You surely know how dangerous mould can be to your health if you suffer from allergies or a severe respiratory illness like asthma. Still, mould may trigger a wide range of symptoms, including wheezing, coughing and irritation of the throat, skin and eyes, even in people who otherwise enjoy good health and aren’t allergic to it. Even though you can’t do much to avoid mould outside or in open spaces, you can protect yourself from it in your own home by looking for it in common areas and getting rid of it if you find it.
What Is Mould, and How Does It Grow in Your Home?
To put it simply, mould is a fungus that spreads through the air in the form of tiny spores. Groups of mould spores may be seen reproducing on surfaces after they have had enough time to develop themselves. Breathing in the minuscule holes might provoke an attack in those with mould allergies, asthma, bronchitis or other lung conditions. If you don’t do this, you may not know there is mould in your house until you either see it or sense it.
The main components for mould development are present in every home: mould spores, a surface to develop on, air, moisture and darkness. Mould growth begins at the first sign of moisture, whether leakage, stagnant water or excessive humidity. Knowing where mould is most likely to grow is important to maintaining a healthy house and body.
Where to Look for Mould in Your Bathroom?
Unfortunately, mould enjoys the same lengthy, steamy showers as you do. So, it is common to find mould in the bathroom. The bathroom’s warm, damp conditions are ideal for mould to grow. Mould may quickly take over a bathroom without a working window, fan or preferably both. Although it is easy to see mould on the tiles in the shower, there are many other areas in the bathroom where it might be growing undetected.
The shower or bathtub are the most likely areas to find mould in a bathroom. Due to the high volume of foot traffic, these spots are almost always wet. Mould spores may grow in wet conditions, so make sure you open some windows and turn on the fan while in the shower or tub. Check for mould on your loofahs, body shower and shampoo bottles, shower curtain etc.; it isn’t always evident where mould has grown.
Furthermore, toilets and sinks are potential sites for mould development due to the constant presence of water and the high humidity in bathrooms. It emerges when a sink or countertop hasn’t been properly cleaned and dried. It’s also important to check the caddies for the toothbrushes and toothpaste, the toilet tank, the wall behind the toilet, the space beneath the sink where you keep the cleaning supplies and the sink and toilet pipes.
Where to Look for Mould in Your Kitchen?
There are plenty of places for mould to grow in your kitchen, from the forgotten food in the bottom of your refrigerator to the not-so-forgotten dishes that build up in your sink. Rapid mould growth in the kitchen is often a result of the high humidity levels caused by cooking and washing dishes with hot water.
Quite a bit of action takes place in the typical kitchen sink. It’s not uncommon for dishes to accumulate in the sink, for food to be discarded by trash disposal, for wet sponges to breed germs while sitting in sinks or caddies or for faucets to be left running. If you wish to avoid mould growth, you should keep a close eye on the following, as they are all conducive to its development. You should also check beneath the sink; mould grows in damp environments. Mould spores also grow in moist, dark places like wooden cutting boards, behind the stove and oven, trash cans and window frames in the kitchen.
Where to Look for Mould in Your Bedroom(s)?
Mould probably wouldn’t grow in your bedroom if you kept the humidity low enough. Mould may grow anywhere inside, so it’s always advisable to look for it. Mould may develop everywhere where there is a source of moisture and a food source for the spores. Imagine your shock at discovering mould on your mattress. Consider upgrading to a mattress that can withstand the presence of mould if at all possible. Keep your home’s relative humidity low and your mattress cold and dry.
As noted above, condensation on windows caused by high humidity may provide a significant challenge when attempting to stop mould development. Mould is nearly certain to grow on an interior window sill if enough moisture gets there. Not until you routinely dry it, though. Moreover, the use of the air conditioner and furnace is fine, but mould growth in the vents is a possibility.
Where to Look for Mould in Your Living Room?
Mould may now be shown to grow in any indoor space. The same holds true for the living room. Mould growth is more likely if you do more than one thing, like eat close to the TV or use houseplants to clean the air.
Materials like fabric and upholstery are perfect for growing mould because they trap the spores in their fibres. Your sofa or drapes may develop a nasty musty odour if they become wet. As a result, you should be on the lookout for mould. But even if it hasn’t progressed to the point where it’s obvious, it’s always a good idea to double-check.
Chimneys and fireplaces are perfect breeding grounds for mould as they are chilly, damp and gloomy when not in use. Since most fireplaces are constructed with porous brick, mould may swiftly spread.
The Bottom Line
Mould is something no one likes to see in their house. However, a lot of people still don’t know where to look for mould in their homes. At first, checking for mould and taking preventative steps may seem like a lot of work, but in the long run, they could save your health and your home from mould.