Unexpected Mold Locations

So you think your house is clean? You have vacuumed every nook and cranny. You have wiped every spot dry. On top of that, you even cleaned your windows and doors. You did not even miss the spots outside your house.

You think you have done everything to ensure that molds would not grow in your home. However, you may be surprised to find out that molds can grow in unexpected locations. These are the kind of places where you may miss out when cleaning as they seem to be unnecessary. Other times, you may even think that cleaning these places should only be seasonal.

On the article below, we will detail the common places that are often overlooked when cleaning. In addition to this, we will also provide tips on how to deal with mold growth that has gone out of hand.

How Do Molds Grow?

Molds just need moisture, food, and warmth for it to grow. This is the reason why molds can easily grow in places with high humidity. It is common for molds to grow in your bathroom or kitchen, which is why you need to dry out any signs of moisture. This will help prevent mold growth around your home.
Once there are molds around your home, you will find yourself facing certain health issues. Other people find themselves with an allergic reaction to molds, while others will have difficulty breathing when exposed to molds. However, there are certain types of molds that are more hazardous and can lead to more grave consequences. Since molds can easily reproduce, they can eventually cover your entire home, which can lead to serious danger and damage.

While your bathroom and your kitchen are the most common areas where molds grow easily, there are several other areas that you should take a second look at.

Common Places where Molds Grow Unexpectedly

In Your Bedroom or Living Room

Upholstery (Sofa, Mattress, Etc.)

You may be wondering how molds can grow in your upholstery? First, people sweat and that keeps your furniture moist. This means that your sweat can provide an environment where the mold can thrive on. You can also accidentally spill your drink or food, which can lead to more moisture. On top of that, the liquid can seep through the stuffing and it can become hard to take out the mess.
It can be ideal to spray your upholstery with a vinegar and water solution. You can even toss in some baking soda in there. Afterwards, you can allow it to air dry to ensure that the molds are killed and they would not continue to grow.

Window Sashes and Sills

Once the rain begins to pour, it is easy to neglect the moisture buildup on the windows. This is the reason why molds tend to form around this area. This is the reason why you will notice that there are black particles along the corners of your window sash. Once the rain is over, you can wipe the moisture dry in order to prevent potential growth of molds. You will be able to notice that the black molds will stop forming along the window sash and sill.

Air Conditioning Unit

Since your AC units can take moisture from the air, it is easy for it to become home to molds. Moreover, they can also be home to dust, which means that it can provide food for molds. In order to avoid this instance, you must run your air conditioner at least once during a warm day.

Behind a Painting

When you move out of your house and pack up the paintings on the wall, you will find markings that are difficult to remove. This is because molds often grow behind a painting due to improper circulation around the house. Moreover, specks of dust and dirt tend to form behind these places.

In the Kitchen

Under the Refrigerator

Since molds live on moist surfaces, you should pay attention to places that are prone to having water buildup. Most fridges would have a drip pan that can catch the water leak. However, when this is left unclean and wet, it can be home to unwanted molds.

Kitchen Appliances

Your blender or coffeemaker can also be home to molds if they are not dried well after washing them. Moreover, they can still contain food residue that can feed the molds. These kitchen appliances are ideal breeding ground for molds, which is why they need to be cleaned and dried thoroughly.

The Dishwasher (and your Washing Machine)

When you want to ensure that the dishwasher would not be home to unruly molds, you can run a cleaning cycle with diluted bleach. You can even throw in some vinegar to ensure that the bacteria will die immediately. You can even use this method when cleaning your washing machine. This will also ensure that it cannot be a potential home for molds as well.

Under the Kitchen Sink

Due to potential plumbing leaks, the area under your kitchen sink is likely to grow some molds. Even small drops of water can build up quickly, which can lead to mold growth. In addition to this, the darkness of the kitchen sink makes it easier for molds to grow.

In the Bathroom

Shower Drapes

After a quick shower, your first instinct is to dry up yourself. However, the shower drapes are left wet most of the time. This makes it a great breeding place for molds. The constant moisture on the drapes can leave the molds thriving in this space. This is why it is extremely important that the vents are turned on when you are in the bathroom.
Note: You should also keep the vents open when using the kitchen.

Under your Shower Products

When we wipe the bathroom dry, we can sometimes forget to lift our shampoo or hand soaps. This can be due to laziness or some other reasons, but these spaces are normally wet. This is why it is unsurprising that there are some nasty buildups found under these products once it is time to toss them in the trash. In order to prevent this occurrence, it is vital to clean the countertop thoroughly including the space below your bathroom products.

Toothbrush

Surprise! The toothbrush that you use to clean your precious teeth can be home to molds. After brushing our teeth, we tend to just put the toothbrush directly in its original location. However, we often forget that we should tap all the excess water off our toothbrush to prevent mold growth.

Outdoor Spaces

The Chimney

While chimneys do not need constant thorough cleaning, they still require some attention in order to prevent the growth of molds. It is also important that there is faulty flashing and chimney caps since it can let it snow or rain, which can lead to moisture. Moreover, the crevices on the chimney provide sufficient room for water and other debris.

Water Sprinkler

When you have a water sprinkler that is close to home, you may be introducing unwanted moisture. This is especially true when the water sprinkler is close to your home. On top of that, this can also be the case when you are watering the garden since you can accidentally spray the house.

Others

Toys

Your kid’s toys may be the last place you would look at for molds, but they can bite them and water them. The saliva and other liquid running through the corner of their toys can lead to potential mold growth. Your child’s toy is the last place where you would want mold buildup so you have to ensure that it is clean and free from molds.

Makeup Brush and Sponge

If you like putting on makeup, you would know the importance of cleaning your brushes and sponge. Unclean makeup brush and sponge can cause breakouts and skin irritation because there are molds living in your makeup tools. Molds can be found in brushes and sponges because your face produces oil and the brushes can come in contact with facial oil and sweat. This is why it is necessary to clean your makeup essentials. On top of that, you must also ensure that they are dried properly after cleaning.

What to do when the mold growth in your home goes out of hand?

Molds can reproduce easily. When the mold growth goes out of hand and it is untreated, a water and vinegar solution may not cut it when it comes to cleaning these surfaces. You may have to call in the experts to ensure that the molds would not cause more trouble than necessary.

When you want to call in a reliable mold restoration company, you can give Water Damage Miami a call(786) 540-4735. They will send trained professionals to help you deal with the issue. On top of that, they only use the most efficient equipment to clean up the mold around your home.