Ever experienced unexplained headaches or fatigue?
Maybe an itchy throat, watery eyes, or even breathing problems?1
It happened to rock star Ted Nugent and his family. After moving to a rental home, they started feeling sick…really sick.
But when they traveled, spent the night in a hotel, or stayed somewhere else, they usually started feeling better.
And eventually, they realized it must be the house. Nugent’s wife (a fitness model and celebrity) even called it, “The Killer House,” after multiple doctor’s visits and trips to the hospital.
“I don’t think I’d be alive today if we hadn’t taken aggressive action and moved out of that Killer House,” she wrote on her blog.
Feeling sick frequently, without being able to explain it?
It may not be your diet, exercise habits, sleep patterns, or stress levels. But it could be the environment inside your house.
And mold may be the cause, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.2
Inspect common places for mold in your home
Is there mold in your home? Mold grows in places where moisture is present like:
Mold near a window in the house
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- Kitchens
- Bathrooms
- Windows
- Ceiling
- Carpeting
If there’s a leak, crack, or spill, there’s potential for mold. Mold can even grow in dust, paint, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, fabric, and upholstery.
If you have a mold problem in your home, you can often smell it or see it (usually colored spots in a specific area). And you should take action to protect your health.
5 ways to prevent and remove mold
Prevention is key. Think of it like this…the right habits can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic health problems. And the sooner you do something about it, the better. That’s true for mold, too.
Here are some simple ways to prevent and remove mold:
- Use an air conditioner or dehumidifier to keep humidity levels between 30 and 50 percent inside your home.
- Use exhaust fans and vents in bathrooms, kitchen, and dryer to improve ventilation and keep these areas dry.
- Fix leaks in roofing, pipes, walls, and plumbing to prevent mold from growing.
- Clean up spills on carpeting and flooring as soon as possible. Consider using a fan to make sure they’re fully dry.
- To remove mold from hard surfaces, use soap and water, recommended cleaning products, or a bleach solution (1 cup of bleach / 1 gallon of water). Note: If mold is in carpeting or drywall, it must be removed.
Sources
- Cox-Ganser, J.M. (2015). Indoor dampness and mould health effects – ongoing questions on microbial exposures and allergic versus nonallergic mechanisms. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 45(10): 1478-1482. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667360/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Basic facts about mold and dampness. From: https://www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm