Mold is a common problem in bathrooms and areas with naturally high humidity. When dark efflorescence appears on the walls or joints, we can’t ignore it – if we don’t remove it right away, it can entail renovation and many unpleasant health consequences.
Long-term exposure to mold can cause asthma, allergies, headaches many other health ailments. That’s why it’s important to maintain the right microclimate in your home and prevent its growth. In the following article, we explain what mold in the home actually is, how to get rid of it, and whether it makes any sense to buy an air purifier.
Table of Contents
What is mold?
Mold is the common, colloquial name for various species of parasitic fungi. These are cells whose spores are carried through the air, and under the right conditions (warm and humid) are able to germinate after only a few hours and form entire colonies in a short time. Because they have a very simple structure and relatively small requirements, they are capable of developing on virtually any substrate. They most often develop on food and other organic material, but their efflorescence can also appear on walls or furniture in poorly ventilated rooms with high humidity.
You can read about the 10 warning signs of mold toxicity here – https://verywellhome.com/10-warning-signs-of-mold-toxicity/
Causes of mold formation
Mildew occurs wherever there are conditions suitable for its growth – high temperature, high humidity, and adequate oxygen levels. The most common cause of mold is ineffective ventilation (usually gravity) and infrequent ventilation of rooms, which cause moisture to collect inside. For this reason, mold efflorescence can most often be found near windows or in the bathroom. Sometimes water gets inside due to a burst pipe, leaky roof, or other structural defects in the building. A good environment for mold growth is also provided, for example, by a carpet lying on a damp concrete floor.
In the case of new buildings, the problem of so-called process mold arises. Therefore, when you move into a newly built house or apartment, make sure that the finishing crew dries the moisture from the building materials or finishing layers beforehand for at least 24–48 hours.
How does mold affect health?
Mold that grows on food, walls, or objects produces compounds known as mycotoxins that are harmful to health. Most of these are carcinogens and mutagens that can cause a range of ailments, from mild discomfort to severe – and even fatal – poisoning. The compounds released from mold are responsible for its peculiar odor and pose a major health risk. Unfortunately, their harmfulness is often downplayed.
Molds belonging to the Aspergillus fumigatus family are an interesting case. They are mostly found in decaying organic matter, such as food and wood. Aspergillus is resistant even to very high temperatures and reproduces intensively in the absence of competition. Its spores find their way into the lungs along with the breath, take root there, and grow, at first glance resembling cancer.
Health problems resulting from long-term exposure to mold (not only from the Aspergillus fumigatus family) include such diseases and ailments as:
- allergies,
- asthma,
- muscle and joint pain,
- memory loss,
- headaches and dizziness,
- sinusitis,
- gastrointestinal problems,
- respiratory problems,
- general fatigue of the body.
Listed above are only the most common effects of mycotoxins. In reality, the list could be much longer. Sometimes contact with mold can also cause kidney failure, rashes, eye irritation, or fertility problems.
How to prevent the formation of mold?
Since mold forms in warm and humid places, it is necessary to ensure that both the humidity and temperature of the air in the house have the right value. The appropriate indoor humidity level is between 40-60% – a value that is good for our health and beneficial for furniture. The temperature should be around 22C.Â
How to ensure conditions in the house that will be suitable for us and unfavorable for mold growth?
1 Control the humidity in the air.
It’s a good idea to first invest in a humidity-measuring device, known as a hygrometer. This way we will always know the current level of air humidity in our home. An interesting alternative to the usual hygrometer are air quality meters, which very often inform us not only about the amount of pollutants in the environment, but also about the temperature and humidity. Some devices, such as air purifiers with humidifiers, have built-in humidity sensors and numerical indicators with an accuracy of 1%. If you have one, there is no need to buy a separate hygrometer or meter.
2 Take care of good ventilation.
The basis for adequate humidity inside a building is good ventilation. The most effective form is mechanical ventilation; in this case, you need to keep the vents clean. If you use gravity ventilation in your home instead, be sure to ventilate the rooms frequently. This is especially important in the kitchen, bathroom, and when you dry-washed clothes at home.
By opening windows and ensuring airflow, you reduce the amount of mold and dust mites that accumulate in your home and allow damp areas to dry naturally. At the same time, you take care of indoor comfort, because with high humidity comes unpleasant odors and respiratory problems.
3. Be careful with carpets and furniture.
Wet furniture, carpet, and other fabrics create ideal conditions for fungus growth. Therefore, always make sure they are in an airy place until they are completely dry.
If you notice mold in your home, don’t cover it with anything! A carpet or closet covering such a damp place prevents airflow and leads to even more mold growth. It is best to clean such a place and let it dry.
4. if you see mold – remove it right away!
There is no need to wait – if you see the first signs of developing mold, react right away. Mold won’t disappear on its own, and if you don’t remove both it and the cause (e.g., excessive moisture) you can be sure that it will develop very quickly. And the more mold, the harder it is to eliminate it effectively.
5. Use a dehumidifier and/or air purifier with an ionizer.
Sometimes just ventilating the house is not enough. In some places, the air is naturally very humid, and it’s hard to change this with ventilation alone. Then it’s worth investing in a professional dehumidifier, which will take care of the right interior microclimate. An ionizer or air purifier with an ionization function can also be helpful. Although no amount of ions will not change the level of humidity in the air, it will remove mold and mildew spores from the environment, protecting the apartment from their development. Therefore, if you are buying an air purifier, and you have a problem with excessive moisture in your home, be sure to choose a model with an ionizer.
How to remove mold from your home?
Prevention is better
Cleaning mold-infested grout and thoroughly waterproofing it is neither light nor pleasant. Moreover, in some places, such as the bathroom, mold tends to recur. For this reason, the best way to combat mold is to prevent it in advance. By taking care of the right humidity and temperature in the house, we can be almost certain that the mold problem in the apartment will not affect us. However, if we lead to the fact that dark efflorescence begins to appear on the walls, it is important to thoroughly remove it and get rid of its cause. When removing mold, it is a good idea to have gloves on your hands, and after cleaning, it is important to ensure adequate airflow so that the wet areas can dry thoroughly.
Specialized means
If the mold problem recurs or home detergents do not help, it is essential to reach for specialized means. On the market, you can find many special preparations that are applied to the moldy surface and washed off after a few minutes. Then it is worth using an impregnant, which will prolong the effect of cleanliness. However, you need to remember to use rubber gloves when using such products. A half-specialized and half-home way to fight mold is to use chlorine bleach. To make the right mixture, combine half a cup of bleach with one-third cup of laundry detergent and four liters of water. Use this in the same way as for other preparations.
If the mold problem in the house is too annoying and no specifics help, a little renovation will be necessary. Grout should be completely gouged out, silicone seals should be cut out with a sharp knife and, in the case of walls, the old layer of plaster should be scraped off. After thoroughly removing the mold-occupied area, we apply a specialized fungicide to it and make sure that everything dries thoroughly.
Air purifier with ionizer
No air purifier can remove excessive moisture from the air. Nevertheless, the right model can prove to be a valuable ally in the fight against mold. An air ionizer, which Sharp or Ideal purifiers, for example, are equipped with, produces negatively and positively charged ions, which are then released into the room. These ions, on contact with pathogens, destroy their cell wall and thus inactivate them. This applies to bacteria, viruses and mold, and fungal spores. As a result, their growth can be significantly inhibited.
Most air purifiers with an ionizer also have a humidification function. It will come in handy in any apartment where the problem with excessive humidity is only seasonal. This is because we must remember that while too much humidity is dangerous to our health and creates conditions for the growth of mold, dry air can do as much or even more damage to our bodies.
Air sterilization
Air sterilization is an increasingly popular way to combat mold. It focuses on oxidizing and inactivating the cellular components of various microorganisms – including mold and fungal spores.
If you’re facing a mold problem in your home, it’s worth investing in the right air sterilizer. The Airfree brand is in a very high position when it comes to air sterilizers that help remove mold, fungi, bacteria, or viruses.
The effectiveness of Airfree sterilizers in removing mold was proven in a 10-day test using a strawberry. The Aifree air sterilizer was used in one room. In the other room, on the other hand, no sterilization devices were used. After 10 days, the strawberry from the sterilized room was fresh. The fruit in the room without the device was completely moldy. So how is it that Airfree sterilizers are so effective?
Airfree devices use an innovative sterilization technology – TSS (thermodynamic sterilization system). They get rid of harmful contaminants using a ceramic core that heats up to 200 degrees Celsius. Contaminated air is sucked into the device and then sterilized with high temperatures. The effectiveness of Airfree devices in removing harmful microorganisms is up to 99.99%. You don’t have to worry about the high temperature of the sterilized air – before it is released into the room it is cooled inside the device with the help of special fans.
