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6 Ways To Prevent Winter Mold and Mildew Growth

kwe_mold_mildew

What Are Mold and Mildew?

While mold and mildew often go hand in hand, they differ from each other in ways that are important to know when taking steps to prevent them.

Mold is a fungus that can appear as green, yellow, brown, gray or white and is typically fuzzy in appearance. Mold often grows under surfaces which makes it harder to identify and thus, much more detrimental in effect. This fungus can grow undetected for weeks or months and if not treated in time, mold can rot the surface or material that it grows on.

Mildew, on the other hand, is a specific type of fungi. It starts out as a white, powdery slime which soon turns a black or brownish color. Mildew likes to live on the top of surfaces, making it easier to identify. While mold can require remediation or the disposing of materials that it has clung to, mildew is much easier to clean up and get rid of.

Mold and mildew do share some similarities when it comes to what they need to thrive. Both require food, warmth and moisture in order to grow, and with all of these ingredients, mold and mildew will grow within 24 to 48 hours. Though there are measures you can take to get rid of mold and mildew, the best treatment is to prevent them in the first place. Follow these six tips to keep mold and mildew from growing in your home.

We’ll walk through how you can prevent mold and mildew by:

1 . Decreasing your home’s humidity

2 . Keeping an eye out for leaks that can let in moisture

3 . Drying wet areas right away

4 . Maintaining your gutters

5 . Setting your ceiling fans to turn clockwise

6 . Improving your home’s air flow

Prevent Winter Mold and Mildew With These Six Tips

1 . Decrease Humidity

After taking a nice hot shower, you probably notice a lot of condensation on your bathroom mirror or steam in the air. The same thing goes for using your stove to boil water.

This heat and moisture create the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. Opening a window or turning on an exhaust fan for about 20-30 minutes after creating this moisture is a great way to prevent mold or mildew from growing in these places.

2 . Keep an Eye Out For Leaks That Can Let In Moisture

Leaks are the root of all evil when it comes to mold. Make sure that areas like windows and doors are properly maintained so that they aren’t allowing unwanted water or moisture into your home.

Bathroom and kitchen sinks are also popular places for mold to grow. Be sure to check under your sinks to make sure nothing is leaking. If you notice any leaks, repair them as soon as possible. As we know, mold grows at a rapid pace and while repairs can cost money, mold remediation is much more expensive than prevention.

3 . Dry Wet Areas Right Away

A good rule of thumb for mold prevention is to keep things dry. This includes removing water-damaged carpets from your home, moving your wet clothes from the washer to the dryer as soon as they’re ready, even drying the floors after you take a shower.

In addition, make sure to wipe down any condensation on windows. If moisture sets on your windows for too long it can seep into the window-frame or windowsill where mold will likely begin to grow.

4 . Maintain Your Gutters

Gutters probably aren’t the first thing that come to mind when you think of potential mold in your home. But gutters, especially in the winter, collect moisture and debris that create the perfect breeding ground for fungi, or mold.

Water from gutters should flow away from the foundation of your home. If you notice that water is pooling close to your home or that your gutters aren’t draining properly, give them a quick look to see if they need repairing. Gutter guards are often a good investment if you feel that your gutters usually collect lots of debris.

5 . Set Your Ceiling Fans To Turn Clockwise

Clockwise-rotating ceiling fans will pull the cold air up and push the warm air downward. This will keep your house warm without having to rely so heavily on your heating system, which is more likely to create a humid atmosphere.

Ceiling fans are also good for keeping the aeration up in your home. With lots of air moving around, your windows and walls will be less likely to collect condensation and thus, less likely to grow mold.

6 . Improve your Home’s Air Flow

As temperatures begin to drop, air isn’t able to hold as much moisture. All of that excess moisture goes directly onto your walls, floors, furniture, etc. In addition, the heat that you probably have on in your home during the winter doesn’t help much either.

Because moisture and heat are the perfect recipe for mold, preventing these two things is the best way to keep mold away. Air out your home regularly by opening windows or by keeping the doors inside of your home open when you can for good air flow from room to room. Not only will this improve your home’s aeration, it can also improve your home’s air quality too!

Signs of Mold

You might have mold or mildew growing in your home if you’re experience things like

  • A musty smell
  • Visible mold growth
  • Water problems (stains or discoloration)
  • Water leaks
  • Condensation

If you’re noticing any of these signs, you could have mold growing in your home–and there’s no time like the present to get the issue inspected. There are lots of common household molds out there, so make sure you identify which one you have in order to seek the proper treatment.

Unfortunately, getting rid of mold isn’t as easy as cleaning it up. Mold remediation may be required if you do have some mold hanging out in your home. Schedule a service with our experienced mold remediation professionals to get your mold and mildew problem taken care of today.

6 Ways To Prevent Winter Mold and Mildew Growth

Bedbug inspection

How to Know if Your Hotel Has Bedbugs

Upon entering a hotel room, do you typically reach for the tiny toiletries, take a leap onto the bed, or perhaps start by inspecting for bed bugs? Knowing what to look for is essential. Anticimex Carolinas Service Manager Christian Tweed has shared valuable insights on identifying bed bugs in your hotel room and preventing them from hitching a ride back home with you. And if bed bugs do become an unexpected part of your vacation, remember that Clark’s Pest Control is here to assist!



Q&A with a Pest Professional


How do bed bugs get inside hotels?


Bed bugs are primarily hitchhiking insects as opposed to foraging ones, meaning that they get carried around on people’s clothes and belongings. Someone with an active infestation in their home can easily bring bed bugs to their hotel, but they can also be picked up during travel (airplanes, taxis, and rideshare services) and brought to a hotel room.


What do people misunderstand about bed bugs in hotels?


From a probability standpoint, all hotels will deal with bed bugs at some point in time. If you think about a bed bug’s method of travel, there’s literally nothing a hotel can do to stop them from being carried in. What I have realized is that luxury hotels are more likely to have an aggressive response to dealing with a bed bug case once it’s identified as they tend to have a higher quality of service and a reputation to protect. While this isn’t always the case, it has been my experience more often than not.

Got bedbugs? Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today!

What do you recommend travelers do when they get to their room to check for bed bugs?


Most hotel headboards hang directly on the wall. I start my inspection here before even looking at the bed itself. I have found bed bugs, their exoskeletons, and the telltale black stains they leave behind around the edges of or in the crevices of headboards. If the headboard looks clean, move on to looking over the pillowcases and comforter for any signs or stains. You can dig into the bedding as deep as you want here, but I encourage people to look over the top layer of things at the very least.


What are some lesser-known signs of bed bugs in your hotel room?


The specifics of the black stains they leave behind, which as gross as it sounds, are just digested blood as that’s all that bed bugs feed on. If the stains are on a hard surface, they will be small dots as if left behind by an ink pen and will smear into a brownish gray when moisture is applied. If they’re on fabric, they will usually bleed along the fibers making a small diamond, square or X shape.


If there are bed bugs in your hotel room, can they travel home with you?


They absolutely can, however this is easy to prevent. While staying in a hotel, keep as much of your clothing and luggage off the beds as possible. Storing suitcases in the bathroom might sound odd, but it’s an effective method of prevention.

Don’t tackle bedbugs yourself, call Clark’s at 866-781-4991!

What should you do with your suitcase if you suspect your hotel has bed bugs?


When arriving home from a trip, leave your luggage in the garage or on a porch and bring your clothes in one load of laundry at a time. If the clothes are dirty, wash them like you normally would, if they’re clean then run them through the dryer for at least forty-five minutes. Once your suitcase is empty, vacuum over it meticulously (don’t forget to empty the vacuum when you’re done), or if you’re in the right climate, expose it to heat for a few days by placing it in your vehicle (parked in the sun) or for a few weeks in your attic.


The Clark’s Solution


If you brought bed bugs back to you home, Clark’s is here to help. Our Bedbug Control service is designed to eliminate bedbugs and create a safe, comfortable environment.


A Clark’s Pest Professional will do an inspection and recommend a plan of attack to get rid of bed bugs now and prevent them from hatching in the future. Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today for more information.



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