Mold. Just saying the name is enough to make people wince. Of the many problems with mold, among the worst is that you probably don’t know if it’s there. Sure, you can notice mold growing in the corner of your bathroom, the bathtub, your basement, that kind of thing. However, what you don’t know about is the mold beyond that, underground, in the walls, in those areas that you quite literally cannot see. Should you worry that you have mold, the best course of action is to call the cleaning and restoration professionals. That said, there are some ways that you can better deal with the mold you can see.
Notice Mold Growing? Well…
Notice mold growing? To grow, mold spores have three requirements. There must be moisture present, there must be some nutrients around (even tiny ones) and lastly, cellulose (best thought of as the cell wall of green plants). You might think: “OK, I don’t know where there’s nutrients or ‘cellulose’ in my building, so I’m really not at much risk from mold, right?” Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Mold can appear just about anywhere, usually following the introduction of moisture.
Warding Mold Off
There’s no 100% way to prevent mold. Nothing’s foolproof, not entirely. But, there are some steps that you can take in your day-to-day life which can make it less likely that you’ll have to deal with mold (or the damage it causes) any time soon. A big one for this time of year (in spring) is to keep water from accumulating under your houseplants. That water can seep into the carpet or flooring, possibly giving mold what it needs to grow. By that same token, as “spring cleaning” is upon many of us, this is a fine time to clean your bathrooms thoroughly with bleach, or really anything that can eliminate mold.
If You’ve Recently Had Water Damage…
Spring in the Southern California area is often synonymous with showers, with rain. That could be just what mold needs to gain a foothold in your building. To that end, if you see any standing water around, get rid of it fast. By that same token, if something like your upholstery or your carpets get wet, either dry them or remove them. Time is of the essence with this kind of thing, as mold can grow within 48 or even 24 hours.
Professional Cleaning and Restoration
Again, the above are just some suggestions, some actions you can take. The truth is that you can do everything “right,” you can keep your roof intact, your basement dry, and everything else, yet you can still have to deal with mold and mold damage. If you suspect that you may have a mold problem, there’s really no time to waste. You don’t want to wait until you, someone in your building or one of your pets gets ill. Instead, call the professionals at Scope Clean early to find out if there’s a problem and, if there is, get rid of it fast. We’re always available at: (855) 961-2660.
