the drain. So I poured some in my tub. Around the ring surrounding the drain came up such a black mess that stained the metal of the drain. It made the metal stained black. The plastic on the brush I used to try to clean it, was also unable to rinse. So I Googled, “How to kill black mold”. Use vinegar not bleach. So I used vinegar and the drain metal, plastic tub and the brush all cleaned up well. If this mess continues in my apt can I send a sample of the problem to the University to test. The apt maintenance told me it was a reaction to soap around the drain that caused the black strain. I don’t believe this. Any thoughts or answers for me.
Hi Alan, Bleach will absolutely kill drain flies. However, as you have found out, using bleach comes with certain risks and is dangerous. It’s better to try other methods first and use bleach as a last resort. We would recommend that you try a safer method. Cleaning your drains is a first step; it not only prevents build-ups and clogs, but it’s also one of the best ways to counter a gnat infestation. Here are some options that work well:
Use hydrogen peroxide to eliminate the bacteria that gnats feed on; hydrogen peroxide will also kill any gnats and eggs hiding in your drain. Pour a half cup down the drain. The hydrogen peroxide will begin to foam as it kills off the bacteria in your drain. Repeat daily until all the gnats have been eliminated.
Boiling water poured down the drain is another effective method. The intense heat of the water will boil off any bacteria and sludge in your drains while washing away gnats and their eggs.
Use a baking soda, salt and vinegar solution Pour one half cup each of salt and baking soda into the drain. Slowly add one cup of white vinegar. This method works similarly to hydrogen peroxide, foaming when the vinegar comes into contact with the baking soda and any bacteria. It may be necessary to repeat.
Thank yoiu for reaching out to AnswerLine.