The Joy of Cleaning
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The Joy of Cleaning

Hello and welcome to my cleaning blog. Cleaning can bring you a lot of joy. Without it, our homes and businesses would literally be covered in old food, dust, and garbage. My name is Penny, and in this blog, I'm going to cover cleaning techniques and tips for staying organized. Whether you are trying to wash a stain out of a shirt or keep on top of the vacuuming, I hope these posts help. I also plan to write about hiring professional cleaners for your home, office, or even your industrial facility. My hope is that this blog brings you as much joy as a clean space.

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The Joy of Cleaning

How To Conduct Your Own Weekend Mold Inspection

Catherine Edwards

If you suspect you may have mold in your home, the very best option is to hire a mold inspection company and have them come check the place out. However, this may not be an option if your budget is tight or if the mold inspection company is booked a few weeks out. An acceptable alternative, then, is to do your own mold inspection. This is a process you can complete within a day or two, and it focuses not only on identifying mold but also on identifying the conditions that lead to mold. Here are the steps you can follow.

Step 1: Check the classic hidden spots.

If mold were obviously growing on your walls or in another visible location, of course you would know about it. But the thing is, mold often prefers to hide. You can find it, but you'll have to do a little digging. Check these spots:

  • The back and underside of your fridge, along with the wall behind the fridge.
  • Underneath baseboards on the drywall.
  • Under bathroom sinks.
  • On ceiling joists under hanging acoustic tiles.
  • Along window frames beneath the caulk.

If you do find mold in a certain place, make a note of it. If not, move on to step 2.

Step 2: Sample the air for mold.

If you do not see any mold in the above locations, but you have reason to believe there is mold in the house, then you should buy a mold testing kit at the local hardware store. You'll use this kit to collect a sample of air. You'll then need to wait a few days for the test to "develop" and indicate the concentration of mold spores. If the test indicates you do have mold, then you'll want to check around more thoroughly to locate it. The mold might be behind walls, in attic insulation, or even in your ducts.

Step 3: Look for moisture sources.

All homes with mold have one thing in common: moisture. So after you confirm and locate the mold, you need to find the source of the moisture. Common sources include:

  • Leaking pipes
  • Leaking windows
  • Leaky foundations
  • Leaky roofs
  • Indoor humidity

Make note of the sources of moisture in your home. 

Now, if you've followed these three steps, you should know where the mold is and where the moisture is coming from. All that's left is to address these issues, and that's where the approach really varies. You can wipe most mold up with a bleach water solution, but then you need to address the moisture, which may mean calling a roofer or a plumber. 

For more information on finding and dealing with mold in your home, contact a mold inspection service in your area.

 


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