Dealing With Mold In A Humid Climate
Posted on: 24 June 2020
In a dry climate, if you find mold in a home, you can usually wipe up the mold and move on. But when the climate around you is humid, mold tends to be more stubborn. The water vapor in the air gives the mold all the moisture it needs to thrive, and it tends to go on thriving until you take more drastic measures. So how do you get rid of mold in a humid climate? Start by following these tips.
Seal up the area where the mold is growing.
Sealing up the area where mold is growing may initially sound like a strange idea. You're trapping in the moisture, right? Actually, what you're doing is making sure no more moisture makes its way into the area. Remember, the air in the surrounding space is moist, and you need to keep that moisture out. Seal up the space before you clean the mold up using bleach water or your other preferred cleaning solution. This is harder in some situations than in others. It may mean just closing all the windows, or it might mean caulking a few holes in the wall.
Run a dehumidifier.
Once you have the area sealed off, plug in a portable dehumidifier. Let it run and extract moisture from the air. If you've done a good job of sealing up the space, then the dehumidifier will probably run endlessly for a day or two, and then start running less frequently. Start running the dehumidifier as soon as you begin mold remediation, if not before. If your dehumidifier is the style that has a bucket that collects moisture, make sure you empty the bucket twice a day as it fills up.
Wipe the moldy areas down again a day after the initial cleanup.
A day after you wipe up the mold, prepare some more bleach solution, and then wipe down all of the surfaces again. You probably won't see any mold starting to grow again, but there may be some mold spores or tiny beginnings of adult mold there, and this pre-emptive cleaning nips that in the bud. If you want to be especially vigilant, do a third cleanup the next day.
Getting rid of mold and keeping it away is a bit challenging when you're in a humid climate. However, if you follow the tips above, you can be successful in this important endeavor. Good luck!
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