Top 3 Ways to Avoid Mold Allergies

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC

Eliminate Damp Areas: The one essential element that mold needs to grow inside your home is moisture – so if you remove the source of moisture, you will keep mold from gaining a foothold. Th way to do this is to make sure that there are no leaks in plumbing or around chalk, grout or bath and kitchen fixtures. Install a sub pump in your basement if storms cause even minor flooding. Ventilate your bathroom while you are taking a shower and up to 30 minutes afterwards. Make sure that you close you shower curtain when you’re done to make sure that it dries completely. A closed shower curtain stores moisture in all the folds of the plastic and is one of the first places you will see mold. Lastly, run a dehumidifier to take excess moisture out of the air. The less available moisture, the less hospitable your home is to mold!

Don’t Sniff, Just Toss: The classic method of checking on whether a forgotten container of food is still good or not is opening the lid and sniffing it. Next time you need to do a feshness-check, just take a look at the expiration date or take a quick peek inside. If the date on the package has passed or you suspect that something is going bad – just throw it away. If you can’t bear to part with potentially good food, make sure that you enlist the nose of someone who does not have allergies. Taking a whiff of old foods (especially milk and dairy products, fruit or vegetables) get the mold spores that have concentrated inside food containers straight into your nasal cavity and lungs – it’s a recipe for an allergy or asthma attack.

Use HEPA Filters Throughout the House: HEPA filters are recommended by allergists and doctors as the most effective method of removing airborne allergens before they reach your nose and lungs. Air Filters may also use a combination of HEPA filters and activated carbon to remove even the smallest allergens. Both HEPA and carbon filters are completely same for asthma sufferers, so often find electrostatic and o-zone creating filters cause their lungs more harm than good. Dynamic panel filters slide into existing slots on your furnace or air conditioning and remove 99% of mold spores before they hit the rest of your home.