How To Combat Microbial Growth In Your Home

At home, you should, quite literally, be able to take a breath of fresh air. However, microbial growth such as mold and mildew can prevent you from doing this. Such growths not only reduce indoor air quality but they can seriously impact your health.

Thankfully, there are ways to both prevent and get rid of this problem. On a mission to keep homeowners comfortable, My Guy Heating & Air has given you a guide to help you improve indoor air quality in your home.

What Are Microbial Growths?

Before eliminating microbial growths from your home, you first need to understand what they are!

A sadly common inconvenience that homeowners have to face, these growths, such as mold and mildew, grow anywhere with moisture and low ventilation. If you don’t take the proper steps to eliminate them, microbial growths can and will be merciless.

Caused by high humidity levels, mold is airborne, while mildew grows in locations such as:

• Ceiling tiles
• Basements
• Attics
• Laundry rooms
• Drywall
• Carpet or upholstery
• Any area is prone to moisture, including windows, pipes, sinks, and bathrooms.

Contaminant levels can range from low to medium to high. Though low spore levels can be considered safe, they can also become high if left unattended.

Consequences of Bacteria

Around The Home

Indoor air quality doesn’t just affect the people breathing it in. It can also impact your home. Microbial growths can cause a musty odor, discolor fabric, and even make building materials rot over time.

Overall Health

Small amounts of microbial growth can cause throat, eye, and skin irritation, headaches, nasal stuffiness, coughing, wheezing, fatigue, runny nose, and asthma. If you, or anyone in your home, has allergies or pre-existing respiratory conditions, even low levels can be a health risk.

When, or if, spore levels reach the mid-to-high range, bacteria growth can become extremely hazardous. More serious health issues that can arise as a result include lung infection, mood swings, and loss of memory.

How To Prevent Mold And Mildew

Question: what’s the best solution to microbial growth?

Answer: Prevention.

Consider installing REME Halo UV lights to break up and dry out mildew. Ultimately, this powerful light sterilizes any spots susceptible to all forms of microbial growth.

We highly recommend this buy if your home is in an area that’s prone to high humidity. This is a great way to keep humidity in check, as high levels increase the risk of mold growth. For starters, try to keep humidity levels around 30-60%. If you continue to experience high humidity, a dehumidifier could also help.

A purifying air filtration system that breaks down common air pollutants, the Air Scrubber Plus is another must-buy item! This system effectively provides consistent airflow, keeping your home dry and comfortable.

If you want additional help, consider installing an air purifier. When taking showers or baths, keep a bathroom window open or an exhaust fan on, continuing the ventilation process until the mirror isn’t foggy anymore.

Mold is a quick-forming fungus colonizing 24-48 hours after a spill or leak. To prevent this, dry up any water as soon as either event occurs. Similarly, dry any condensation on plumbing fixtures, walls, windows, doors, and any other surfaces immediately. You can prevent such condensation from occurring on pipes by wrapping them in insulation. Repair any possible air leaks in your windows and make sure to properly ventilate all moisture-generating appliances.

Improve Your Indoor Air Quality Today

Keeping the microbial growth at bay helps keep your indoor air quality in check and your health stable. Knowing what microbial growth is, what it does, and how to prevent it are all steps toward making homes a safe, comfortable environment.

Think you might have mold or mildew growth in your home? Recognize the signs and use the advice above to fix the problem and prevent further issues.

For more information or help cleaning up microbial growth in your AC, contact My Guy Heating & Air for AC tune-ups. Think the problem is worse than just a little bacteria? No worries! Our experts also offer inspections and, for those who’ll need one, an AC repair.