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It may seem like fighting mold allergy is a losing effort. Mold is just part of the natural environment after all. Even though you are unable to see mold spores, they are nevertheless moving through the air and may enter your nose – triggering mold allergy symptoms. While mold allergy can be an issue, the first steps towards fighting it is maintaining basic hygiene. Much like you can avoid sunburn by just staying out of the sun, you can manage allergies – including mold allergies – by taking good care of your house. Don’t overlook the power of simple housekeeping.
How Does Mold Cause Allergies?
Mold is a kind of fungus that grows in moist places. As mold is growing, it is unlikely to trigger any kind of allergy symptoms, unless you are touching or removing it. Problems arise on dry and windy days which is when mold will go into the protective part of its life-cycle. This will be when it releases its spores. These spores blow on the wind and may be inhaled, which causes allergy symptoms.
Of all the many different varieties of mold, around Reeve dozen of them are known to cause respiratory allergies. The allergic symptoms to mold can include sneezing, runny nose, congestion, postnasal drip, mucus buildup, and an itchy nose or eyes. If mold spores enter the lungs, then they may cause asthma.
If you yourself experience any of these allergic symptoms and answer what has caused them, then you can have an allergist perform a skin or blood test to discern if mold is responsible not.
Breathe Better by Reducing Mold
Given that mold requires moisture in order to grow, it is commonly found in leaves, grass, and on logs. It can grow indoors in any area that has poor ventilation and high levels of moisture. Here are seven tips on how to protect yourself against mold and mold allergy symptoms.
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Use a Dehumidifier
It seems obvious that the best way to prevent mold would be to reduce humidity levels inside your home. Reducing humidity to less than 45% – if not under 35% – helps to prevent the growth of mold. If you live in a particularly large home, then you should consider placing a dehumidifier in the basement. The basement is one of the coldest and moist as places in the home – and therefore a place where mold can grow easily. We recommend setting a dehumidifier up in such a way that it can drain automatically without the need to empty the reservoir, which is all too easy to forget to do. A full reservoir actually helps more to grow. You can set up a self-draining dehumidifier by attaching hosted a dehumidifier which allows it to empty into a water-collecting pump drain. That way it doesn’t matter even if you forget the dehumidifier is there needs to be emptied.
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Keep Your AC Running Smoothly
Another great way to keep moisture levels down indoors is to use your air-conditioner in the warmer months. An air-conditioner allows you to keep the house dry and reduce mold levels; assuming that your unit is kept in good condition and cleaned out regularly. That means setting time aside to regularly dust and eliminate dirt from within the air-conditioner. You also need to regularly change the filters and clean out the ducts to keep air-conditioning units and dehumidifiers running properly and working their best. That includes changing the AC filter in your car. We also recommend cleaning the ducts out in your home once a year as condensation can occur, and this leads to mold growing
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Focus on Air Flow
Help the air flow through your home by using a clean exhaust fan in the bathroom when showering, and in the kitchen when cooking and washing dishes. Open the inner doors of your home to keep flowing through the house and prevent mold from growing.
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Scrub Mold Away
If you do happen to see more growing, then use a 10% bleach solution to scrub it away. Don’t forget to wear a protective facemask while doing this. If you have respiratory problems that will prevent you from using bleach, then use a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar. This will work fine to remove mold, but it may take some more elbow grease to get the job done.
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Keep Up with the Housekeeping
Fungi may grow on the soap film that is left on tile and grout. This is why you should clean the bathroom thoroughly once a month at the very least. Wipe down the rubber seal on your washing machine door and keep the lid open when it is not in use to Brent moisture from getting trapped inside. As far as to kitchen girls, mold may stick around on refrigerator door gaskets, garbage cans, and drip pans. Also keep in eye out for mold growth in pitchers and water bottles. Empty them out leave them to dry completely.
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Stay Indoors When Mold Counts Are High
If you don’t want to wear a dust mask outside, or find it too uncomfortable, and avoid going outside too much if the mold count is high. You can check out the website of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology to find out more about current levels of mold and pollen where you live. Mold allergy symptoms are generally at their worst spring and fall seasons and during dry and windy days.
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Shower after Spending Time outside
Mold spores are similar to pollen in that you should wash them away after coming inside from outdoor activities such as sports and gardening. This prevents the spores from being spread around the indoor environment.
