A lot goes on in a laundry room. You might have dirty gym clothes and your little one's uniform from the game the other day, but this area is also a high-risk mold zone. Mold requires four essential elements to grow: food, moisture, oxygen, and warmth, all of which are found in abundance in a laundry room. Learn why, and how, to keep your family safer.
Dangers of Mold
Mold is a toxic fungus that spreads rapidly in humid environments. Exposure to this growth can produce cold-like symptoms, such as nasal congestion and coughing. Exposure may also cause rashes and skin irritation.
However, for small children, pregnant women, the elderly, and any person with an existing respiratory condition, mold is especially dangerous. People that fall into this category are at a greater risk of an asthma attack and long-term health complications.
Mold Prevention
You can take several steps to take to avoid mold growth in your laundry room. Here are some of them.
Wash Often
Don't let laundry pile up; wash regularly. The dirt on your clothes and the dark, moist environment they create allows mold to form and thrive quickly. A small family may be able to wash a couple of times a week, but a large family may need to wash loads every other day or even daily.
Inspect for Leaks
Always inspect around the rear and base of your washing machine for leaks. Somewhere around their fifth year of use, the hoses that connect to the water supply lines may start to fail, and small amounts of water may leak out. Even if there isn't a current leak, if you've been using the hoses for longer than five years or so, replace them.
Complete the Wash Cycle
If you have a habit of washing a load in the morning, forgetting about it, and not putting the load into the dryer until the evening, you need to change your ways. Damp clothes left inside the washing machine will eventually scatter mold spores into the air. Dry your clothes right after the end of the wash cycle.
Ventilate the Space
Make sure your laundry room is well ventilated. If you have a window in the room, keep it cracked whenever you're using your laundry appliances. If there isn't a window be sure to power on the exhaust van during each cycle. In addition to keeping mold away, ventilation will improve the smell in the room.
Remove Lint
Remove any built-up lint from the trap after each dryer cycle. An excessive amount of debris prevents moisture from escaping from the inside of the dryer, which will cause it to recirculate into the machine. Failure to remove the lint can introduce mold, increase drying time, and create a dangerous fire.
Mold Indicators
The ability to quickly spot a mold problem is an important tool for protecting your family and your home. The most recognizable sign of mold is black spots. If you begin to recognize clusters of black spots covering the walls, floors, or any other surface in the room, these spots are an undeniable red flag.
In some cases, the spots may also appear in a brownish color. Unexplained stains on the walls is another indication not to ignore. Unfortunately, mold doesn't always make itself known visually. For some, a sudden string of health problems that resemble allergies can lead to the discovery of mold.
If you recognize any indication of mold in your laundry room, prompt action is essential. Whether your discovery is large or small in the laundry room or some other area, contact ANR Restoration Inc. for our professional mold remediation services.