Few things are better than quality time with our families, home cooked meals or warming our toes by the fire on a snowed in evening. Our homes are our safe havens, our sanctuaries, and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to maintain them. When it seems nothing can go wrong, something always goes wrong! One of the scariest words a homeowner can hear is…. MOLD! Not only is mold horrible for our homes, it can be dangerous to our health! The Institute of Medicine conducted a study suggesting that mold can attribute to the cause of asthma in young children who are susceptible to said condition. For others, exposure to mold can cause nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, eye and skin irritation, and even dry scaly skin.

How Does Mold Grow in a House

Preventing this catastrophe all together will mean saving yourself time, sanity, and costly repairs. To prevent this from happening we must first understand what mold is and how it comes to be. Mold is a fungi or yeast, there are many different types of mold. Some grow on and spoil our food, some play an important role in the biodegradation of different enzymes and antibiotics we utilize for our health and some wreak havoc in our homes. Mold can attach itself to almost any surface and then gets spread around as we move about releasing spores into the air that we then inhale causing various health concerns. Mold growth can differ in color and a musty odor is a tell-tale sign that mold is growing and spreading.

Avoid Wet Carpet in Basement

Mold grows where there is moisture present. Basements are notorious for inhibiting the growth of mold which is why it’s a no brainer to have tile, plain concrete or any other non-porous surface installed as opposed to carpet! Though it may be difficult to control humidity in our homes here due to climate, it is of utmost importance to do so to prevent its growth. Mold loves humidity and heat! You can control the growth of mold by limiting the amount of moisture in your home by keeping basements, kitchens, bathrooms, and even laundry rooms well ventilated and by using a dehumidifier. If in the event you can’t control the humidity in your home, keep your thermostat below 80 degrees.

Mold Clean Up, Remediation, Restoration & More in Quincy, Macomb, Hamilton, Warsaw & East Alton Illinois | Hannibal, Missouri

If by some unfortunate circumstance you have experienced a flood or other sort of water damage, it is paramount that you immediately clean and dry any standing water! Steam cleaning is the only real way to prevent mold from happening after any water damage has occurred to your residence. If mold has already taken up residence in your humble abode, then steam cleaning is likely necessary to remove it. Steam cleaners shoot controlled amounts of hot water deep into the carpet fibers and kills 99% of lingering bacteria. Coupled with powerful suction to remove any excess water, it will leave your carpets mostly dry and likely save you thousands in costly repairs! We hope you never have to endure this tragedy but if you do, the great folks at American Hometown Services have the right tools for the job. With specially trained employees, high quality commercial cleaners, and powerful truck mounted equipment, you can rest assured that your you’ve got the best of the best on your team ready to help you get back to life as usual! Contact us for all your water damage restoration and mold remediation needs.