Last Updated on May 15, 2014
Mold is a type of fungus that you would not want in your home. It appears in various colors often in black, blue, or green. Exposure to mold can cause various health concerns including allergies and breathing problems. It is important for any growing mold in your home to be removed. In order to deal with mold effectively, it might be helpful if you are aware on what it feeds on. Prevent mold from accessing its food sources and you prevent them from growing. Here are the top things that mold needs to survive:
Water
Where there is water, there is life. And where there is water, there is possible mold growth. That is why mold usually thrives in wet areas of the home like the bathroom, the kitchen, and the basement. In order to prevent mold growth, it is important that you keep your house dry. For this, a lot of people use dehumidifiers. You might want to have your home inspected for plumbing leaks and other sources of moisture.
Wood
The main source of mold is wood. Mold can decompose dead organic materials and that is why it lives by feeding on wood. Wooden cabinets, wooden chairs, and even wooden beams around your home can be possible places for mold growth. Mold on wood can be removed scrubbing it off with a mixture of water and detergent. It is important that the treated area is ensured mold-free. This is because dead mold can still be allergenic.
Books
Mold also feeds on books. This is simply because books have paper pages and these pages are made from wood. If you have any books around your home, it is important to ensure that no mold is growing between the pages. Protect your books by keeping them in mold-free bookcases. Keep them away from moist rooms. If you want, you can keep them in plastic containers because doing so would also keep them away from the book-eating silver fish.
Food
Of course, mold feeds on food – that is, the food that is left on your table. It is common to see mold growing on your bread that has been left untouched for days. In order to prevent mold growth from food, you should keep them covered or you can keep them in the fridge. They should never be possible landing places for mold spores or else, mold will definitely grow on them and feed on them.
Synthetic materials
Mold is also known to feed on synthetic materials. The top synthetic materials mold can feed on include paint, paste, and adhesives. Now, these are supplies that are commonly kept in homes. They might even be found in your kids’ art supplies drawer. Make sure that these things are mold-free. For paint, especially the ones that you use to paint your home, it is important that you keep them in the garage or in the basement. Seal them tightly so that mold will not be able to feed on them.
These are the top things mold need to survive. If you ever need mold elimination services, you can consider The Mold Guy, a company of mold professionals.