Living in a damp mouldy home is bad for your health, general wellbeing and even your possessions. We share five tips to ensure your home is free from mould.
weather conditions
South Africa’s diverse climate presents a wide range of weather conditions – sweltering heat and high humidity or constant rainfall. Heat and humidity, or persistent dampness from rain, unfortunately, create the perfect environment for mould growth, which brings with it a host of problems.
If your clothes and soft furnishings smell a bit musty, or you’re coughing and struggling with allergies, chances are there’s mould in your home. Mould can enter your home through windows, vents, doorways and air-conditioning systems and you might not even have noticed it because the spores are tiny – half the width of a human hair. However, touching or breathing in mould spores can cause sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes and skin rashes. It can also cause asthma attacks, affect your immune system, and even cause depression and anxiety.
So, living in a damp, mouldy home is a nightmare. There’s the damage to your possessions, the unattractive appearance and smell, the concern around its impact on your and your family’s health and the cost of getting rid of it. However, it is possible to banish mould and prevent it from coming back without breaking the bank or your back.
5 tips for mould-free living
From sun-soaked coastal regions to misty mountain towns, air treatment specialist, Solenco, shares five useful tips for mould-free living:
- After you’ve had a bath or shower, use a squeegee to remove the excess water from the bathroom walls. This will help cut down the amount of extra moisture in your bathroom by as much as three-quarters.
- If you have mould on soft furnishings or clothing, they should be shampooed and dried outside in a sunny spot or professionally dry cleaned.
- For damp in walls, use a dampseal product.
- Ensure that fresh air can flow freely through your home by opening windows to create cross-draughts.
- Invest in a quality dehumidifier – dehumidifiers can assist in decreasing the level of moisture in the atmosphere and preventing the growth of mould.
dehumidifiers and air conditioners
Trevor Brewer, director at Solenco, explains that dehumidifiers remove moisture and humidity from the air, which results in less condensation on windows and floors. They also help to prevent the build-up of mould, “bubbly” paint and musty smells.
While a standard air conditioner cools and dehumidifies the air by removing excess moisture, it switches off after it has reached the targeted temperature and therefore cannot control humidity effectively. Using a dehumidifier in conjunction with an air conditioner is therefore most effective at reducing humidity.
“For those worried about energy consumption,” says Brewer, “there’s a range of dehumidifiers that are energy-efficient, consuming much less energy than an air conditioning system, thus contributing to lower living costs. With electricity at a premium and the country’s inflation rate on the up, this is an important factor to consider.”
Brewer advises that you check your bathroom and kitchen first if you suspect that your home is damp and mouldy: “Check around leaking taps and under sinks. Mould loves to grow behind appliances, such as the dishwasher or fridge, in cupboards, and other areas where condensation and humidity are high.”
good news for allergy sufferers
Several Solenco products have been given the seal of approval by the Allergy Foundation of South Africa (AFSA), with a selection having NAPPI (or recognised medical aid product) codes.
a nod to sustainability
Through its collaboration with Eden Projects, Solenco is committed to a greener, more sustainable future. With every order placed on Solenco’s website, three trees will be planted.
