Month: September 2019

Can Mold Show Up in My Car?

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can mold show up in my car

If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know that mold can be found in all sorts of places. Sinks, showers, washing machines, refrigerators, even filing cabinets. However, you might not have heard of mold showing up in your car. Mold is a fungus that needs moisture to grow and spread. If it comes across the ideal damp and humid environment, it will end up growing there, even if it is in less common mold-growth area such as your car. So, to answer the question, “can mold show up in my car?”— yes, it can! Keep reading to learn the RestoPros experts’ list of reasons for car mold and easy ways to prevent it!

Reasons for Mold Growth in Your Car

  • Groceries that you put in your car, whether in the backseat or trunk, might tip over and spill. The same could occur with liquids such as coffee or juices. If ignored or cleaned haphazardly, mold can grow in the interior of your car. 
  • If you leave your car window open and it happens to rain, water might soak the interior of your car, leading to moisture build up and eventually, mold growth.
  • Your car’s AC is a place where mold can grow. Your car’s AC sucks in warm and humid outdoor heat and absorbs the moisture and heat from it to produce cool air. This can lead to moisture accumulating in your AC, specifically it’s evaporator core. If the core comes across pollen, mold spores and debris, it can become the perfect place for mold growth.

How to Tell If Your Car Has a Mold Problem

The most obvious sign of mold growth in your car is bad odors and musty smells coming from the interior of your car. Also, if you turn your AC on and you are greeted with a new and awful smell, you might have to get your car inspected for mold growth as your AC might be dealing with a mold problem.

How to Prevent Mold Growth in Your Car

While mold growth in your car is frustrating to deal with, it is also easily preventable. Here are some effective car mold prevention tips:

  • Frequently Clean Your Car

Take some time every weekend to declutter your car. Then every month or so, vacuum the interior, upholstery and carpets in your car, to ensure mold spores, pollen and other allergens and toxins have not found their way into your car. In addition, change your car’s cabin air filter to prevent a clogged, malfunctioning car AC system.

  • Prevent Excess Moisture

One way to do this is by frequently avoiding eating and drinking in your car. If you happen to spill something such as juice, coffee or any kind of food, be sure to clean and dry the area properly to avoid moisture build up.

If you are predicting a particularly humid environment caused by heavy rain or storms, sprinkle some baking soda on the carpet of your car. The baking soda will soak up the moisture from your carpet in addition to removing odors.

  • Routine Maintenance

Just like any machine or appliance in your home, your car needs routine maintenance and inspections as well. Whether you are frequently inspecting your car yourself or getting it inspected by a professional, you will save yourself from roadside inconveniences in the long run as well as ensure your car’s value is up.

Prevent Mold with RestoPros!

If you have any questions about preventing and/or removing mold anywhere in your home, from the most common places to the most unusual places, the experts at RestoPros will be sure to provide answers. Get in touch with us by calling 855-587-3786 or by filling out a service request form on our website!

How to Prepare for Flood or Water Damage

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National Preparedness Month, which is recognized every September, serves as a reminder for families and communities to be prepared for disasters and emergencies. One of the best ways you can be prepared during this month is by gearing up against flood and water damage. September also happens to be a month when hurricanes and heavy rainfall are common and if handled improperly, can lead to severe problems for homeowners. If you want to take measures against water or flood damage but you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. The experts are RestoPros are here to provide some tips on how to prepare for flood or water damage.

1. Emergency Plan and Kit

If you are faced with a situation where your house begins to flood, you will most likely be in panic mode. However, that can be prevented if you have taken some measures to prepare yourself and your family with the right tools and planning. Here are some things in mind while coming up with an emergency plan and creating an emergency kit:

  • Your emergency kit should most definitely include flashlights, necessary medications, copies of personal documents and cellphones with chargers. The Red Cross goes into further detail about the items you should have in your kit. Take a minute to look over their guide and even take the quiz at the end to ensure you’re fully prepared!
  • Pay attention to all flood alerts. Remember: A flood or flash flood WATCH means that a flood is a possibility. A flood WARNING means flooding is already occurring or is about to occur. If you get a warning, take precautions immediately.
  • Come up with a household evacuation plan based on this helpful template.
  • Take measures to protect your home. Flood damage can cause severe destruction to your home’s foundation, appliances and furniture. Consult a professional about raising your furnace, water heater and electrical panel to floors that are less likely to be affected by flooding. Move furniture and other valuables to safe places. 

2. Install A Sump Pump

A sump pump is an important appliance to have, especially if you live in an area where there is risk of flooding. It is located in a pit in a crawlspace or basement and is designed to pump water away from your home, should flooding occur. Speak to a professional about installing a sump pump in your home, in order to ensure protection from flooding.

3. Install Backflow Valves

Another way to protect your home from flooding is by installing backflow valves. When flooding occurs, sewage can often back up into a house and even flow into the main water supply line. This can be hazardous for your health as sewage can contain a multitude of waste, toxins and pollutants. Backflow valves block drainpipes to ensure that water flows AWAY from your home and never in the opposite direction.

4. Check Water Pressure

Sometimes, it doesn’t take a big flash flood to cause water damage to your home. Often, it can be caused by unregulated water pressure inside your home. If the water pressure in your home is too high, pipes, lines and hoses might burst which can cause water damage. Water damage itself brings a myriad of problems with it such as high restoration bills and mold growth. Take a minute to use a pressure gauge or regulator to ensure the water pressure in your home is maintained. Ideally, you want the pressure to be between 40 to 60 pounds per square inch (psi).

5. Tackle Any Leaks

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, leaks in different places in your home such as showers, faucets and toilets can waste a lot of water over time – in addition to adding to homeowners’ water bills. Serious leaks can also cause water damage around your home. Monitor your water bill to ensure there aren’t any sudden increases. Check for leaks around faucet gaskets and pipe fittings to confirm if there are any leaks or not. You should also consider installing leak detection devices near places in your home that could be susceptible to water damage.

Stay Prepared with RestoPros! 

We hope this guide on how to prepare for flood or water damage was helpful. If you have any questions about water damage prevention or restoration, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at RestoPros! Call us today at 855-587-3786 or schedule a service online!

4 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality

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Being indoors doesn’t necessarily mean you’re safe from allergens or that you’re surrounded by good air quality. You still might have to deal with a myriad of other indoor allergies caused by dust mites, animal dander and, of course, mold. If you’re allergic to any of these, your reactions might include sneezing, stuffiness, a runny nose or an itchy throat. These allergens can also cause a reaction in people with asthma. However, you can counter these allergies by bettering your indoor air quality. Here are some helpful ways to improve indoor air quality from the experts at RestoPros!

1. Clean Up

The most effective way you can improve the indoor air quality of your home is by cleaning up frequently. Here are some things to remember when trying to keep your home clean:

  • Vacuum Often

Chemicals, allergens and pollutants are bound to enter your home and accumulate in the dust. Take some time every weekend to vacuum everything up to get rid of dust, pet dander or other toxins and allergens that could cause problems.

  • Mop Up Too

Mopping up helps clear up any dander that the vacuum did not pick up. Instead of using chemical solutions or cleaners, use plain water.

  • Take off Your Shoes

Your shoes and boots bring in pollutants, pesticides and dirt. Don’t bring your shoes inside – or wear them on your carpet. Use a shoe rack to keep your shoes neatly stacked away to prevent dirt from sneaking its way into your home.

  • Change the Sheets

Sheets that have not been changed for long have dead skin, dust mites and allergens all over them. Remember to change and clean your sheets every two weeks.

2. Maintain Humidity

Keeping your home’s humidity at a reasonable level prevents mold from infesting your home. Mold is a fungus that needs moisture and damp environments to survive. One of the best ways to prevent mold (and other indoor allergens) is to control the moisture and humidity in your home. You can do this by investing in a dehumidifier, which removes excess humidity from your home. Keep your home’s humidity between 30-50 percent.

3. Improve Air Flow

Don’t block any return vents in your home and let fresh air in. Opening windows will ensure that any toxic chemicals and pollutants don’t accumulate in your home. However, if opening windows adds to the problem by bringing pollen in, keep your AC system well-filtered and well-functioning. Your AC filter should be changed every three months. If you have furry occupants in your home, you might have to change it more often.

4. Groom Your Pets Regularly

As much as we love our pets, they can sometimes create a mess in our home. They’re adorable but a little clumsy and bad at keeping themselves clean. If they spend a lot of time outside, they might often bring in mites, insects, mold spores and dirt into your home, in addition to bringing in excess fur. Pet dander is one of the most common causes of allergies so it’s best to groom them regularly to prevent allergies and bad indoor air quality. How often you clean your pet depends on several factors such as their breed, coat type and how dirty they are.

Keep Your Home Allergen and Mold-Free with RestoPros

If you want more tips to improve your indoor air quality and prevent allergens such as mold, get in touch with the experts at RestoPros. Our team serves the great DFW Metroplex as a leading mold and water remediation company – dedicated to making sure our customers are treated with professionalism and respect. Call us today at 855-587-3786 or schedule an appointment online!

Protect Your Kids From Mold This Baby Safety Month

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The team at RestoPros understands the importance of keeping our children safe, secure and happy at all times. As mold remediation experts, we understand the potential health effects mold growth can have on babies and young children. To mark the beginning of this National Baby Safety Month, we’re going to tell you a little bit about how you can protect your kids from mold!

Health Effects of Mold on Children

Before we tell you how you can protect your kids from mold, we suggest you read up a little bit about how mold can negatively impact the health of children.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine found “limited or suggestive evidence” that exposure to damp indoor environments can lead to shortness of breath and other respiratory illness in generally healthy children. In addition, there could potentially be a link between early mold exposure to development of asthma in some children, especially those who are prone to asthma developments.

If your child already has asthma, mold spores they inhale can cause airways and lungs to constrict, leading to shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. While there is still some research to be done on the link between adverse health problems and mold, there is no harm in taking the right precautions to keep your children safe from mold.

Get Rid of Indoor Dampness

The most common reason behind why mold continues to infest homes is excessive dampness and moisture. Mold is a fungus that primarily grows in moist and damp environments. Therefore, the best way to prevent respiratory reactions to mold, is to eliminate its ideal environment for growth. Here are some ways you can get rid of indoor moisture and dampness to protect your kids from mold.

  • Don’t Leave Damp Items Around

Mold can start to spread between 24-48 hours in excessively damp areas. Keep items dry to prevent mold. When you’re done using a towel after the shower, don’t throw it on the floor or in the hamper. Instead, hang it up to dry. Or put it in the washer to wash immediately. If you have older children, you can train them to do this too.

  • Check for Leaks

Inspect your bathtub, bathroom and kitchen sinks, and toilet to ensure there aren’t any leaks. You could have leaks because of deteriorated caulking, which can lead to mold.

  •  Have Proper Ventilation

Properly ventilate areas where there is potential for moisture such as your laundry room, bathroom and kitchen.

  • Wipe Everything Down

Whenever you’re done using your sink or shower, any splashed water can collect in corners and lead to the ideal moisture content for mold. Take a minute to squeegee your bathroom walls or use a paper towel to wipe down the sides of your sink. This is a great cleanliness lesson to teach your kids as well!

Use a Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier is a great appliance to have, especially if you live in a humid climate. Dehumidifiers give you greater control of the humidity and moisture in your home. The ideal humidity for your home should be between 30 and 50 percent. Dehumidifiers come in many sizes and you can choose one that fits your needs and budget. In addition, they can prevent allergens that are active in humid environments. Read our ultimate guide to dehumidifiers to learn more about these convenient appliances.

Educate Your Kids About Mold

It’s never to early to start educating our children about the wonders of science (and the horrors of mold). To educate your kids about fungus and mold, there are many science experiments you can do that can increase your children’s observation skills and help them develop a love for science. In addition, these experiments can be great boredom busters.

Avoid Areas with High Mold Counts

If your child has asthma or is relatively prone to respiratory illnesses, it is best to try to avoid areas where there are high mold counts. Higher counts of mold spores can be found in places where there are compost piles, cut grass and wooded areas.

Protect Your Kids from Mold with RestoPros

We hope this list of ways to protect your kids from mold is a helpful and informative start to National Baby Safety Month. If you would like to learn more about mold prevention and removal, get in touch with the experts at RestoPros. We provide services such as mold testing, mold remediation and water damage restoration. Call us today at 855-587-3786 or schedule an appointment online!

5 Facts You Should Know About Mold

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The term “mold” might have been thrown around your home a few times. But most likely, if you have never directly dealt with it, you may not know that much about it. Where and how does it grow? What does it look like? Does it have any adverse health effects? The team at RestoPros has answers to all these questions with this helpful list of essential facts you should know about mold!

1. It Can Have an Effect on Your Health

Can mold have adverse health effects? The answer is; it depends. If you or someone in your family is susceptible to allergies or has asthma, chances are prolonged exposure to actively growing mold can have a negative impact on your health.

21 percent of the current asthma cases in the United States can be attributed to dampness and mold spores in the home. If you have asthma, mold exposure could possibly worsen it. Inhaling these spores can produce more mucus and even cause the lungs to constrict. This can lead to wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.  To prevent mold spores from triggering your asthma, you will have to limit your exposure to mold by maintaining the humidity in your home and ensuring proper ventilation.

Similarly, inhaling allergens like mold spores can also lead to sinusitis or sinus infections and another condition called mold-induced hypersensitivity pneumonitis. In order to prevent these reactions, it’s important to do saline rinses to keep sinuses clean, thoroughly clean out ventilation systems and to stay hydrated.

2. You Can Find Mold Anywhere

This might sound a little confusing, so we will clarify. Yes, mold is everywhere as mold spores are always present in our outdoor and indoor environments. Even if you show allergy symptoms to mold, a small mold count is not a problem. It IS a problem, when there is excessive moisture build up and mold begins to actively grow because of this. Therefore, it is important that moisture and humidity is well-controlled to prevent mold from starting to infest your home.

3. You Can Prevent Mold by Controlling Moisture

This is one of the most important facts you should know about mold. As we mentioned before, while mold is a problem, it can be controlled and prevented. The best way to prevent mold is by controlling the moisture and humidity in your home. Here are some ways you can do this:

  • Use a dehumidifier and maintain your home’s humidity between 30 and 50 percent.
  • Use exhaust fans
  • Your AC plays a big role in maintaining the humidity of your home as well. Make sure its air filter is clean and free of dirt and debris. 
  • Don’t let moisture linger after you’re done using the shower. Take a minute to squeegee the walls of your bathroom to remove moisture
  • Make sure your home is leak-free
  • Wipe around your kitchen and bathroom sinks when you’re done using them

4. Let the Pros Handle Mold Removal

If you think you might have actively growing mold in your home, your first thought might be to save some money and handle it yourself using a store-bought mold test kit. However, that’s not a good idea as mold test kits aren’t always reliable. By handling mold removal yourself, especially if it’s a considerably affected area, you will probably do more harm than good. In addition, there are regulations that require that you must be licensed to perform mold-related activities such as assessment and remediation. It is best to contact a professional who has the right knowledge and experience to safely deduce the mold problem in your home.

5. You Cannot Paint Over Mold

Painting or caulking over mold is not the solution to removing or preventing mold. The mold will continue to grow under the paint and the paint will simply peel. It’s best to remove the mold before you do any painting.

RestoPros: DFW’s Mold Removal Experts!

Now that you’re aware of these facts you will be better prepared to prevent a mold infestation. If you think you have a mold problem, get in touch with the experts at RestoPros. Our trustworthy and experienced team of professionals performs water damage restoration, mold testing and mold remediation in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. Call us today at 855-587-3786 or fill out a service request form on our website!