Tips on How to Prevent Mold During the Summer
The carefree months of summer are the time of year when we’re most focused on the outdoor aspects of our home - but making sure that you keep an eye on your interior spaces to prevent mold in the summer is important as well, since the higher heat and humidity of the summer months can quickly encourage mold to grow. Today we’re going to share with you some of MoldTech’s top tips to prevent mold in the summer so that you can enjoy your vacation worry-free.
How Does Mold Occur?
The mechanics for why mold grows are easy to understand - it’s not a complex organism, and is related to fungi, mushrooms, and yeasts. Mold reproduces by sending up small particles called spores. These spores float through the air or are tracked in on clothes, shoes, or pets, and settle on things in your home.
To grow, the spore needs 3 things:
- To have landed on an organic material it can bond to and eat
- A stable temperature
- And moisture.
That last ingredient is the most important and in the summer months, moisture can enter your home in a number of ways. Summer rain showers can soak the earth and a leaky foundation can let water into the basement; damp swimsuits left in the laundry room, condensation on pipes, and lingering moisture from the shower or dishwasher can all be sources of indoor moisture.
Where You Most Frequently Find Mold?
The only good thing about moisture and mold is that if you find mold, you can usually trace it back to, and solve, the source that has activated its growth. Mold is most frequently found growing in the following high moisture or humidity areas:
- the attic
- bathrooms
- the laundry room
- underneath cupboards where there is plumbing
- the basement
- after a flood or significant water event where there has been a leak
Mold can begin to grow in only 48 hours when the conditions are right, so if there’s a small leak under the sink, it’s best to fix it right away to ensure that you prevent mold in the summer months.
How To Prevent Mold In the Summer? Our Best Tips
- Control Humidity: This tip to prevent mold in the summer is all about controlling the amount of moisture in your home. The warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold, which is why the summer months are so humid and the winter months so dry. That moisture will settle on surfaces in your home and can trigger mold growth. If you notice that a certain room or area is extra humid or you spot condensation forming, think about investing in a dehumidifier or fan to keep the air circulating. If you have a fan in your kitchen or bathroom, always run it when cooking or bathing to prevent humid air from building up.
- Control your Temperature: When trying to prevent mold in the summer, temperature is another great weapon in your arsenal. While mold can grow in low temperatures, it’s ideal range is between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius - which is perfectly within the southern Ontario summer temperature range. If you have one, running your air conditioner can be a huge help in keeping your temperature lowered - those cooler temperatures will help keep your humidity down, and prevent mold in the summer by creating a less welcoming environment.
- Air Circulation: Another good way to prevent mold in the summer is by keeping the air moving through your house. Your air conditioner or furnace fan can help do this; so can an open window or fan placed in a damp room. This moving air helps dry out and moisture present, and it discourages humid air from lingering.
- Keep Clean: The last tip we have is to make sure you are keeping your home clean - which is not always easy when kids and adults are in and out all day long! Regular cleaning can help remove any mold spores that have settled in your home as well as reduce the organic material it needs to survive. Mold may prefer to grow on wood or textiles or concrete, but it’s often the dirt, oils, and other organic particles on them that it’s attracted to. Keeping things clean can help make them less tempting targets for hungry spores.
Asking for Help
If the worst has happened and you find mold growing in your home, there’s no reason to hire a wrecking ball - but you should call a professional. Mold can be tricky to remove and easy to inadvertently spread. One small forgotten spore can multiply and a mold colony can grow back within a few weeks. Costly in both time and labour, a DIY mold removal can actually spread the problem, cause further irritation and illness, and damage to your property.
At MoldTech, our certified trained technicians are here to help you thoroughly eradicate any mold problem in your home. For a decade we’ve been using safe and non-invasive materials and methods to remediate homes, attics, and basements throughout Ontario. Our teams will identify the problem, offer solutions and ideas to reduce the likelihood of further infestations, and clean your home so thoroughly you won’t even know we were there.
If you’re concerned about some lingering moisture in your home or if you need some help to prevent mold in the summer, give us a call! Our friendly staff would be happy to offer you a free mold assessment to help keep you and your family healthy, comfortable, and mold-free this summer
