Mold Is Your Worst Enemy. 5 Ways To Defeat It

Mold can turn into your home’s greatest threat, yet it often remains hidden until the damage is too extensive to ignore. Mold affects everything from walls to ceilings, floors, and personal belongings, and it can even cause respiratory problems over time. Certain varieties like black mold are especially dangerous and must be dealt with professionally. However, there are ways you can prevent mold from growing and spreading before it gets out of control. These top 5 tips will help you defeat mold and ensure it never causes havoc in your home again!

1. A Strong Defense

The best way to protect your home is by being prepared and preventing mold in the first place. Before rainy seasons, ensure that your property is free from any damage that could allow water to drip inside. This is especially important in:

• Garages
• Basements
• Gutters
• Drainage systems
• Attics

Periodically check on the above areas along with storage areas so you can spot mold before it causes extensive damage. You may notice mold due to its musty odor and appearance of black, grey, or white dots that are bunched together. Patterns vary depending on the cause of the mold and the surface it’s attached to, but you’ll often know it when you see it.

2. Keep Your Home Dry and Cool

Humid weather and moisture can create mold over time, but you can minimize the exposure before it gets worse. Some things to try include:

• Ventilating the bathroom during and after a shower
• Keeping your gutters clean to ensure water flows away from your roof and foundation
• Using fans to prevent humid air from settling around your house
• Drying up any spills or leaks immediately
• Cleaning and drying crevices around sinks, bathtubs, and other at-risk areas

3. Tidy Your Storage

Mold thrives in damp places, and this means that your old collection of books in the garage is a prime target for mold growth. Try to keep your belongings as organized as possible so you can quickly spot any signs of mold. If you live in an especially humid climate, you may even wish to seal paper belongings such as books or photographs in plastic to prevent damage.

4. Scrub Away New Mold Immediately

Mold can occur quickly in areas like bathrooms or kitchens due to high water exposure. Even the steam from your shower can create mold over time on the ceiling. Simply use a vinegar and water solution on a sponge to gently remove mold spores from most surfaces. When dealing with tougher surfaces like ceramic sinks and metal faucets, you can also add baking soda to the mix for extra power.

5. Contact Mold Abatement Professionals to Assist You Today

In many cases, the mold may be too difficult or dangerous to remove on your own. When dealing with excessive damage or toxic black molds, you should leave it to mold remediation professionals to get the job done. Trying to fix everything on your own can lead to property damage or health problems since the mold spores become airborne during removal.

Here at Utah Flood Cleanup, we know how to deal with all types of mold emergencies. Our professional and licensed team is available 24/7 to provide immediate services whenever mold damage occurs. We’ll assess the damage and work quickly to:

• Find the source of the mold

• Clean all affected areas

• Ensure your property is safe

• Help prevent future growth

Contact us today for a free consultation to see how we can help you. We've been fighting mold since 1992, and with our expertise, you’ll never have to worry about mold again!

Author Statement:
Josh Ray is a disaster cleanup professional and the owner of Utah Flood Cleanup. He is a certified mold professional, asbestos inspector, water damage IICRC carpet cleaning professional, and holds a RRP certification. You can rest easy knowing an experienced professional is helping repair you fire damage, water damage, or mold remediation issue.

Utah Flood Cleanup
685 E. 2850 N.
North Ogden, UT 84414
(801) 416-2666

Asbestos Related Illnesses And Your Health

Did you know that asbestos exposure can cause a whole slew of health issues, including long-term illnesses? This includes respiratory problems, various types of cancer, down to the more minor discomfort of skin irritation. If you have been exposed to asbestos through the workplace, your home or elsewhere, it is important that you visit a doctor to determine if you have developed any health issues and receive treatment as soon as possible.

How Asbestos Exposure Occurs

You should know that asbestos is in the form of tiny fibers that escape into the air. When someone breathes the fibers in, they can remain in your lungs for a long while. Fibers that are allowed to build up in your lungs can cause serious problems, including the following:

• Pleural effusion, which is an excess of fluid that builds up in the pleural space (which is between the chest wall and the lungs).
• Pleural plaque is a condition that consists of a thickening of the tissues around the diaphragm and lungs. This tissue also hardens up, and in rare instances, the pleura can thicken until it compresses part of the person's lung.
• Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects only the pleura.
• Asbestosis is scarring of the lung tissue. Individuals who develop this scarring have a greater risk for getting lung cancer, especially when it is someone who is a smoker.
• Lung cancer develops in the lung tissue, particularly the cells that line the individual's air passages.
• Cancer of the abdominal cavity lining (known as the peritoneum) also is possible.

Outlook for Asbestos-Related Illnesses

The outlook for someone who has such an illness varies based on their length of exposure and how much time passes before diagnosis and treatment. Today, this mineral is not used all that often, so far less people are becoming ill from asbestos exposure. People who have worked in certain industries, including working with pipe insulation, ships, and boilers are at greater risk.

Seek Asbestos Abatement for Your Property

If you're worried there may be asbestos on your residential or commercial property, ask for immediate assistance from our cleanup services team. We work hard to remove any hazardous materials from the premises to reduce any further exposure. Don't be concerned about the cost - in many instances, your insurance will cover asbestos abatement in Utah, as well as cleanup of mildew, mold, standing water and debris. Reach out to us for information today.

Author Statement:
Josh Ray is a disaster cleanup professional and the owner of Utah Flood Cleanup. He is a certified mold professional, asbestos inspector, water damage IICRC carpet cleaning professional, and holds a RRP certification. You can rest easy knowing an experienced professional is helping repair you fire damage, water damage, or mold remediation issue.

Utah Flood Cleanup
685 E. 2850 N.
North Ogden, UT 84414
(801) 416-2666