Mould problems should not be ignored.
Mould problems in your home can be a problem to your health and your homes structure.
Mould problems should not be ignored in your home. It is unsightly and there are worries over what it could be doing to you and your family’s health. Mould can occur in a lot of places in our homes, but in particular, it does like to manifest itself in our bathrooms. According to The World Health Organisation in 2009, “in Europe, an estimated 10-50% (dependant on country) of indoor environments habited by humans are damp.”
The question is – Is mould really that bad for our health? Yes it is. In America, they have mould specialists who come in and treat the mould. Over here in the UK, more often than not, it is the home owner who calls in their decorator to treat your homes mould issues and get rid of it. Nothing wrong with that may I add. A good decorator can help clean up mould and repaint your home.
Here are some real good reasons why we shouldn’t ignore bathroom mould.
The bad damp odour.
I have placed odour first in this list because that, along with mould spotting can be the first signs that mould is present in your home. You will notice a musty smell in the room like that associated at times with the cellar in your Gran’s old house. It’s not a nice smell and it can often be smelt as soon as you enter your home if you have let it get hold. If it is in your bathroom and you let it continue to grow that same musty odour will begin to seep into the fabric of that room i.e. your bath towels, window curtains or fabric blinds and other such materials in that room. Find the cause and take action to rid your bathroom of mould and Gran’s musty cellar smell.
Mould can damage your health.
Mould is from a group of various fungi and medical proof shows that mould can be harmful to human health. It is unwise to ignore any signs of mould in your bathroom or other rooms in your home. Living with mould can increase various ailments such as respiratory symptoms, asthma, allergic rhinitis and other allergic reactions. It can even flare up existing skin problems in eczema sufferers and those who are immuno-comprimised e.g. Chemotherapy patients.
Certain moulds promote greater risks than others, but when it comes to mould and your health, never underestimate the dangers it brings to your home. It is an issue that needs addressing immediately to prevent possible serious illness in your loved ones.
Mould can damage to your home.
When mould is growing, it produces spores. Those spores become airborne and find their way onto many surfaces and areas. Mould is a monster. The havoc caused to the surfaces it grows on range from rotting your floor boards, the plastered walls and also your home fabrics such as the carpet and wallpaper.
It stains too. Mould causes unsightly stains (spotting) and could also cause damage the stability of your home if it is not addressed. Ignore it at your peril. Allowing mould growth to continue without treatment can lead to structural problems down the line which could be costly. It won’t go away because you don’t look at it – eradicate it.
My Nan used to say “prevention is better than cure” and that holds true in this topic.
Mould thrives in warm and damp environments. If there is a lack of light in those environments, the mould is even happier in its growth. Your bathroom becomes warm and damp over the course of a day but by taking these few simple precautions you can to help prevent its growth.
- Open your windows for short periods 2 or 3 times a day. This will allow the warm air to exit and create air flow to help dry out the room.
- Using your extractor unit in the bathroom and leave it running for a period after your shower.
- Don’t let your rooms and walls become too cold.
- Don’t crunch up your damp towels, open them out to dry in a way that allows them to dry quickly.
This sounds like overkill but using one of those squeegee tools on the walls, the shower door and floor after each use can help keep the damp conditions down. Opening your blinds or lifting them to let the light in will help prevent mould growth as well.
Lastly, regular cleaning of your bathroom and sorting out the first signs of mould with products such as Krud Kutter Mould and Mildew stain remover or a similar product from Zinsser called Jomax. These great products will ensure you will keep your home free from mould in the long run.
If your home is mould free, you’ll be free to help your family enjoy good health and fresh air.
This article predominantly covers your homes bathroom but the same topic can be true for your kitchen area.
For additional information you can click that link -> Damp and Mould.
B&A can help if you have mould issues that need treating and eradicating. By all means get in touch using the contact form below.
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Category: B&A Blog
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Informative post here Tim.
I have heard stories about brain seizures from inhaling the spores that become airborne when cleaning down black mould, we always wear masks when dealing with mould now.
Have you used any fungicidal paints in rooms that are prone to mould growth like Dulux Mouldshield? I would imagine Crown and Johnstones have comparitive products but haven’t used them. We are working on a project at the moment which is a gym in Central London, the shower and changing rooms are all at basement level, naturally there is no natural venitilation so the client has specified Mouldshield eggshell throughout.
Thank you very much.
Yes, all sorts of nasty stuff can happen to us due to mould, even more so when disturbed. Same as you, I wear the correct PPE for clean up. Some home owners look at you all strange when doing so but I guess they have never been educated in the damage it can cause to human health.
I have never used Dulux Mouldshield or the Johnstone/Crown equivalents. I have always relied on Zinsser Perma-White and with the correct preparation it offers up to 5 years protection of mould and mildew on the paint surface. So far, it has never let me down.
Even better, I managed to get a few cans cheap recently via Crown who were seeling it off cheap as Zinsser were changing the can sizes to our system and not the American sizes.
Thank you for commenting here 🙂