Residents Hear How to Fight Mildew

[Guest guest]

Residents Hear How to Fight Mildew

Expert offers advice that any Florida resident can use.

The Ledger - Lakeland,FL*

By LINDA CHARLTON

REPORTER CORRESPONDENT

http://www.theledger.com/article/20080221/REPORTER/802210397/1374

TAVARES | As Extension Agent Deborah Bourlware noted to an audience

gathered at the Lake County Agriculture Center, " It would be hard to

live in Florida and to never have mold in a house. "

Bourlware recently presented a program, " Fungus Among Us, " for area

residents looking to learn more about the basics on mold and mildew

in the home, and to get tips on how to prevent mold problems -

including what to do if you already have one.

She said it isn't always necessary to call in professionals.

" Don't get hung up on getting someone to test for mold, " Bourlware

said. " The bottom line is to get rid of it. "

There are a number of routine household products that kill mold, the

most common being bleach and rubbing alcohol. Whether or not it's

practical for a homeowner to do the removal themselves depends on

the size of the affected area.

The rule of thumb Bourlware uses is one square yard. If the area is

larger than that, there are just too many toxic vapors - from the

mold, or from the cleaning agents - for the cleanup to be done

safely by the average homeowner.

In cases of obvious water intrusion - such as a wet carpet or wet

furniture - " The key is to get it up, get it out, as fast as you

can, " Bourlware said. She indicated the window of opportunity to

prevent mold problems in that kind of situation, such as when a

heavy storm taps into a leak in the roof, as 24 to 48 hours.

One University of Florida/IFAS publication puts the optimum

environmental conditions for mold growth as 77-88 degrees

Fahrenheit, and 70-93 percent relative humidity. The key to mold

prevention is moisture control. While some instances of water

intrusion are impossible to prevent, there are ways besides use of

air conditioning to minimize moisture in homes. They include:

Have extenders on your gutters, to channel water away from your

walls;

Keep gutters clear and functional;

Keep shrubbery at least two feet away from walls;

Avoid sprinkling walls with an irrigation system;

Make sure your flashing is intact;

Run your bathroom exhaust fans for 5-10 minutes each time you

shower, or right after;

Run vents to the outside as often as possible;

Replace air conditioner filters once a month;

Keep stucco no closer than eight inches above ground level.

For snowbirds seeking to control mold and mildew while they're away,

Bourlware recommends either setting the air-conditioning thermostat

to 80 degrees, or putting the system on a timer, and running the air

conditioner for several hours at night in order to dehumidify the

house.

In addition, she said to leave closet doors open, since louvered

doors may afford adequate ventilation, make sure drapes are pulled

away from the walls and cushions lifted away from whatever furniture

they normally sit on.

The problem with using chemical mold inhibitors, such as mothballs,

is that it becomes necessary to air out the house before you can

move back into it, she said.

She also noted that in humid weather, it is not advisable to have

the air conditioner fan running continuously, since it will " put

moisture back on walls. "

For more information on mold, mildew, and other daily life issues,

visit the UF/IFAS Web site at www.solutionsforyourlife.com. For the

mildew page, enter " mildew " in the search window.

[ Charlton can be reached at 352-223-8224. ]