How To Protect Your Home From Mould This Winter

CONTENTS

• What causes mould?
• Preventing mould in the home
• What to do when excess moisture occurs
  •             Avoiding mould in the kitchen
  •             Eradicating mould in your bathroom
• Preventing water leaks
• Mould forming on external walls
• Mould remediation services
• Get in touch

Preventing mould can be a difficult task, especially in winter. Cold houses, low temperatures and excess moisture caused by human activity unfortunately creates the perfect environment for mould to grow.

Mould thrives off the heat produced in our homes during the winter, so knowing the best methods for prevention is good to stop it from occurring.

Below we have provided some useful information on mould prevention you can adopt in these months to maintain a safe and clean environment in your home.

What causes mould?

Mould is mainly caused by condensation, leaks, and floods. Condensation in particular is prevalent in winter and is the result of excess moisture building up in your home.

Preventing mould in the home

There are steps you can take to stop mould from developing during the winter months. Adopting good habits around the home is key to mould prevention. Many of these habits are also things that won’t cost you a lot of money.

However, some issues that occur may be more costly and should be dealt with as soon as they are discovered. For instance, a frozen pipe or an overflowing gutter should not be left untreated.

It is important to rid your home of mould due to the health problems it can cause. For more information about this, please read Allergy UK's mould allergy advice factsheet.

Additionally, a staggering 69% of people who suffered with mental health stated in a report by Mind said they had problems with their living condition standards, due to issues in their homes like damp and mould.

What to do when excess moisture occurs

Certain areas of the home produce more moisture than others, such as bathrooms and kitchens. There are steps you can take to reduce condensation and moisture in these areas of the house.

Avoiding mould in your kitchen

Generally speaking, opening windows in the kitchen is recommended when undertaking activities which have the potential to cause excess moisture to form.

When cooking, it is a good idea to make use of the extractor fan above your hob. This will help prevent excess moisture from building up on kitchen surfaces. As you cook, try and keep lids on pans as well. This will stop any moisture created from emitting into the room and making it more difficult for air to circulate.

Another activity to be cautious of in the kitchen is using the tumble dryer, because this can create a lot of condensation when drying clothes. Using it less will help stop mould from developing, but when it is in use, opening windows will help ventilate the room.

One habit that will not take much time is wiping down all surfaces in the kitchen on a regular basis. This will leave the surfaces clean and safe to use.

Eradicating mould in your bathroom

Allowing air to circulate in your bathroom is one of the most important things you can do to prevent mould.

Similar to when using the kitchen, opening windows and using an extractor fan when showering should help keep the air fresh.

Even though opening windows may make the house feel cold, it is crucial to stopping mould in its tracks.

Also in the bathroom, make sure you wash bath towels and mats regularly, as well as wiping down any surfaces where excess moisture is likely to occur.

Preventing water leaks

As one of the leading causes of damp in the home, fixing the origin of any leaks as soon as you notice them is essential. This will prevent any water from damaging your home through cracks in the wall and mould from forming as a result.

It is also advised to maintain a regular heating schedule throughout the winter to help prevent pipes from freezing during these cold months. If pipes burst, you may find that it causes a lot of damage to your house. This is something you definitely want to avoid.

Mould forming on external walls

Maintaining outdoor areas outside your property is important for both preventing mould as well as keeping the space safe and clean.

It is advised to keep track of how full your gutters are during the winter months as this can help stop leaks from occurring. Getting these serviced periodically will also ensure that they do not overflow and leave you with damp issues that could have been avoided.

Additionally, any issues that arise on the surface of walls or in the masonry should be dealt with immediately. This would not only lead to a leakage, but also structural damage.

Mould remediation services

A solution of bleach may work to somewhat lessen mould, according to The Centre for Sustainable Energy. However, hiring a mould cleaning company is the most effective option for eliminating the issue.

They will have a wealth of experience in treating mould and will know the correct treatments to use to completely eliminate it from the affected area.

In the cleaning process, the technicians here at ICE Cleaning will use our innovating technology, ICE SHIELD®. This is scientifically proven to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria and viruses from surfaces it is used on.

Get in touch

If you would like to find out more about our mould remediation services, please do get in touch.

Our customer service team will be able to help you with any questions or queries that you may have about the process. To contact us, please email us on enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk or 0208 066 0360 and one our team will be waiting to help you.