Last Updated on October 28, 2014
The presence of mold in a home normally has an effect on the quality of air in it. This is why the term ‘moldy’ was devised as a means of describing the stuffy smell that is usually associated with the presence of longstanding mold. If you are a homeowner, you may want to find ways of making sure that the presence of the mold does not affect the air quality. Fortunately, there are a couple of things you can do to mitigate this effect. Some of these include:
Establishing proper ventilation
If you have noticed that the air in your home has become a bit stale, one of the steps you will need to take is establishing proper ventilation within the home. This does not necessarily mean installing a high quality air conditioning system, though this might help. Simply making sure that the windows are open for a significant amount of time during the day might suffice. Of course, the air outside has to be clean for this to have the effect that you are interested in. Remember, the presence of air that does not circulate promotes the growth of mold. When making such changes in your home, you should remember to also focus on the basement, where most molds normally grow in many homes.
Let in the sunshine
Having sunshine streaming through the home does more than simply making it feel and look lighter; it also improves the quality of the air. The energy from the sun has a mild ionizing effect on the air, and the ions that are made are responsible for the fresh, clean smell that is normally associated with a well lit room. Some of the things you can do to facilitate this include installing skylights in the home. You may also need to consider getting window shades that let in a bit more light than usual especially if you have ones that block most of it out.
Inspect your foundation on a regular basis, and fix any cracks that are found
Cracks in a home’s foundation lead to leaks, and this will definitely give the mold a better environment in which to grow. Identifying the cracks and sealing them early on will prevent this from happening, and this in turn means that the quality of air in the house will be preserved. Making an effort to identify and deal with basement cracks in this manner will also be cheaper for you, since you will notice them while they are minor. To increase the efficacy of this, it would be wise to have a professional do the checking every year or so.
Check your air conditioning
The presence of an air conditioner will definitely improve air quality in a home that has mold in it. However when not taken care of properly, the system will directly contribute to the problem as well. For instance, if there is too much mold growth within the unit, it could spread the spores throughout the home, making it possible for the mold to grow out of control. If you happen to have an air conditioner, making sure that it’s inspected every year or so is important. It should also be a policy to have parts such as the filters replaced as regularly as the manufacturer recommends.
Clean your fabrics
There are times when you will be so overwhelmed by the presence of the mold that you will opt to get rid of it at once. In such cases, you should not only focus on areas such as the basement, it would be wise to also focus on other parts of the home as well. For instance, since mold tends to cling to fabrics, it would be a good idea to make sure that the fabrics in a room that has a lot of mold be thoroughly cleaned. This usually involves using heat and detergent to be assured of a thorough job. Fabrics that are easy to overlook usually include the curtains and bedding.
Consider getting an ionizer
An ionizer works in much the same way that natural sunshine does in terms of reducing odours and making air cleaner. Essentially, it generates a load of charged particles which make particulate matter in the air cling to each other and to surfaces such as the walls. This way, they are then gotten rid of from the air you breathe in. You can install one of these to help make the air cleaner. Of course, the ionizer would need to be of high quality and have the right capacity to handle the size of room you have.
You should always use the above in combination with professional mold removal for you to get the best results possible. Having such an aggressive stance will ensure that you will end up with a home that does not only smell nice and fresh, but is also healthy to live in as well.