Household mold is bad for both you and your family's health as well as the general appeal of your house. Once mold beings to grow, its unpleasant musty odor can be difficult to remove and may even cause permanent damage to walls, ceilings and other fixtures. These three easy tips can help to combat this spore.
1. Keep water out
Excess water in your home can easily start a mold situation. This is often caused by rainwater leaking into your home, resulting in high humidity - a prime condition for mold growth. This is quite common in basements, even if they are fully furnished.
One easy way to avoid water leaking into your home is to check the slope of the soil next to your home's foundation. If the soil is leaning toward your home, this may cause water to get inside, potentially leading to a mold issue. To be sure whether or not this is an issue, pour some water over the soil and see which way it runs. It if goes toward your home, HGTV suggests trying some simple landscaping to change the direction of the slope away from your home.
2. Dry out the basement
Even taking these steps, the basement can still be damp enough to foster mold growth that can spread throughout your home. Many opt to use a dehumidifier to soak up the moisture that can be common in the lowest room of the house. Additionally, check all the windows and pipes to be sure that they're watertight. If your basement is home to a central heating or cooling unit, make sure that any water drainage is properly caught and removed.
If there are already wet or moldy patches in the basement, you can use commercial cleaning products, or, if you prefer a more natural approach, items like corn starch or arrowroot powder can also do the trick, notes FrugallySustainable.com.
3. Get some sunshine
Sunlight is a natural disinfectant according to common wisdom. If your basement has windows, give them a good scrub to let in as much sunlight as possible. Consider installing some window blinds that can easily be opened and shut to alternatively allow sunlight and hide any valuables you may be storing. If your basement is also home to a den or living room, you'll want to get appealing honeycomb shades or venetian blinds that will allow a little sunlight in even when they're closed.
