How Improving Ventilation Can Prevent Mould

CONTENTS

• What is mould?
• How does poor ventilation cause mould?
• How to prevent mould growth
• How to improve ventilation
• What to do when you see mould in your home
• Get in touch

Mould is an easily preventable issue that manifests in homes across the UK. It requires the right environment to thrive, at which point there is no removing it without professional intervention. However, the factors needed for mould growth are manageable and controllable.

Once mould has started to grow and spread across your home, we help you tackle the issue permanently. Our experts provide high-quality mould remediation services, ensuring that the source of mould is eradicated and assisting you in preventing its return.

Read on to learn more about how you can prevent mould by improving some factors in your home.

What is mould?

Mould is an unsightly issue that can form anywhere in homes, businesses, or public buildings. It is a form of fungus that thrives in environments that provide it with three factors: moisture, humidity, and dead organics.

For example, mould usually grows bathrooms because of the warm air, wet surfaces, and organic materials shed by our bodies. It grows in bathrooms efficiently, where it festers and grows, eventually producing airborne spores to continue its spread.

If left alone, mould not only causes structural damage to your home and hides in fabric materials, but it can also impact your health. Children are more likely to develop asthma in a mould-ridden home, and adults could suffer from mould-related illnesses like:

• Respiratory infections
• Bronchitis
• Sinusitis
• Fungal infections
• Mycotoxin toxicity

How does poor ventilation cause mould?

Extractor fans, standing fans, air conditioning, or air purifiers do more than just reduce odours or pollutants — they also keep airborne mould spores from settling. Without proper ventilation in the home, moisture and humidity levels will continue to rise and build up inside the property.

If there is no proper ventilation to remove moist and humid air from the premises, it can cause mould to thrive and spread rapidly. Once this occurs, it becomes necessary to call in mould removal experts to effectively eliminate it.

How to prevent mould growth

Other than improving your ventilation around the home, there are plenty of other ways to stop mould from growing. Oftentimes, these methods are not that costly and do not require any specialist equipment like:

• Drying your clothes outdoors or on a heated clothes horse
• Keeping bathroom and kitchen doors closed while cooking and washing
• Open windows to allow hot air to escape
• Wipe down condensation when you see it
• Keep carpets clean and dry
• Ensure you clean your house often

Other ways to prevent mould include using devices such as dehumidifiers and air purifiers. Although expensive, they can be great for preventing mould or slowing its spread, and reducing the presence of mould spores.

How to improve ventilation

If you are looking for a low-cost way to improve ventilation in your home, the easiest thing to do is to open windows and doors to circulate air. Allowing fresh air in and pushing mould spores out is an excellent way to prevent mould without spending any money.

However, if you are living in a colder climate where this is difficult to do, you can invest in some devices that do this for you, like:

• Extractor fans in the bathroom and kitchen
• Air conditioning or air ventilation fans
• Standing fans to circulate air

What to do when you see mould in your home

If you notice mould growing in your home, it's important to act quickly to prevent it from spreading and causing potential health issues. Ideally, you should start by identifying the source of the mould growth.

Knowing the source of the mould helps you slow it from spreading, such as fixing a leaky pipe, cleaning your gutters, or replacing your windows. However, do not try to clean the mould yourself.

Although it is unsightly and it can be tempting to remove it, you might damage the surface or encourage the mould to release airborne spores. Vinegar or commercial cleaning solutions may also not be that effective at removing the mould, and it could continue to grow and spread. 

Instead, contact a mould removal company right away. In the meantime, you could prevent future mould growth by ensuring your home is well-ventilated, fixing leaks, and keeping humidity levels low.

Making sure your home is well-maintained and clean is also an easy way to stop mould from growing, especially in vulnerable areas like your kitchen or bathroom.

Get in touch

If you have spotted mould on your property and need help, our technicians here at ICE Cleaning provide excellent mould removal services. Every service comes with a lifetime guarantee* so we will come back if the mould has returned at no extra cost.

Our team is available nationwide, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can contact our team to ask them any questions or book a site survey today by calling 0208 066 0360 or emailing enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk.

*subject to advisories