Mold Allergy - Health Tips

Outdoor Mold Avoidance

• Avoid raking the leaves.
• Stay away from compost piles.
• Stay away from heavily wooded areas.
• Avoid cutting the grass.
• Stay away from hay bales.

Indoor Mold Avoidance

• Reduce indoor dampness and humidity, because indoor molds require dampness to grow (usually found in basements, bathrooms or anywhere with leaks).
• Promptly repair and seal leaking roofs or pipes.
• Use air conditioning and dehumidifiers to keep humidity levels below 50%. Using dehumidifiers in damp basements may be helpful, but empty the water and clean units regularly to prevent mildew from forming.
• Avoid storing items in damp areas.
• All rooms (especially basements, bathrooms and kitchens), require ventilation and cleaning to deter mold and mildew growth.
• Clean up mold growth on hard surfaces with water, detergent, and, if necessary, 5% bleach (do not mix with other cleaners), and then dry the area completely.
• If mold covers an area of more than 10 square feet, consider hiring an indoor environmental professional.
• For clothing, washing with soap and water is best. If moldy items cannot be cleaned and dried, throw them away.
• Ensure regular inspection of heating and air conditioning units to prevent contamination with mold. Use HEPA air filters in the main living areas and bedrooms.
• Minimize upholstered furniture.
• Replace carpets with hard flooring (e.g. linoleum or wood), and avoid installing carpeting on concrete or damp floors.
• Keep firewood outside until ready to use.
• Air-dry shoes before putting them into closets.
• Keep houseplants to a minimum and avoid live Christmas trees.

• DAMP BASEMENTs
• BATHROOMS
• CLOSETS – DRAWERS – HAMPERS
• MATTRESSES
• CARPETS
• OLD UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE
• OLD NEWSPAPERS – BOOKS – MAGAZINES
• FLOWER POTS – DECAYING PLANTS
• KITCHENS
• SOME WALLPAPER
• FRUITS & VEGETABLES STORED IN BASEMENT OR REFRIGERATOR

WHEN USING BLEACH OR OTHER MOLD REMOVERS, BE SURE TO VENTILATE THE AREA WELL!!

• ENCASE PILLOWS, MATTRESS, AND BOX SPRING IN ZIPPERED ALLERGY PROOF COVERS.
• WASH ALL BED LINENS IN 1300 WATER EVERY WEEK.
• REMOVE STUFFED ANIMALS AND UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE FROM BEDROOMS.
• FREQUENTLY VACUUM AND DUST BEDROOMS.
• REMOVE LIVE INDOOR HOUSEPLANTS (MOLDS ARE IN THE SOIL).
• KEEP WINDOWS AND DOORS SHUT AND RUN AIR CONDITIONER AT ALL TIMES. THIS KEEPS THE MOLDS
• OUTSIDE!
• KEEP WINDOWS CLOSED WHILE IN CAR AND AIR CONDITIONER ON THE RECIRCULATE MODE.
• STAY INDOORS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WHEN THE MOLD COUNT IS HIGH.
• IF YOU HAVE A DAMP BASEMENT, USE A DEHUMIDIFIER.
• USE BLEACH IF YOU SEE EVIDENCE OF MOLDS IN BATHROOMS OR KITCHENS.

The most important strategy for avoidance of indoor molds is to avoid water damage, and if it occurs, to remediate it in a timely fashion. Also, avoid having too many houseplants and keep indoor humidity low. HVAC equipment should be inspected regularly.

If you have an allergy that never ends when seasons change, you may be allergic to the spores of molds or other fungi. Molds live everywhere, and disturbing a mold source can disperse the spores into the air.

Mold and mildew are fungi. They differ from plants or animals in how they reproduce and grow. The "seeds," called spores, are spread by the wind outdoors and by air indoors. Some spores are released in dry, windy weather. Others are released with the fog or dew when humidity is high. Inhaling the spores causes allergic reactions in some people. Allergic symptoms from fungus spores are most common from July to late summer. But with fungi growing in so many places, allergic reactions can occur year round.