Introduction

Molds are transported through the air and into your home in the form of tiny spores.  These spores land in a most areas and grow.  Mold can grow on wood, paper, carpet and food.  Mold exposure can cause allergic reactions such as rashes, runny noses and read eys; asthma and other respiratory complaints.  There is no way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in your home, but they can bee reduced.

Mold In Your Home

Molds grow and thrive in moist conditions.  The most likely places for molds to grow are in bathrooms, especially bathrooms with carpeting, basements, concrete floors, in ceiling tiles, in wood near tubs and sinks that are not properly sealed, near water lines (piping), and beneath your home if you have crawl spaces.  Mold may also be found in ceiling tiles, behind loose wallpaper and drywall.  Finally, the most overlooked area for mold is in air conditioning/heating ducts and in exhaust fan ductwork.

Preventing Mold

The best way to prevent mold is to reduce moisture.  Clean up any visible mold using soap and water (chlorine bleach and other biocides are not  recommended as they may cause other adverse health effects).  Note: Avoid exposing yourself to mold during cleanup, wear gloves, a dust mask and goggles. 

Clean up any standing water near water heaters, in basements, bathroom.  Use a dehumidifier to reduce indoor air moisture.  Use exhaust fans in bathrooms.Wrap plumbing pipes, especially cold water lines, with pipe insulation that can be purchased very inexpensively on eBay (or at most  hardware stores). Throughoughly  clean and seal around sinks, showers and bathtubs.  Plastic moisture barriers can be installed in crawl spaces.

A DVD "Toxic Mold Solutions" is available at my eBay store: RJO Enterprises Inc. eBay Store .  The DVD provides detailed information on mold cleanup and prevention. 

Mold Test Kits

Mold testing is not normally required and most mold problems can be seen.  One exception may to this is in heating/air conditioning and exhaust fan ducts.  Small amounts of mold that are difficult to see in your duct work can be a continual source of mold throughout your homew and in you indoor air.  Mold test kits are inexpensive, quick and easy to use.Mold test kits can be used to wipe a porion of your ductwork to see if miold is present.  A quick test kit can give you results in as little as 10 minutes.  Confirmatory  test kits allow you to sent the swap to a laboratory for detailed anaylysis are also available.

If the test results indicate the presence of mold in your ductwork, have them professionally cleaned.

Both types of test kits are available at my eBay Store. RJO Enterprises Inc. eBay Store

Conclusion

Molds in your home cannot be prevented, but it can be minimized.  Remove existing mold and prevent further mold growth by reducing moisture in your home.