Mold and Appliances

12/14/2022 (Permalink)

Mold, the fungus that grows on damp surfaces in your home, can be difficult to remove. It thrives in warm, humid environments and spreads without proper ventilation. The most common places for mold to grow are in bathrooms and kitchens. Appliances are another culprit for carrying mold into your kitchen—especially when they're not cleaned regularly or have been exposed to moisture from flooding or water damage. To prevent these appliances from becoming prime breeding grounds for mold, it's important to clean them regularly with a disinfectant spray or other method of sanitization.

Washing Machine

Mold is a common problem in washing machines. If you don't keep your washer clean, mold will grow on the rubber gasket and other parts of your machine, causing it to smell bad. Mold can also lead to your clothes smelling bad if they come in contact with it!

To keep mold from growing inside of your washing machine:

• Use vinegar to help clean out any buildup around the rim where water collects when you run a load of laundry.
• Look into replacing the seal around the door of your washer if it looks cracked or torn (this is especially important when trying to prevent mold growth).

Refrigerator

Mold growth in refrigerators is common. In fact, it's so common that you may not even be aware of the mold growing on your refrigerator until it's too late. Like most mold growth in homes, it can be prevented by keeping a clean refrigerator and storing food properly. Mold also thrives in high humidity environments. To prevent mold from forming on your fridge, follow these steps:

• Clean out your fridge regularly! If you don't remember if something was inside the last time you cleaned it out (and who does?), put an empty box with a note inside for future reference.
• Don't store foods at room temperature for long periods of time; instead, keep them chilled in the fridge or freezer as needed to preserve freshness and quality.

Freezer

The freezer is the best place to keep food, as it's the coldest spot in your refrigerator. But before you start stocking up on frozen foods, make sure that your freezer is clean and hasn't been used to store anything other than ice cubes or frozen foods. You should also keep an eye out for excess frost—if there’s too much ice buildup in your freezer and/or if it's starting to look like a snow globe inside, you need to defrost it!

Dehumidification

Dehumidification is a way of removing moisture from the air. You can use a dehumidifier to do it, but you can also do it with other devices. A dehumidifier is an appliance that removes moisture from the air in your home and helps prevent mold growth. It's helpful for drying out wet carpets, floors, walls and furniture after flooding or leaks occur. These appliances are available in different sizes and models for small or large rooms. 

Dehumidifiers also come with settings for optimal humidity levels for different temperatures, so you'll always stay comfortable at home regardless of how much time you spend indoors during winter months when heating costs are higher than summer ones when cooling costs are more expensive than average year-round temperatures require less energy usage overall.

Act Quickly

Mold growth in appliances is a serious issue and should be taken very seriously. If so, it's important to act quickly before the problem gets out of hand and leads to major property damage in your Lemay, MO home.

Mold can be expensive and time-consuming, and that’s why SERVPRO of Oakville/ Mehlville is here to help! We want everyone who uses our services to know that they can trust us with any appliance-related mold issues whether they're small or large.