The Best Way To Handle Moulds This Winter

Moulds are a passively active menace in the temperate zone, especially during the winter. This is because the cold conditions come in full and people are naturally inclined towards shutting their windows to maintain their indoor temperature, cut down on heating and ensure the home is cosy.

The moment the moisture finds its way in, this becomes the perfect condition for moulds to build up and the beautifully coloured walls get the grey, black dots appear on it. Unfortunately, moulds are not something that runs away and hides when you yell or clap your hands, they require constant fixing, which is not a pleasant experience as the cold and damp condition continues to create the right atmosphere for the rapid growth of the same moulds you have managed to wipe off weeks earlier.

One unpleasant thing about moulds is that they thrive so well in such a short time that the homeowner might end up exhausted from constantly wiping moulds off the wall.

Before we proceed, let us clarify some misconceptions surround moulds:

Some people wonder, and wonder if these moulds are fungi. Moulds are a type of fungi that belong to the kingdom Fungi, and that includes yeast, and mushrooms. This is why, when moulds grow on the wood in your house and you over look it for a while, you come back to meet some unpleasant mushrooms. which will make you wonder how moulds form, grow and reproduce.

Molds form when a tiny, lighweight, almost invisible molds spores begin to grow, and they release more spores into the air, in a bid to reproduce. Moulds are multicellular and eukaryotic, which means that its cells contains nucleus ans other organelles within its membranes.

Not all molds are dangerous, some of them are, because they can cause health issues in humans, especially for those with underlying allergies,asthma or weakened immune systems. So if you are wondering if moulds can make you sick or even sicker, then yes, they sure can. Moulds cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions, in addition to other health issues, which are all depending on the target host’s health condition.

Some moulds produce mycotoxins, which are toxic substances that can increase the risk of cancer with prolonged exposure. In severe cases, especially for individuals with seriously damaged immune systems, mould exposure can be life-threatening. Exposure to moulds can cause coughing and other respiratory symptoms. Mould exposure can contribute to respiratory infections like pneumonia, particularly in people with weakened immune systems or chronic lung conditions.

Moulds can be killed by high heat, through baking or steam cleaning. But low heat for a short period of time will not have the ecpected result on moulds, because moulds are multicellular fungi that grow in the form of hyphae (filamentous structures), while yeasts are unicellular fungi. Some moulds are safe to eat, because they are used in the prodcution of blue and some other cheeses. other than this, when mould appear on your food, it is best to avoid consuming it.

Mould spores are found everywhere in the environment and can enter homes through doors, windows, vents, on people or pets, delivery, shops, pet stores and just the air let into your home.Certain species of moulds, such as Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Stachybotrys (black mould), produce mycotoxins.

But in appearance, Stachybotrys chartarum is commonly known as black mould. You ever wondered why moulds grow? They grow when their favourable condition exists, like in a moist environment with a source of organic material, to support their growth.

This is the reason commercialmold cleaners and removers contain bleach, hydrogen peroxide or vinegar, to not only wipe them off, but to ensure that their return is not instant. Whenever mouls appear on food, it indicates spoilage, and can be cleaned to be consumed, just like they on the walls.

So it is unsafe to consume mouldy foods. Molds in the house can grow on walls and anyother surfaces, as long as moisture and nutrient are present. Removing this as fast as possible, will prevent health issues in the home occupants.

Moulds or moulds?

“Moulds” is the British English spelling, while “molds” is the American English spelling, but they are all referring to the same thing, except for when you are talking about molding things.

In the UK, moulds are a common household issue, especially in damp, poorly ventilated areas during the winter, which is why a reminder is always sent out to citizens to open up their windows in the winter, to let air in, and help the moist walls.

Molds on the wal always indicate the presence of moisture. It could be from damaged pipes which have created leakage, it could be a leakage from bathtub or shower, even the kichten tap, snow or rain, or just an over flowing tap, or a water incident in the house, or a bad roof problem. While you battle to dry up the house, you need to air out the house as fast as you can, because molds will not hesitate to take advantage of the situation.

Molds or moulds can be interchanged by people, because of their region of residence, but dont mistake it for moulds or molds for candles or bricks and so on, which are tools or containers used to give form to melted wax, concrete and others, as they cool and harden. Now that we have gotten them out of the way, let us continue.

Moulds don’t only mess up the appearance of your walls, they alter the freshness of your indoor air quality, which will eventually affect your health, especially those with an underlying respiratory condition. Here is a list personally put together for the best way to handle moulds in your home during the winter:

The Best Way To Handle Moulds This Winter

1. 1. Identify And Fix Moisture Sources in the house: While living and working to live, not living to work, always remember to scan the walls of your home for signs of pipe leakage, signs of water rising from the ground and high humidity, check the ceiling for signs of water droplets which always leave the ceiling or the plaster of pairs darkened. The easiest medium for moisture in the house should be the windows, the temperature from outside finds its way onto the inner part of the window glass, which drips down in the window plain and onto the walls and floors eventually. It is the regular medium for water to infiltrate into your home.

1. 2. Adequate Ventilation: One thing that helps the interior of homes is the regular ventilation of homes. Some people get cold when they leave the windows open while at home, so they are left with the option of leaving the windows to some parts of the home open, to allow for ventilation, or opening up the windows when they are not home. A cost-increasing method will be turning on electric fans in the homes to help circulate the air and reduce humidity in prone areas

1. 3. Dehumidify The Atmosphere: Using dehumidifiers indoors will help maintain the indoor humidity lower than 60%, especially in the basements, if your home has one. Damp areas are different for various homes, so always ensure your decisions are for a healthy home some extra people like me will go ahead and monitor the indoor humidity level with a simple hygrometer to help you identify the parts of the house with the highest humidity level, which will help you tackle it.

1. 4. Regular Cleaning: Ensuring that your home is cleaned regularly will help wipe off moulds after they have settled on surfaces, especially in areas with less air circulation. The use of mould spray to wipe off the moulds keeps the moulds away for a while before they eventually reappear due to the conducive damp condition of the home interior.

1. 5. Use mould-resistant building Materials/Furnishing: Some thoughtful people, do think about the mould season before they are ready to move into a home. People ensure the base of the home interior is made unconducive for the moulds. For instance, people make use of mould-resistant paints as finishing for their home interiors, especially in areas with less air circulation which are prone to moulds, like in the basements, the bathrooms, the store, etc.

1. 6. Prior Insulation: During the construction, instruction or repair stages of the home, always ensure that the insulation process is properly done as this will successfully prevent the rate of condensation on the surfaces around the home like the windows.

1. 7. Properly Remove Moulds: Whenever sighted in and around the home, always ensure that mould patches are promptly wiped off from the walls as soon as they appear. Moulds are generally easy to wipe off from surfaces using mould sprays from stores, or a solution prepared locally, right at home, using water and detergent solution in a spray bottle. This measure works for a small mould infestation, because when it becomes a large mould infestation, then that requires the professional hands of the mould handling team.

1. 8. Eco-friendly Remedies: An all-natural eco-friendly solution to clean up moulds from the surface, is white vinegar or even tea tree oil which both possess antifungal properties which make it easy to wipe off moulds. To get the right proportion for the solution, Mix 125ml each of water and vinegar in a spray bottle, depending on the area of mould appearance on your walls. Make sure to mix the right amount of solution for your cleaning.

1. 9. Seal Cracks and Gaps: Seal up cracks and gaps around the house, like the openings in the windows, walls, doors or ceiling to prevent water seepage or infiltration. Ensure these gaps are sealed off and leakage from the roof is covered up to prevent damage to the ceiling, the attic and the walls, which can lead to mould appearance.

1. 10. Trap Mould Spores from the Air: The use of a HEPA Air purifier can easily trap the mould spores from the air which purifies the air and makes it safe for those who have respiratory health issues, and mould allergies.

Finally, tackling the growth of moulds in and around your home involves being proactive before and during winter to maintain a healthy home and family. The easiest way to do this is to control the inward movement of moisture into your home, through sealing up cracks, ensuring proper ventilation in the house even in the cold winter, promptly addressing mould issues and wiping them off the moment they appear.

When mould problems persist and rapidly increase in areas within the house, then it is time to involve the professional team, as this will ensure a thorough and professional process which involves devices that make for an easy mould elimination process, as outlined above.