5 Ways to Prevent Mold Growth in Your Bathroom

Because of all the moisture it receives from showers and baths, your bathroom is one of the highest-risk areas for mold in your home. Not only is mold unsightly, but it’s also unhealthy and can worsen allergies and respiratory conditions. Fortunately, you can prevent mold growth in your bathroom fairly easily with these tips and tricks.

1. Equip Your Bathroom With a Bath Fan

The key to fighting mold growth in your bathroom in reducing any excess moisture. If your bathroom is not already equipped with a bath fan, it’s highly recommended that you get one installed. A bath fan reduces the moisture in the area around it by literally sucking moisture out of the air.

2. Use a Squeegee After Each Shower and Bath

It may seem tedious, but this an important step in removing excess moisture from your bathroom (approximately 75% of it, in fact). Leave yourself extra time after bathing or showering to squeegee all the sides of the shower and tub.

3. Make Sure Your Bathroom Fan Is the Right Size

In some instances, you may already have a fan, but it is not actually the right size to be effective. You can find out your current fan’s size by looking at its CFM (cubic feet per minute) count, usually printed directly onto the fan itself.

If your ceiling is 8 feet tall, your fan’s CFM should equal:

• [the square footage of your room] x 1.1

If your ceiling is 9 feet tall, your fan’s CFM should equal:

• [the square footage of your room] x 1.5

4. Use the Fan During and After Baths and Showers

Warm baths and showers release a lot of steam into the air, and that moisture can lead to mold. Running your fan during a bath or shower can reduce the amount of moisture on the walls and ceiling that could potentially contribute to mold growth. It’s equally important to run your fan after your baths and showers as well for at least 30 minutes.

5. Seal Your Grout

If you’re like most people, you have tile somewhere in your bathroom. The porous grout between the tiles is particularly susceptible to mold. That’s why another crucial step in mold prevention is making sure that you re-seal your grout on a yearly basis to ensure that it remains waterproof.

Has water damage taken a toll on your home or building? Make sure to schedule an indoor evaluation with our water damage experts as soon as possible: 631-940-8100.

How to Keep Mold Out of Your Home

Mold isn't just unsightly – it's dangerous for your health and your house. Mold left untreated can trigger allergic reactions and respiratory infections, not to mention the structural damage it can cause to your home. Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to help keep mold out of your home.

Use dehumidifiers in problem areas.

The number one cause of mold growth is excess moisture. This is why humid spots in your home, such as your basement and bathroom, are the most susceptible to a mold infestation. Use a dehumidifier in these areas to keep your humidity levels in check and ward off potential mold problems.

Clean up all spills and leaks immediately.

Any standing water invites mold to grow. If you notice water forming on any surfaces in your home, clean them up immediately. This goes for spilled drinks, leaky pipes, and puddles that form next to your shower.

Run your exhaust fans when necessary.

If you have an exhaust fan in your bathroom, run it for 15 minutes after every shower to remove the excess moisture from the air. The same goes for your kitchen when cooking on the stovetop – the steam that is generated can promote mold growth.

Have your air ducts cleaned every 3-5 years.

Air ducts are an afterthought for most homeowners, but they are one of mold's favorite hiding spots. The combination of darkness, moisture, and dust form the perfect breeding ground for mold. Have your air ducts professionally cleaned every 3-5 years to remove mold, dust, and other common allergens.

Have you spotted mold growing in your Long Island home? Don't attempt to remove it alone. Mishandling of mold can cause illness and increases the likelihood of reinfestation. If you are in need of a professional mold removal service on Long Island, look no further than GreenProCleaning & Restoration. We serve all of Nassau and Suffolk County; call us today for a free quote at (631) 940-8100.

10 Ways to Prevent Mold From Growing in Your Home

Mold is a type of fungus usually found outdoors, but it can grow inside your home too. No one knows exactly how many types of mold exist, but estimates range from the tens of thousands to upwards of three hundred thousand. Mold reproduces and spreads by making tiny microscopic spores, which can unknowingly be inhaled.

When this happens, the exposed person can suffer a wide range of reactions. Symptoms can be minor: such as sneezing, wheezing, and irritated eyes and throat, or they can be more severe: such as fever, headaches, nausea, fatigue, and even lung infections in extreme cases.

Mold can grow wherever moisture is present, so in order to prevent it from showing up in your home, you need to limit your moisture levels. Some ways of doing this include:

1. Run your bathroom exhaust fan for 15 minutes after every shower. This will help remove excess moisture from the air.
   
   
2. Use a dehumidifier in problem areas, such as the basement, especially during summer months. Ideally, you want your relative humidity to be in between 30-50%. At 60%, mold can start growing.
   
   
3. Keep windows and doors shut when the air conditioner is running. Besides letting cold air escape and wasting money, this invites humid air into the home and causes condensation.
   
   
4. Clean up all spills and leaks immediately. Any standing water in the home invites mold. This also includes puddles that form near the washer, water heater, HVAC unit, shower, etc.
   
   
5. Install a plastic vapor barrier on the floor of your crawl space. 
   
   
6. Vent all moisture-generating appliances (stoves, clothes dryers, etc.) to the outside, not the attic.
   
   
7. Regularly clean your gutters and inspect your ceiling for leaks. Mold growth is very common on ceilings because rainwater can enter through leaky roofs.
   
   
8. If you see any mold in your home, call a professional service to remove it immediately. This will prevent it from making spores and spreading throughout your home. 
   
   
9. Direct outside water away from your home. If water seeps into your crawl space or foundation, you can bet mold will start to grow.
   
   
10. Clean your air ducts every 3-5 years. Condensation often forms on the inside of these vents, making it a perfect hiding spot for mold to grow.

If you live on Long Island, trust the experts at GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration to keep your home clean and mold-free. We offer professional mold removal, as well as preventative services such as air duct cleaning and crawl space cleaning. Visit our website to learn more about our company or call us for a free quote at 631-940-8100.

10 Things to Know About Mold

Mold is a type of fungus that can grow virtually anywhere moisture is present. Although it is very common outdoors and a vital part of the ecosystem, mold can be a serious health hazard when found inside your home. Here are ten things you need to know about mold:

1. The most effective way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.
2. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposure include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory problems.
3. If mold is present in your home or office, contact a professional removal service immediately!
4. Prevent mold growth by fixing any and all water leaks as soon as possible.
5. Reduce indoor humidity to 30-60% to effectively decrease mold growth. Some ways to do this include:

• venting all bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside.
• using air conditioners and dehumidifiers during the summer.
• increasing ventilation in your home by opening windows, using fans, and installing an attic vent.

6. Clean and dry all damp building materials and furnishings within 24 hours to prevent mold from growing.
7. Clean mold off of hard surfaces using water and detergent. Absorbent materials (such as ceiling tiles) may need to be replaced.
8. Reduce the potential for condensation in your home by adding insulation. This can help prevent mold from growing on your windows, pipes, ductwork, roof, etc.
9. Don't install carpeting in areas where there is a consistent moisture problem, such as bathrooms.
10. Molds can be found almost anywhere, indoors and out. They can grow on virtually any surface where moisture is present, including carpet, wood, walls, paper, and food.

Do you suspect that mold is growing in your Long Island home? Don't wait to take action; long-term exposure can cause all kinds of respiratory problems! Call the mold removal experts at GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration – we will thoroughly survey your entire home for mold and take the appropriate action to remove any that we may find. Call us today for a free estimate at 631-940-8100.