Preventing Mold in Every Room of Your House

Mold could be lurking almost anywhere in your home. It could be hidden in your attic insulation or secretly growing behind your drywall. Because its spores are airborne, it can even get into unexpected places like your HVAC system or your houseplants.

The experts at My Pure Environment inspect homes for mold from top to bottom. Here’s our guide on how to get rid of mold in every room of your house, from attic to basement, kitchen to garage.

How to Prevent Mold in Your Home: A Room-by-Room Guide

Attic

Minor structural issues like roof leaks and condensation often lead to mold infestations in attics. Mold can feed on things like dust, paper, and cardboard, and start growing in your attic insulation. All it takes is a little moisture for mold to get started. Keeping your attic well ventilated and dry is the best way to prevent mold.

Basement

That funky “basement smell” isn’t coming from underground—it’s actually the odor of mold. Basements and crawl spaces often fall victim to mold infestations because they’re dark, damp, and stuffy. Problems like cracks in the foundation, leaky pipes, and condensation can be compounded by unventilated laundry rooms, clogged drains, or dusty HVAC systems.

Even new, finished basements can harbor mold, especially if there has been a flood or any type of water damage. To prevent mold in basements, repair leaks promptly, keep drains and ducts clean, and get your plumbing and foundation inspected regularly. You might also consider adding extra ventilation or a dehumidifier.

Kitchen

Leaky pipes under the sink, condensation in the refrigerator, a dishwasher door seal that never quite dries…there’s a lot of moisture in kitchens, and so many potential places for mold to hide. If you’ve ever found fuzzy food in your refrigerator, it’s probably covered in penicillium spores, which cause allergic reactions in many people.

If you ever find mold in your kitchen, it’s important to remove it before it can spread. Get rid of moldy food right away, and clean mold off of kitchen appliances with some diluted bleach or white vinegar. Be sure to wear protective gear like gloves and a mask, and to clean very thoroughly, reaching into places like the grooves in the seal of the refrigerator door.

Bathroom

In many houses, the bathrooms weren’t built with enough ventilation. Some don’t even have windows! And if the steam from all those hot showers can’t escape, the bathroom will stay humid and damp—the perfect environment for encouraging mold and mildew growth.

Mold can hide in some unexpected places in the bathroom, like underneath the caps of rarely used body care products or inside of your kids’ plastic bath toys. To keep mold out of your bathroom, make sure to mop up any puddles right away, run a fan after you shower, and don’t leave soggy bath mats or towels lying around.

Living Room

It might come as a surprise, but mold can take hold in your living room as well. It often hides inside of chimneys and fireplaces that have damaged flashing or insufficient ventilation. Condensation or leaks around windows can make mold start to grow in your walls, carpeting, curtains, or furniture. And although some houseplants actually fight mold, if you overwater them, they might start growing mold instead.

Bedroom

Mold in the bedroom? Yes, it can happen. There could be mold or mildew growing on clothes that never fully dried, or inside of old shoes in your closet. And if you run a humidifier in the bedroom, there might be mold growing inside. Cleaning your humidifier at least once a week with hydrogen peroxide will prevent mold growth and keep your humidifier from spreading spores and other airborne contaminants.

Laundry Room

Never leave a wet load of laundry sitting overnight! Mold and mildew can start growing in as little as 24 hours, and they both love the warmth and humidity of laundry rooms. With the dryer running on high and steam wafting out of the washer, it’s easy for condensation to build up.

Mold could be growing in your laundry room’s walls or ceiling, inside the washing machine door, underneath a rug, and even in your laundry basket. Keeping your laundry room clean and dry and leaving the washer door open is the best way to prevent mold growth. But if you just can’t get rid of that funky smell, your laundry room might need a new fan or a little extra ventilation.

Garage

Mold can quickly infest garages, especially if there’s been any flooding or roof damage. Leaks in the garage often aren’t as high a priority as leaks in the house, but leaving them unrepaired only invites mold to grow. If your garage has a musty odor, discolored walls, or patches of tiny dark spots on the ceiling, it’s probably infested with mold.

Because garages are often open to the outdoors, it’s easy for mold spores to find their way inside. If those spores find a warm, damp place to start growing, they can easily spread from your garage to your car or your house. Keep your garage roof in good repair and check for water damage after storms to protect your home from mold.

Pool and Deck

The “mold” that grows in pools is usually either bacteria or algae, and not mold at all. However, pools are wet, and mold can often be found nearby in wooden decking, the cushions of patio furniture, or inside inflatable pool toys.

Mold spores can easily travel into your house on towels and swimsuits—to prevent indoor mold, wash swimwear and towels on the hot water cycle, and always make sure they’re stored fully dry.

Demolition-Free, Long-Lasting Mold Removal

Mold is dangerous—it’s a serious health hazard that can cause allergies, illnesses, and depression. It’s especially harmful to children, the elderly, and people with respiratory illnesses. It also contributes to structural damage and poor indoor air quality. But you don’t have to live with mold!

My Pure Environment knows how to get rid of mold in every room in your house, and our patented dry fog treatment can even prevent it from coming back. Our mold remediation services come with a 1-year mold-free guarantee. Best of all, we can get rid of indoor mold with no hassle for you—there’s no messy cleanup or costly demo.

Contact us today to schedule a free inspection. Our experts will go over your house inside and out, from top to bottom, taking samples and checking for signs of mold. If your home needs professional mold remediation, we’ll advise you on your next best steps toward making your home mold-free.

My Pure Environment serves homes and businesses in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Spokane, and Coeur d’Alene.

Photo by roam in color on Unsplash used with permission under the Creative Commons license for commercial use 12/29/2022.