Nothing livens up your indoor space more than getting some houseplants—and actually keeping them alive. That’s why you’re on the prowl for the best houseplants right now: You want to know which ones will look great, offer the best indoor air quality, and stay alive with minimal effort on your part. But did you know that plants can even prevent mold? Yes, it’s not just that they keep your indoor space looking and feeling fresh. They truly, in reality help your home to be fresh too. Here are the best indoor plants for mold prevention.
English Ivy
Just get out of this plant’s way, and it’ll thrive. This is the plant that you see crawling up the sides of buildings, paving a way for itself. Not only is English Ivy easy to care for and lusciously green, it also removes mold from your home. You read that right: It doesn’t just prevent mold, but it actually works to purify the space so that mold feels unwelcome and then leaves. Pun intended.
Peace Lily
Despite what its name may suggest, this plant will fight for your right to breathe clean air. It takes toxins like trichloroethylene, benzene, toluene, and xylene out of your home. It has rich, rippling green leaves that spring up like flowers. Unlike the other plants on this list, this one will require a bit more maintenance.
Palm Plants
A wide variety of plants are considered “palm” plants, including Lady Palm, Reed Palm, Areca Palm, and Dwarf Date Palm. These plants are known for being low maintenance and for keeping allergens in your home at a minimum. Mold could be causing your eyes to itch, twitch, and water. Try leaving the watering to your plants!
Snake Plant
Why do these plants have such scary names? No, you won’t attract snakes by bringing this plant into your home. It’s so-named because its long leaves have an irregular color that looks vaguely like snakeskin. The snake plant filters out most of the same toxins as the Peace Lily but also knocks out formaldehyde. It might not be as traditionally pretty as the other, but the snake plant has a number of unparalleled benefits.
What to Do If You Already Have Mold: Call RestoPros
You started this search for the best indoor plants because you wanted to freshen up your living space, but could it be that you needed to spruce the place up because you have mold? It’s possible that you have mold without even realizing it, especially if you’re experiencing indoor allergy symptoms and there’s a musty smell in your home that you’re trying to mask with greenery. If you suspect you already have mold in your home, then call the leading mold remediation specialists at RestoPros. You should never try removing mold on your own, as the process can put you in long-lasting danger. Let us come take care of it for you. We’re trained to treat the infected spot and remove mold from your home as carefully and safely as possible.
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!
There are few things more exhausting to cope with than allergies. From springtime sneeze attacks to missing out on playing with your friend’s new puppy, allergies keep you from many things. However, if you suffer from mold allergies, you face daily triggers that are everywhere, and don’t disappear with springtime. Are you looking for simpler methods to ease your day-to-day symptoms? Well, the experts at RestoPros are here to help by telling you about some common mold allergies and homeopathic solutions.
Identifying Your Mold Allergies:
First of all, you must identify the type of mold that’s causing the reaction. Moreover, it’s important to identify the type of mold so you can understand the symptoms that come with exposure. Therefore, to help you navigate your own symptoms, here are some common mold allergies:
1. Alternaria Allergy
• Characteristics:
Dark green, black, or grey with long velvety hairs, Alternaria is a mold that requires very little moisture to grow.
• Where it Grows:
Because it requires minimal moisture to grow, Alternaria is commonly found on carpets, clothing, basements, windows, and doors.
• Symptoms:
If you’re suffering from exposure to this type of mold, you’ll experience symptoms similar to hay fever. In addition to the hay fever symptoms, you may also experience respiratory problems and asthma.
2. Aspergillus Allergy
• Characteristics:
Because it can be grey, brown, yellow, green, white, or black, Aspergillus is often tricky to identify from other molds. That being said, this type of mold grows very quickly once the spores are released.
• Where it Grows:
Although Aspergillus mold grows quickly, it does require more
moisture than Alternaria. As a prevalent household mold, it grows in walls,
soil, insulation, basements, and clothing.
• Exposure Symptoms:
Particularly harmful to people with weakened immune systems, such as young children and the elderly, Aspergillus can cause serious infections. Releasing aflatoxin, a chemical that can cause liver damage and cancer, Aspergillus is one of the more dangerous household molds to encounter.
3. Cladosporium Allergy
• Characteristics:
With a powdery texture and grey, brown, or black in color,
Cladosporium can have dark-pigmented conidia that occur in simple or branching
chains.
• Where it Grows:
As a mold that can grow on both dead and living matter, it is
commonly found on food, dead plants, insulation, wood, and dark, damp
environments, such as basements.
• Exposure Symptoms:
If exposed to Cladosporium, you may experience allergic reactions similar to hay fever. This can include dry skin, sneezing, runny nose, scratchy throat, coughing, and watery eyes. On the more severe end, you could also suffer asthma attacks, fungal sinusitis, tightness in your chest, and difficulty breathing.
4. Memnoniella Allergy
• Characteristics:
Although very similar to Stachybotrys, Memnoniella mold is
smaller and is usually a dark green or black color.
• Where it Grows:
Growing in damp areas like bathrooms and basements,
Memnoniella can also be found on cotton, wool, canvas, walls, and ceilings.
• Exposure Symptoms:
While this mold is less common and poses a lesser health risk than others, you can experience severe symptoms. Most commonly, these symptoms include respiratory problems, coughing, and headaches.
5. Penicillium Allergy
• Characteristics:
With over 300 species, Penicillium mold is typically blue or
green. Named after the Latin word for paintbrush, the spores of Penicillium
form into what closely resembles a paintbrush.
• Where it Grows:
As a mold that has been identified world-wide, Penicillium can grow anywhere. From air and soil to leather, food, and insulation, this is a prevalent household mold.
• Exposure Symptoms:
Although Penicillium has saved countless lives, there are species of Penicillium that produce toxic compounds. If a mold-sensitive individual is exposed to the spores, they can experience congestion, eye irritation, and coughing. If food with Penicillium mold is ingested, it will also irritate the stomach.
6. Stachybotrys Allergy
• Characteristics:
More notoriously known as toxic black mold, Stachybotrys is
dark green or black in color with a slimy texture.
• Where it Grows:
Because it thrives on material with a high cellulose and low nitrogen content, Stachybotrys is commonly found on fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust, and lint. Therefore, this toxic mold can grow in walls, ceilings, and floorboards as long as there is consistent moisture present.
• Exposure Symptoms:
As its commonly-known name denotes, Stachybotrys can cause severe headaches, asthma, dizziness, and joint pain. In addition to the physical symptoms, it can cause fatigue and mental impairment. Furthermore, exposure to Stachybotrys has been linked to cancer, internal organ failure, and multiple deaths infant deaths.
Homeopathic Solutions
Although general practitioner-prescribed medicines address the symptoms of mold allergies, they often miss the mark in tackling the cause. Moreover, many of these medications come with a laundry list of unwanted side effects. As a result, you may start to wonder if the mold allergies are worse than the side effects of the medication.
Rather than just address the symptoms, you can explore homeopathic solutions. As a better long-term option, homeopathic solutions tackle mold allergies from within, alleviating the stress on your immune system. To lay out some natural alternatives, here are some homeopathic solutions to explore:
1. Change Up Your Diet
For many mold allergy sufferers, the exposure doesn’t end with airborne spores. In fact, many foods contain mold spores that can wreak havoc on your immune system, if you’re mold sensitive. Consequently, simple changes in your diet can produce dramatic results in lessening your symptoms. Here are some examples of the diet changes you can make:
Remove These Foods from
Your Diet:
Mushrooms
Cheese
Pickles
Sour Cream
Vinegar
Buttermilk
Beer
Wine
High-Yeast Breads, like Pumpernickel
Sauerkraut
Soy Sauce
Pickled and Smoked Meats
Dried Fruit
Processed, Canned, and Bottled Foods
High Sugar Fruits, like pineapple,
mango, bananas, melons, oranges, and grapes
Add These Foods to Your
Diet:
Pastured and organic animal products, like beef, bison, lamb, veal, wild-caught seafood, poultry, and pastured eggs
Ginger, garlic, cayenne, and horseradish
Organic fresh fruit, like berries, apples, lemons, limes
Yeast-Free Breads, such as flatbreads and tortillas
Raw nuts and seeds, like sunflower, pumpkin, flax, and chia seeds, and low mold nuts like almonds
Extra virgin olive oil, coconut milk, coconut oil, organic butter, and avocados.
Filtered water, non-fruity herbal teas, mineral water, fresh veggie juice, low-mold alcohols like vodka and gin.
2. Add Some Herbs and Supplements
Another homeopathic measure to alleviate your symptoms is adding beneficial herbs and supplements to your diet. Here are some to include:
Garlic
Pau d’arco
Oregano Oil
Tea Tree Oil
Ginger
Apple Cider Vinegar
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Turmeric
Powdered Licorice
Lemongrass Oil
Berberine
Echinacea Angustifolia (Purple Coneflower)
Grape Seed Extract
Aloe Vera
Chamomile
Tannate Plant Extracts
Flaxseed Oil
Bioflavonoids
Probiotics
Vitamin C, A, and E
Zinc
3. Explore Some Herbal Medicine
In order to relieve your symptoms with more natural methods, you can explore some herbal medicines. Here are a few to consider:
Dong Quai
This serves as an effective anti-inflammatory and antihistamine.
Eyebright –
Use this medicine to reduce congestion, as well as itchy eyes and sneezing.
Gingko –
Containing bioflavonoids, this medicine is also an antihistamine and
anti-inflammatory.
Milk Thistle –
In addition to reducing allergic, inflammatory, and histaminic reactions, milk
thistle supports your liver function.
Red clover –
This medicine serves as a resistance-builder to mold.
Yarrow –
Yarrow alleviates congestion and reduces secretion.
Stinging nettles – Stinging nettles are another anti-inflammatory and antihistamine.
4. Take Some Natural Remedies
If you’re looking for a way to fortify your immune system against mold, here are some natural remedies to explore:
ThyroLiver Protect
To help detoxify your liver and support the production of glutathione, take 1-2 caps, twice a day of ThyroLiver Protect. Using selenium, milk thistle extract, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, and N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, this medicine helps your liver neutralize and process mold spores.
Super Glutathione
For added support to your liver and digestive tract, take 1-2 caps, twice a day of Super Glutathione.
Coconut Charcoal
To help your digestive tract detoxify mold spores, use 1-2 caps of coconut charcoal between meals and before bed.
Allium Cepa
Use this supplement to help with discharge from your eyes and nose, and to alleviate hoarseness.
Euphrasia
To alleviate discharge from your eyes and nose, a dry cough, sneezing, and diarrhea, take Euphrasia.
Natrum Muriaticum
For discharge from your eyes, cold sores, a loss of your sense of taste and smell, and headaches, take natrum muriaticum.
Wyethia
WWith Wyethia, you can alleviate extreme itchiness in the nose and throat, a swollen throat, and blocked nasal passages.
Nux Vomica
If you have a runny nose during the day and a dry nose at night, Nux Vomica may be what you need. Additionally, it can relieve sneeze attacks and outdoor reactions to pollen.
5. Reduce Exposure
Keep Your House Clean
Most harmful indoor mold growth starts with dust, dander, and moisture. Therefore, your best bet at keeping mold at bay in is keeping a clean home. This means regularly dusting and vacuuming with a HEPA filter vacuum to eliminate dust and dirt. Furthermore, you should keep damp places like your bathrooms, kitchen, and basement clean and dry.
Reduce Humidity Levels
Another important way to keep your home mold-free is regulating the humidity levels. In order to best track and control indoor humidity, we recommend purchasing a hygrometer and dehumidifier. In fact, many dehumidifiers contain a built-in hygrometer, allowing you to easily measure and maintain a healthy level of humidity.
Keep Outside Spores Outside
In order to avoid bringing harmful mold spores into your home, there are plenty of simple measures you can take. Since many mold spores are found in piles of leaves, grass, and dirt, your shoes can track them into your house. Therefore, you can avoid bringing them inside by taking off and leaving your shoes by the door. Also, you should wash your clothes and shower each evening, so you’re not taking any lingering spores to bed with you.
Filter Your Air
Because mold is everywhere, it’s impossible to avoid bringing it into your home. However, you can eliminate a large portion of it from your air. With the right air filtration system, you can breathe easy with clean, mold-free air. Additionally, there are many different air purifiers on the market with HEPA filters that are very effective in providing mold-free air.
Invest in Some Houseplants
One of our favorite natural ways to remove mold spores from your home air is keeping some purifying houseplants. In many cases, certain houseplants can even help improve conditions for asthma sufferers. For some 2-in-1 natural relief, here are some plants to consider keeping:
Peace Lilies
Mums
Spider Plants
Bamboo Palm
Areca Palm
Dracaena Plants
Snake Plants
Boston Fern
Aloe Plants
Stop Mold in Its Tracks with
RestoPros
Although you
can treat your mold allergies with homeopathic solutions, there are
preventative measures you can take to keep a mold-free home. With our
knowledgeable mold removal experts, the team at RestoPros is dedicated to
helping residents of the DFW area fight back against mold. For help from mold
removal experts you can trust, call us today at 855-587-3786 or fill out a service request form on our website!
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the top five air quality problems in the U.S. are with our indoor air. To help you counteract these pollutants, the experts at RestoPros are here to tell you about these 5 common air quality problems in your house with a room to room guide!
1. Excessive Moisture
First of all, we want to discuss the effects of excessive moisture on your home’s air quality. Although it is one of the most overlooked air quality problems, excessive moisture is also one of the most detrimental ones. As such, excessive moisture can lead to serious issues in the following rooms of your house:
Bathrooms
Even if you use your exhaust fans and keep your bathrooms well ventilated, moisture still tends to thrive in these areas. In bathrooms, moisture buildup occurs in towels, bath mats, shower curtains and linings, walls, floors, and ceilings. With this moisture comes mildew, mold, and dust mites, all of which pose serious threats to the air you and your family breathe.
Kitchen
Another area in your home that can be affected by excessive moisture is your kitchen. Because of the steam-releasing activities you do in your kitchen like running the dishwasher, cooking on the stove, and baking in the oven, the presence of moisture is a given. When these activities increase the humidity levels in the air, it facilitates off-gassing of toxins in furniture and cleaning products.
Laundry Room
As another area to monitor for excessive moisture, your laundry room can develop high humidity levels. Many times, laundry rooms are not as well-ventilated as they should be, allowing the heat from your dryer to meet the moist, cool air from your washer to create steam. Consequently, condensation can build up on your laundry room walls, cabinets, and windows, providing the ideal breeding ground for mold, mildew, and dust mites.
Basement
One of the most obvious rooms in your home that can have excessive moisture problems is the basement. As you probably know, water can be transported into your basement through leaks in the foundation, plumbing pipes, or cracks in the floor. Therefore, the air quality in your basement can easily become compromised by mold spores and mildew.
2. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Next on the list of common indoor air quality problems are VOCs. Including a range of evaporated substances from formaldehyde, gasoline, pesticides, and cooking processes, these harmful compounds can infiltrate your air in many forms. Furthermore, certain body odors are VOCs that can also affect your indoor air quality. Here are some rooms of your house that are likely to contain VOCs:
Laundry Room
As the first room on our list, your laundry room can be a hotbed for VOCs. A little-known fact about dryer and softener sheets is that they contain high levels of formaldehyde. Because this is one of the most harmful VOCs to pollute indoor air, your laundry room is at the top of our list of areas in your home with VOC-related air quality problems.
Garage
Another area of your house that is a magnet for VOCs is your garage. Considering the gasoline levels emitted from your cars, stored lawn mowers, and other motor-driven equipment, the air quality in your garage can be saturated with VOCs. Furthermore, this problem is exacerbated by trapping these VOCs behind closed and sealed garage doors. Particularly if the primary door used to enter and exit your home is through the garage, these VOCs can easily infiltrate your indoor air in other areas of your home.
Living Room
Third on our list is your living room. Because formaldehyde can be emitted by building materials and furnishings, your furniture and carpets can be sources of VOCs in your indoor air.
Kitchen
As another room with VOCs, your kitchen can be a source of cooking processes and odor-related VOCs. While there are few things more enticing than the smell of freshly baked bread, the lingering aroma indicates the presence of VOCs in your air. Other smells like the pungent odor of onions can release major VOCs into your air, as well. Additionally, using any gas-powered cooking appliances releases gasoline VOCs into your air. Furthermore, that bowl of pesticide-covered fresh fruit or plump tomatoes could be releasing VOCs into your air.
Bedrooms
As we previously explained, many body odors are VOCs. Therefore, body odors that are trapped on your bedding, clothes, curtains, or carpeting can be released into your air, as well. Also, if you wash and dry your bedding and clothing with standard softener and dryer sheets, you could be introducing formaldehyde into your air.
Bathrooms
One horrifying reality is the presence of formaldehyde in many cosmetic and beauty products. From skincare to hair-care products, a shocking number of popular brands contain varying levels of this harmful VOC. Not only does your skin absorb the formaldehyde in these products, but your indoor air also absorbs it. Also, without getting into unpleasant details, the odors released when you answer nature’s call in the bathroom are VOCs that are emitted into your air.
3. Combustion Products
Third on our list of indoor air quality problems are combustion products. Some common pollutants produced by combustion products are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and water vapor. Commonly emitted from gas-fired appliances like furnaces, water heaters, ranges, and dryers, these VOCs can be found in the air of many rooms in your house. Here are the rooms most likely to contain VOCs from combustion products:
Kitchen
Especially if you have gas-fired appliances or appliances that are not properly vented to the outside, the air in your kitchen can be a hub for carbon monoxide. Furthermore, if you have any unsealed gas appliances, negative air pressure can cause back drafting. Consequently, combustion pollutants can enter your house and infect your indoor air quality.
Laundry Room
Another room in your home that can have poorer air quality due to combustion products is your laundry room. If your dryer is gas-powered, it can produce carbon monoxide. Therefore, the air in your laundry room can become polluted with carbon monoxide if your gas dryer is not properly vented.
Garage and Driveway
For homes with attached garages, combustion-related VOCs can easily affect your indoor air. Because the exhaust fumes from vehicles are a major source of combustion products, your indoor air is that much more susceptible to these VOCs with an attached garage.
Any Space with Fireplaces, Wood Stoves, and Chimneys
Other sources of combustion products include fireplaces and chimneys. Releasing combustion gases and particles, pollutants from fireplaces or wood stoves can become back-drafted from the chimney into your living space.
Rooms with Unvented Kerosene and Gas Heaters
Along with your gas-powered kitchen appliances, your unvented kerosene and gas heaters can release carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide into the air. Furthermore, your indoor air can be contaminated by acid aerosols from unvented kerosene heaters.
4. Radon
Although radon is fourth on our list, this pollutant poses some of the most serious threats to your indoor air quality. Because it is virtually undetectable without formal testing, this radioactive gas is an often-overlooked problem. Entering your home through dirt floors, cracks in your walls and floors, or through floor drains and sumps, radon is commonly found in higher concentrations in lower-lying rooms. However, rooms with granite surfaces can also be sources of radon, as these rocks contain radium, uranium, and thorium. If these naturally-occurring radioactive elements decay, they can turn into radon, causing a negative impact on your indoor air. Therefore, here are some rooms that could contain radon:
Basement
As previously explained, the rooms in your house closer to your foundation are the most vulnerable to radon exposure. Especially if your basement has cracks in the floors, walls, or ceiling, or has a floor drain or sump, radon can easily seep into your home.
Kitchen and Bathrooms
Other rooms in your house that can contain levels of radon are your kitchen and bathrooms. Especially if you have granite counter tops, the presence of radon in these rooms is a likely possibility.
Crawlspaces
Like a basement, a crawlspace beneath your house is a prime spot for radon. Because of its proximity to the soil and rocks beneath your house, a crawlspace can contain higher levels of radon. If the floors above that crawlspace have any penetrable areas, radon can rise into your home.
5. Tobacco Smoke
Like the rest of the world, you are probably aware of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. However, the additional problem of third-hand smoke has been recently added to the many side-effects of smoking. In short, third-hand-smoke is the lingering presence of harmful tobacco toxins on furnishings, surfaces, and clothing in your home. Here are some rooms where the air is commonly affected by tobacco smoke:
Living Room
When a smoker enters a space after smoking, you can immediately smell smoke on their clothes, hair, and skin. Furthermore, their hands are usually stained with tobacco toxins from touching their cigarette or cigar. These toxins are transferred to any surface that smoker touches and can stay on those surfaces for years. Therefore, as the most actively used room in your house, your living room is vulnerable to third-hand smoke.
Bedrooms
Unfortunately, even the bedrooms of non-smokers are susceptible to tobacco smoke pollutants in the air. Because of third-hand smoke, the residual tobacco toxins you pick up from other surfaces can be transferred to your bedroom.
Closets
Considering how tobacco toxins cling to fabrics, the closets in a home with a smoker are saturated with tobacco pollutants. Especially in coat closets, smoke can linger a long time on fabrics that are washed less frequently. Consequently, this smoke is inevitably introduced into your air.
Are You Ready to Tackle these Common Air Quality Problems in Your House?
Tackle these problems with the help of the RestoPros team! With years of helping residents and homeowners achieve clean air, the experts at RestoPros are the professionals you can trust. If you are ready to find the best clean air solutions for your home, call us today at 855-587-3786 or fill out a service request form on our website!
Exposure to dampness or mold is the estimated cause of a quarter of all asthma cases in the United States. Even for non-asthmatic homeowners, living with a mold or mildew problem can pose serious health threats. Answering the mold vs. mildew question starts with learning what to look for. The experts at RestoPros are here to share our advice on how to spot the difference.
Mold vs. Mildew: Similarities
Environments
-Both mold and mildew are types of fungi that flourish in moist, humid conditions with scarce light.
-Both mold and mildew grow when spores or seeds find their way into environments that are conducive to colony growth.
Affected Hosts
-Neither mold nor mildew can grow on synthetic materials such as plastic and metal-based products.
Odors and Physical Symptoms
-Both mold and mildew produce a similar musty odor.
-Both mold and mildew can cause similar physical symptoms to humans who are exposed.
Mold vs. Mildew: Differences
Appearance
-Mildew can be downy or powdery. Downy mildew starts as yellow spots that become brighter and then turn brown in color. Powdery mildew is whitish in color and slowly turns yellowish brown and then black.
-Mold is black, yellow, or green with a fuzzy or slimy texture. Severe mold growth looks like moss and can cause rot in its effected host.
Growth Patterns
-Mildew is a type of mold that has flat growth patterns. Unlike mold, mildew remains on the surface of its host where is can be easily removed. Mildew is drawn to moisture and grows on damp surfaces like your kitchen, bathroom, and basement. You can find mildew growth in toilets, sinks, tubs, showers, and on bathroom walls.
-Mold is a fungus that grows in patches which penetrate beneath the surface of its host. Mold grows on living sources, including food, drywall, paper, and wood. Mold can often grow on your ceilings, window sills, and walls.
Effects on the Host
–Mildew can harm the food or plants upon which it grows, but usually does not cause any lasting damage to other surfaces such as tile floors or bathroom mirrors.
–Mold can damage entire structures because it penetrates beneath the surface of its host.
Effects on Exposed Humans
–Mildew can cause similar allergic reactions to those caused by mold, such as coughing, sneezing, headache, sore throat, and respiratory problems. However, mildew is much easier to eliminate because it remains on the surface of its host.
–Mold can pose a serious threat to your health. It can trigger sinus problems, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, sore throat, migraines, itching, rashes, fatigue, and even depression. Mold is difficult to remove because it penetrates below the surface of its host.
So, now you know some signs to look for when answering your mold vs. mildew question, but what should you do about your problem? Contact the experts at RestoPros for immediate mold testing and remediation today!
There’s no denying that houseplants add undeniable appeal to any room. With virtually endless choices at your fingertips, you can add any plant to a room and instantly enhance its overall look. And, as a bonus, you can simultaneously improve your indoor air quality too. While houseplants are relatively easy to care for, one side effect of owning them is the possibility of mold growth. When this happens, you not only compromise your plant’s health, you can also compromise the health of your household. If you see mold start to grow on any of your plants, you need to act quickly to stop it from progressing. Follow these essential tips on how to remove and prevent mold growth from houseplants.
Removing Mold from Your Houseplants:
Step 1: Determine the extent of mold growth.
Mold loves dark, damp spaces, making your plant’s wet soil the perfect place to call home. Look for a white fuzzy substance. In most cases, the growth will be located just on the soil’s top layer, so you can simply use a spoon to scoop it up. This kind of mold only becomes a potential health risk to you and your plant when ignored. If you were to leave it there for an extended period, it could give your plant root rot.
If mold growth has reached the plant itself, take a damp paper towel and gently wipe the leaves. Use a new part of the towel each time you wipe to avoid mold from re-attaching to the plant. Once the paper towel has been used entirely, grab a new one and continue the process. If an area of growth is too strong and cannot be removed with a paper towel, cut off that leaf.
Step 2: Once the mold is removed, add an anti-fungal protectant.
We recommend scattering a small amount of either cinnamon or baking soda over the soil, which should help in preventing mold from returning. Make sure to spread it across the soil evenly.
Preventing Mold on Your Houseplants
If you find mold on any of your indoor plants, don’t panic. This doesn’t mean you should throw out all of your plants and replace them with fake ones. However, it’s extremely important to address mold issues promptly so that you can remove all growth and put measures in place to stop it from happening again. Here are four simple and effective ways to stop mold from appearing on your plants:
Use high-quality soil.
It’s tempting to purchase the cheapest soil you can find, but if you want healthy houseplants, you’ll need to find the right soil, and sometimes that winds up costing a little bit more. We recommend switching to a commercial potting soil because it’s rich in nutrients.
Don’t over water your plants.
In many cases, plants die because they haven’t been watered enough. This is especially true with indoor plants because too many plant owners see them as almost invincible. While it’s not as common for people to overwater their plants, it does happen, and wherever there’s a damp space, expect mold to grow there. For tips on watering your plants, check out this article from Better Homes & Gardens.
Make sure your plants are located in areas with adequate light.
Unfortunately, you can’t plop a houseplant just anywhere and call it a day. Plants are living things – they grow, eat and reproduce; therefore, it’s essential to place them in a location that allows them to thrive. This might mean relocating your plant to an area that isn’t next to your bed or media center. For a plant to survive it needs adequate light, and if you want to inhibit mold growth this step is critical.
Keep pots free of debris.
Routinely check your potted plants for any debris such as dead leaves. Also, trim away any dead parts of a plant to avoid dead organic matter from accumulating on the soil in the first place.
If you have any questions about mold growth related to plants or anything else, give us a call today! We’d be more than happy to help you on your way to achieving a mold-free home. Give the experts at RestoPros a call today at 855-587-3786!
Humidifiers can have many benefits for you and your home in the fall and winter. The trick is finding the right balance of humidity. Dry air can trigger allergies, cold, flu, and snoring, so we recommend a humidifier to fight those and other ailments and effects on your home.
Too much humidity can lead to a whole host of mold-related problems – and RestoPros can solve them! Continue on to read the benefits of a humidifier.
Replenish Dry Air from the Heater
In the winter, you turn on your heater and the air starts to dry out. Along with the air your skin, hands, lips, and eyes can all get very dry. A humidifier can add an invisible mist to the air to add moisture and prevent some dryness. If you already have cracked hands or lips, we recommend trying your favorite lotion or hand cream!
Prevent Cold/Flu
With dry air your system has a harder time functioning, meaning your sinuses don’t drain properly. Humidifiers can help correct the drainage issues and in turn prevent cold and flu. Unfortunately, if you already have a cold or flu, you’ll need to rely on a doctor’s advice to cure it!
Alleviate Snoring
Snoring can be triggered by many different things. Dry air can dry out your airways and cause you and your partner to begin to snore. Adding a humidifier to your home will introduce moisture to the air, and you’ll sleep soundly in no time.
Prevents Allergies
Just like spring, winter comes with its own set of allergies. The dry air your heater creates in your home, partnered with closing your windows and blocking out fresh air, causes the same air to circulate in your home.
Effects on Your Home
If you have wallpaper in your home, you want to be sure to have a humidifier in the winter so that it doesn’t peel. Your wooden floors or furniture can crack without some humidity in the air.
Tips for Your Humidifier:
-Recommended humidity levels are usually somewhere between 30-50%.
-Refresh water frequently. Humidifiers use about a gallon of water daily, so to avoid mold and bacteria, change the water and wash the buckets a few times a week.
-Change the filter at least every month, if not sooner. In the same way that your HVAC filter can get clogged if it’s not changed frequently, the humidifier filter can get clogged and eventually will contribute negatively to your indoor air quality.
The moisture a humidifier adds to your home alleviates a host of issues, introduces positive particles to the air, and can make your home an overall more comfortable place to live. However, too much moisture can lead to mold and other issues, so you need to be careful to watch how much you use.
Whether you’ve begun to realize that mold is present, or if you’ve got any other type of moisture-related issues, give RestoPros a call at 855-587-3786 for the best remediation services in the Plano area!
During the summer, Dallas/Ft. Worth residents are usually more concerned about beating the heat than preventing mold. But it’s easy to forget that mold requires warmth, moisture, and shade to grow. And with summer weather bringing both heat and humidity, mold has a higher chance of infesting your home if you’re not practicing summer mold prevention.
Not sure how to keep mold from growing in your residence? Let RestoPros guide you! We have detailed 4 summer mold prevention tips for your Dallas/Ft. Worth home.
1. Keep Home Humidity Levels Low
As described, mold seeks humidity as one if its requirements to grow. And if your home’s humidity levels are too high, mold can more easily spawn and reproduce. Therefore, it’s important to maintain your home’s humidity levels for the summer. Below are a few tips to help achieve this:
Purchase a use a hygrometer to measure your home’s humidity. Generally, you’ll want to keep humidity levels between 40-60%.
Consider opening a door or window when humidity levels are high.
Utilize a dehumidifier to absorb and reduce moisture.
Run the exhaust fan in your bathroom after a bath or shower to prevent moisture build-up.
Run ceiling fans on high speed to air out any nearby moisture (use this also to save money on air conditioning!)
2. Keep Your Home Clean
Summer is the time for cookouts, barbecues, and pool parties. And while all these activities are staples for the season, the mess afterwards isn’t something you want sticking around. It’s important to clean your home as thoroughly as possible during the summer. Messiness can lead to dampness, and when it’s coupled with the summer heat it can create a suitable habitat for mold.
Be sure to clean any spill or stain immediately, and remove any food packages, cups, and other trash to avoid further surface contamination. Additionally, opt for using a natural mold cleaner to help boost the strength of your cleaning.
3. Maintain Home Temperature
Mold grows best when temperatures are above 75 degrees. So, it’s best to keep your home’s temperature below this amount to help prevent mold from growing. We recommend using both your AC and ceiling fan to achieve this temperature. Not only will this maximize cold air distribution, you’ll also be saving energy compared to just using the AC.
4. Air Dry Wet Clothes/Towels Before Storing Them
After hitting up the pool or water park, our first instinct is usually to throw our wet clothes and towels in the hamper and head for a nap. However, this is entirely not recommended, as the bundling of wet clothing and towels in a hamper creates the perfect environment for mold growth.
You’ll want to dry your wet clothes and towels before storing them. We recommend doing this via air drying, as the summer heat should remove the moisture in no time!
Maintain your Dallas/Ft. Worth home for the season by following our summer mold prevention tips. And if you have discovered mold infesting your home, contact RestoPros for our mold remediation services. Give us a call at 855-587-3786 to schedule an appointment and get started.
With Earth Day right around the corner, what better way to celebrate than buying some plants to grow! Plants are extremely important for protecting and strengthening the environment. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. This gives us and mother nature fresh air to breathe, but the benefits don’t stop there. Some plants offer health benefits and improve your IAQ (indoor air quality). Other plants bear vegetables, helping to save you money on produce!
Don’t have the green thumb to grow and care for plants? Don’t worry, the experts at RestoPros have found 5 easy plants to grow in your Dallas/Ft. Worth home!
1. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is one of the most versatile plants to grow! They can be grown either indoors or outdoors and require little care to maintain. Aloe vera is a succulent plant, which is similar to a cactus. This means they can go long periods without water. On average, aloe vera plants require water every 2-3 weeks, making it incredibly easy to maintain.
Aloe vera is also versatile in its benefits. The gel inside the leaves is often widely used in alternative medicine. Aloe vera gel can be used to treat cuts and burns, as well as sunburn. Additionally, the gel is a natural laxative. Beyond medicinal uses, aloe vera also helps to purify nearby air, improving IAQ.
2. Snake Plant
Snake plants seem almost designed to be forgotten. They require little light, meaning they’re perfect for indoors. Snake plants also only need to be watered when the soil is completely dry. As a rule, a snake plant will live better if underwatered than overwatered, so be sure not to create any puddles or sitting water in the soil.
In terms of benefits, snake plants help to improve IAQ. They naturally filter out air contaminants such as mold spores and replace them with clean, fresh air.
3. Cactus
Although they may not be the friendliest plant, a cactus is incredibly easy to maintain. However, you’ll still want to be sure they have enough resources to thrive. A cactus in a pot requires more water than a cactus in a ground. At first, you should place them in indirect light, but later they can handle direct sunlight with no issue.
A cactus improves IAQ in its own unique way. Cacti eliminate airborne bacteria and even radiation. Additionally, cacti absorb carbon dioxide during the night, further producing more clean oxygen.
4. Rubber Plant
A rubber plant is like a snake plant in terms of wanting to be neglected. They even both have boring names! Rubber plants thrive with indirect light, and a light watering schedule. One thing to remember is to wipe off leaves if they are wet. Doing this prevents leaves from rotting or changing to a less-pleasing color.
Rubber plants improve IAQ very similar to snake plants. They remove harmful gases and mold spores from the air, replacing them with clean oxygen.
5. Cherry Tomato Plant
If you are a big fan of tomatoes, you’ve found the perfect plant! Cherry tomato plants are a sort of “entry-level vegetable”. They can be grown either in a pot or garden and are a great way to learn how to grow and harvest a plant.
Cherry tomato plants do require a lot of sun, so be sure no shade is blocking them. With Dallas/Ft. Worth experiencing warmer temperatures, now is the perfect time to plant them. Cherry tomato plants require water every 2-3 days, as the soil should always remain moist. After about 2-3 months, the tomatoes should be ready for picking!
Celebrate Earth Day with these easy-to-grow plants! While we recommend you bring plants into your home, the same should not be said for mold. If you are experiencing a mold problem, or would like to test your home for mold, contact RestoPros today for our mold remediation and testing services! Give us a call at 855-587-3786 to schedule an appointment and get started!
We’ve discussed how high humidity in a home can trigger mold growth, but it can also cause damage throughout your home. In addition to stripping paint and wall paper, high humidity can cause structural damage, ruin mechanical systems and destroy property. So far, it’s been an especially humid summer with consistent rain storms and highs in the mid-90s. This combination has ensured a high humidity level outside, which can translate into high levels inside the home as well.
RestoPros is the leading water damage restoration company in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and we know firsthand the damaging effects of humidity in a home. We’ve compiled a list of the common problems associated with a high humidity level in the home. If your indoor humidity level is higher than 50%, consider taking steps to reduce that number immediately.
Wall Problems
Humidity can be very destructive to the walls in your home. The dampness can rot wood – not to mention create mold and mildew problems. The humid air can also build up inside of your walls, causing damage internally that you may not notice until it’s too late.
Solution: Adding more insulation inside walls, more air circulation in rooms.
Paint and Wallpaper Problems
Paint and wallpaper are both easily compromised by humidity. Damp air can cause cracking, peeling and bubbling. Mold and mildew can also flourish underneath wallpaper, which is why it’s important to act quickly when you notice dampness affecting
Solution: While the problem is the result of humidity within a wall or room, using moisture-resistant paint is a good idea for rooms that contain a lot of humidity by design. Bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms would benefit by using protected paint.
Flooring Problems
If you have a crawl space (or basement) in your home, there is a chance that your wood flooring could be hurt by humidity. Wood floors can warp and even rot if the humidity is strong and consistent enough. If the floor is covered in carpeting, there is also the danger of mold and mildew. Wall-to-wall carpeting over a wood floor can make it difficult to notice mold until there is a smell. At that point, the mold will be difficult to remove entirely.
Solution: If the problem stems from moisture coming from subfloors (damp concrete slabs, joists that absorb moisture over wet ground), then the problem will need to be assessed by a professional. Bulk water (standing water) from a leak, moisture evaporating from the ground or humid outdoor air coming in through a vent are all causes for flooring problems.
Plumbing System Problems
Humidity can create condensation on water pipes, toilet tanks and water fixtures, especially if the water is 45 degrees or lower. This can result in rust, mildew and mold; resulting in myriad problems.
Solution: Insulation can help with condensation on pipes. Waterproof insulation can also be installed inside a toilet tank.
Attic Problems
A lack of air circulation in your attic can contribute to humidity problems – especially when the humidity outside is high. A hot, humid attic can result in wood rot, paint cracking and mold growth.
Solution: Consider installing a whole house attic fan to help with circulation throughout the house (including the attic).
While most modern HVAC systems are designed to take of humidity problems in a home, not every residence has central air. Even if you own an HVAC system, you might still experience humidity problems due to inadequate installation – or problems with the insulation in your home. Whatever the cause, if you have recently experienced damage from high humidity contact the experts at RestoPros. We can help with most problems associated with water damage. Call 855-587-3786 to schedule an appointment with one of our service specialists today!
We’ve discussed how high humidity in a home can trigger mold growth, but it can also cause damage throughout your home. In addition to stripping paint and wall paper, high humidity can cause structural damage, ruin mechanical systems and destroy property. So far, it’s been an especially humid summer with consistent rain storms and highs in the mid-90s. This combination has ensured a high humidity level outside, which can translate into high levels inside the home as well.