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How to Stop Mold From Taking Over Your Closets
You might not realize it, but your home could be under attack from a menace that is hard to see, at least at first. As it grows larger, it becomes much more apparent that mold has infiltrated your belongings. Getting rid of mold is a painstaking task and one you likely don’t want to revisit any time soon. So, how do you stop mold from taking over your custom closets ?
Thankfully, some techniques can help you stop mold before it starts. Start by educating yourself on why mold grows. Once you understand that, you can use any of the following to prevent the spread.
- • Keep items off the floor
- • Use light
- • Increase the air circulation in your closets
- • Use dehumidifiers
Ready to learn more about how these methods can help you keep mold out of your closets? Read on!
Why Does Mold Grow
Closets are a notorious breeding ground for mold and mildew. They are generally dark, and adding a little moisture to the enclosed space makes the perfect recipe for growth. Closets are usually the last place anyone bothers to clean. Why waste time when no one but you and your family is going to see the mess?
It starts off small, with a few dark spots in the back corners of one of your closets where no one ever goes. A musty smell begins to infiltrate, and you don’t give it a second thought. Instead, you look for ways to get the stuffy smell out of your clothes, probably by using one of these six tips for fresh smelling closets , courtesy of Affordable Custom Closets & Garages.
However, covering up the smell doesn’t stop the mold from growing and doesn’t prevent it from returning in the future.
Stay Off the Floors
One space in the closet most people use is the floor. In a spacious walk-in closet, the floor is the perfect place to put boxes and store items you don’t need with any regularity. In reach-in closets, the floor is about the only place to put things such as shoes and storage containers to alternate your wardrobe.
The problem with storing on the closet floor is that you can inadvertently trap moisture underneath the boxes. It doesn’t take much dampness to help mold get its start growing. Once it starts, it can spread relatively quickly. Cardboard boxes are especially subject to mold growth with even the slightest amount of moisture.
Use Light to Keep Mold Out
Darkness is mold’s best friend. They do everything together. The best way to break them apart and rid your home of mold’s harmful influence is to add a little light to your closets. Yes, your overhead lights will do nicely, but you don’t want to leave such high wattage bulbs on all the time.
Instead, invest in a couple of nice low wattage lights for your closets. You don’t have to replace your overhead lights; just add some small lamps. Place the lamps away from clothing or anything else flammable and leave them on for a few hours each day.
The lights will help prevent growth as mold and mildew need darkness to grow. The heat from the lights will also help to burn away some leftover moisture in the air. If possible, place the low watt lamps in the darker corners to help prevent mold growth.
Increase Air Circulation
Closing off your closets 24 hours a day is not the best option to keep mold out. In fact, it can do just the opposite of what you expect. The University of Missouri posted their tips to prevent mold, and one of their top suggestions was to make sure you have plenty of air circulating throughout your closets .
Shutting your closets off from outside restricts clean, fresh air from moving within the rooms. Good air circulation helps to remove moisture to keep levels down. Having a breeze from outside is best when the air outside is drier than inside the house. Plenty of ventilation coupled with a nice breeze, real or artificial, helps carry moist air out of your closets.
In addition to ensuring that you have plenty of air circulating throughout your closets, your clothes need breathing room too. Make sure your closets are not so jam-packed that you can’t have a little space around your hanging clothes. Having room to breathe helps to ensure your items are free from moisture.
If your custom closet is located close to your bathroom, it is okay to shut the door while you bathe. This helps the humidity for your hot shower from flowing into your closet. Just make sure to turn on the ventilation fan and open the door when you’re finished.
Use a Dehumidifier
Not all closets have ventilation to the outside. Most closets don’t have windows you can open to let the clean air in, and some aren’t located near them either. For those times you can’t draw out the humidity to the drier air outside, you may need to use a dehumidifier to do the job for you.
There are several types of dehumidifiers on the market that work to lessen the moisture in the air. Bustle.com suggests that if your closet is large and has an electrical outlet, you may consider a powered dehumidifier. These models use a fan to circulate air through the machine, which then draws moisture out of the air. Drier air is released back into the room. Although it is a costly option, in some instances, it may be necessary. Just remember to empty the chamber periodically.
Another option is a wireless device that uses silica beads to pull moisture from the air. In some of these, you have to replace the beads when the humidifier has reached capacity. Other models have a method of cleaning the silica so you can reuse it. The reusable dehumidifiers require you to plug the device in once it’s full to clean and recharge the beads.
Finally, there are disposable models for those who don’t want the hassle of recharging or cleaning a device. You can find these in most major box stores in the cleaning supplies or storage aisles. The containers come with desiccant crystals that absorb the air’s moisture. They are easy to use. Open the box, remove the stay fresh seal, and put the lid back on. Set it on a shelf in your closet and allow the crystals to work. Once the container is full of water, and all the crystals dissolve, dump the water and throw it away.
Conclusion
When you know what causes mold to take over your closets, preventing it becomes a more simplified matter. Make sure there is plenty of light in your closets to eliminate dark corners and heat the air to decrease humidity. Don’t store things on the floor, especially in cardboard boxes, as the material gives mold something to feed off of. Keep your closets well ventilated and use dehumidifiers when necessary.