Since the early 1900’s, we have been using a drug called Penicillin to treat bacterial infections in the human body, but something a lot of people don’t know is that it was discovered quite by accident by a Scottish scientist named Sir Alexander Fleming in the year 1928.
In his laboratory in St. Mary’s Hospital in London, he discovered that the mold Penicillium notatum had found its way into a culture dish of Staphylococcus and was inhibiting its growth. He thought initially that it could be a good disinfectant and noted that it was highly effective, but was minimally toxic. The importance of his discovery was not really known at the time and the use of penicillin did not really begin until the 1940’s. Howard Florey and three of his colleagues at Oxford University started to research further into penicillin. The ability that it had to kill infectious bacteria was particularly interesting, but since the country was in the middle of World War II, it was unable to gather the funds necessary to produce mass amounts of the penicillin required for clinical trials and looked to the United States for assistance.
A search worldwide began for the perfect strain of penicillin mold that would produce the largest amount of the mold when it was grown in a vat containing corn steep liquor and strangely, it was not found abroad, but right at home in Peoria in a market next to the lab assisting Oxford with the production of the mold.
By almost the end of 1941, Andrew J. Moyer, a mold nutrition expert, succeeded in multiplying the penicillin production by 10 times and by the year 1943, the clinical trials needed to approve the penicillin doses for public use. These doses were extremely expensive in the year 1940, but as time went on, they became much less costly, being around $20 a dose in July of 1943, and around fifty cents per dose in 1946.
About four years after penicillin had begun being produced on a large scale in 1943, bacteria and other microbes started resisting it. Staphylococcus aureus was one of the first to effectively battle penicillin and while it is a normal, mostly harmless inhabitant of the human body, it can cause pneumonia or TSS (toxic shock syndrome, associated with the use of tampons) when it begins to multiply in large numbers. It then begins to produce a toxin and this is what makes the person ill.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Water Damage and Preventing It From the Outside
When talking about preventing water damage, one of the most important places to start is outside the home. Making sure rain and flood waters run away from your home instead of settling around the foundation is essential to prevent the weakening of it. Water will not only cause structural damage, but it will loosen the soil in the ground around the house and cause it to sink over time.
If you live in an extreme climate such as on that receives an exceptional amount of rainfall or snowfall every year, you need to take some extra measures to prevent water damage to your home, since it’s likely to occur in these areas more than in some others. The more rain a home is subject to receiving upon it every year, the more likely it will seep inside and cause water damage to your home’s structural integrity. Make sure soil at the base of the home is piled upward so that water drains away from the foundation and into another area of the yard; if you can, have it drain into the ditch that usually runs beside most homes just next to the road.
Sometimes your gutters can be overloaded by water if the rainfall is harder than normal, so the gutters attached to the outside of your home need to be as large as necessary to handle a large amount of water. They should remain clear of debris such as leaves, sticks, and anything else that can stop them up. Being sure these are cleaned thoroughly might be a pain, but when you think about the money that’s spent on water damaged homes every year, you’re actually saving yourself a lot of trouble.
Be sure the downspouts that are connected to your gutters are free and clear of debris both inside them and down at the ground level so the water collected by your gutters doesn’t collect around the base of the house.
Your roof should be built at such an angle that water is not able to merely sit standing on any part of it for any period of time. Standing water on your roof will cause weak spots and will begin to leak inside the house and eventually cause standing water there, as well. Insulation soaks up water like candy and once it’s wet, it’s no longer effective and becomes a breeding ground for mold and other fungi.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.waterbasementct.info and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
If you live in an extreme climate such as on that receives an exceptional amount of rainfall or snowfall every year, you need to take some extra measures to prevent water damage to your home, since it’s likely to occur in these areas more than in some others. The more rain a home is subject to receiving upon it every year, the more likely it will seep inside and cause water damage to your home’s structural integrity. Make sure soil at the base of the home is piled upward so that water drains away from the foundation and into another area of the yard; if you can, have it drain into the ditch that usually runs beside most homes just next to the road.
Sometimes your gutters can be overloaded by water if the rainfall is harder than normal, so the gutters attached to the outside of your home need to be as large as necessary to handle a large amount of water. They should remain clear of debris such as leaves, sticks, and anything else that can stop them up. Being sure these are cleaned thoroughly might be a pain, but when you think about the money that’s spent on water damaged homes every year, you’re actually saving yourself a lot of trouble.
Be sure the downspouts that are connected to your gutters are free and clear of debris both inside them and down at the ground level so the water collected by your gutters doesn’t collect around the base of the house.
Your roof should be built at such an angle that water is not able to merely sit standing on any part of it for any period of time. Standing water on your roof will cause weak spots and will begin to leak inside the house and eventually cause standing water there, as well. Insulation soaks up water like candy and once it’s wet, it’s no longer effective and becomes a breeding ground for mold and other fungi.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.waterbasementct.info and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
Preventing Water Damaging in Electronics
People would not get as bent out of shape about their cell phone getting wet if it wasn’t for the reason that they were probably using it at the time. Often is the case that electronics cease to function once they make contact with water because the device is powered on when it hits the liquid. If you are one of the unfortunate many who has dropped a electronic device in the drink, don’t worry about it. Just make sure that it wasn’t on when you dropped it in. While water can cause damage to electronics, the electricity that causes it to work is what causes the machine to fry like an egg on the windshield of your car in triple digit weather. Turning on your device after it has been submerged will cause the electric current to run through it and will usually render the device useless.
There are obvious ways to prevent your device from being submerged in water. One such way is called being careful. But this method isn’t always effective. If your device is, let’s say, a cell phone, a cover for it is your best bet. While a cover won’t always, well, cover it, it will be a great way to prevent a good deal of moisture. If, say, your computer has some water spilled on it (and just what are you doing with liquids around your computer, anyway?) you should IMMEDIATELY unplug it and wait for roughly two weeks so that it has dried out, and there is no water to cause its very unpleasant death. It is very important that you keep the device in a cool, dry area that won’t pick up condensation, because that will cause the device to take longer to dry, and additional water damage can be done. It is also important to wait for a week or two, and to make sure that you do NOT shake the device to see if there is still water in it. This can just cause damage to the device, and then you will have waited for probably nothing.
Now, if you are the kind of person who doubts their repertoire of electronics knowledge, it’s best to simply take the device to an electronics repairman. You will have to shell out a few bucks, but not as many as you paid for the device. This can also be taken as a chance to make sure there is nothing else wrong with the device that should be fixed before it is used again.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.waterbasementct.info and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
There are obvious ways to prevent your device from being submerged in water. One such way is called being careful. But this method isn’t always effective. If your device is, let’s say, a cell phone, a cover for it is your best bet. While a cover won’t always, well, cover it, it will be a great way to prevent a good deal of moisture. If, say, your computer has some water spilled on it (and just what are you doing with liquids around your computer, anyway?) you should IMMEDIATELY unplug it and wait for roughly two weeks so that it has dried out, and there is no water to cause its very unpleasant death. It is very important that you keep the device in a cool, dry area that won’t pick up condensation, because that will cause the device to take longer to dry, and additional water damage can be done. It is also important to wait for a week or two, and to make sure that you do NOT shake the device to see if there is still water in it. This can just cause damage to the device, and then you will have waited for probably nothing.
Now, if you are the kind of person who doubts their repertoire of electronics knowledge, it’s best to simply take the device to an electronics repairman. You will have to shell out a few bucks, but not as many as you paid for the device. This can also be taken as a chance to make sure there is nothing else wrong with the device that should be fixed before it is used again.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.waterbasementct.info and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
Mold in Your Refrigerator
We’ve all had mold in our refrigerator at some point or another, but most of us just accept that this is going to happen and there’s not much that we can do about it. Food ages in our refrigerator whether it’s a piece of fruit, a vegetable, or a jar of grape jelly and becomes moldy over time. This mold spreads to the other items in our fridge and contaminates them, as well. What can you do about it?
Well, storing your food in your refrigerator properly is one of the most important things that you can do. Mold, bacteria, and mildew will start to grow in your fridge if you don’t. Check your food items in the fridge regularly and if anything is showing signs of mold growth, remove it immediately.
Don’t leave cracked egg shells in the carton. Bacteria exists on the outside of the egg shells and once on the inside, even if you’ve removed most of the egg, some of it still remains on the inside of the shell and bacteria will feed on it.
There are some general rules if you find food that has mold growing on it. There are some kinds of cheeses that are made with mold, but sometimes we see a spot of it that shouldn’t be there, like on a block of cheddar cheese. You don’t have to throw the whole block away, just take a clean knife and cut off the moldy part. It’s best to cut about an inch around and an inch underneath the spot to make sure that it doesn’t contaminate the rest of the block and don’t touch your knife to the mold. Don’t bother trying to save any soft cheeses or individual slices or sour cream.
You should follow the same rule for things like country ham and hard salami. If it’s covered with mold, though, toss it.
Any fruits and vegetables that are showing mold can be treated this way as long as they’re hard natured. Soft ones like plums or tomatoes should be thrown away if you see mold.
Any grains that you see with mold on them should be thrown away immediately. Be careful about any organic food that you buy; these don’t contain any pesticides or preservatives, they’re more likely to have mold growth.
Any tissue in potatoes that looks black or discolored in any way should be cut off.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
mold removal in Atlanta Georgia and
Water Damage Restoration companies.
Well, storing your food in your refrigerator properly is one of the most important things that you can do. Mold, bacteria, and mildew will start to grow in your fridge if you don’t. Check your food items in the fridge regularly and if anything is showing signs of mold growth, remove it immediately.
Don’t leave cracked egg shells in the carton. Bacteria exists on the outside of the egg shells and once on the inside, even if you’ve removed most of the egg, some of it still remains on the inside of the shell and bacteria will feed on it.
There are some general rules if you find food that has mold growing on it. There are some kinds of cheeses that are made with mold, but sometimes we see a spot of it that shouldn’t be there, like on a block of cheddar cheese. You don’t have to throw the whole block away, just take a clean knife and cut off the moldy part. It’s best to cut about an inch around and an inch underneath the spot to make sure that it doesn’t contaminate the rest of the block and don’t touch your knife to the mold. Don’t bother trying to save any soft cheeses or individual slices or sour cream.
You should follow the same rule for things like country ham and hard salami. If it’s covered with mold, though, toss it.
Any fruits and vegetables that are showing mold can be treated this way as long as they’re hard natured. Soft ones like plums or tomatoes should be thrown away if you see mold.
Any grains that you see with mold on them should be thrown away immediately. Be careful about any organic food that you buy; these don’t contain any pesticides or preservatives, they’re more likely to have mold growth.
Any tissue in potatoes that looks black or discolored in any way should be cut off.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
mold removal in Atlanta Georgia and
Water Damage Restoration companies.
Mold and Your Health
If you have lived in the same home for a while now, you have probably gotten used to living there and any gradual changes that have been made. You probably barely think of how the paint on your walls is fading, or how the carpet has a little stain here and there, or how your ceiling got that patch of mold. Mold spreads in places in the house that we rarely go, like basements, the back of our closets, and in areas containing plumbing. It is dangerous for mold to spread across one’s home. Depending on how long the mold has been present, serious health complications could arise that you aren’t even aware of.
Mold inhalation can cause such afflictions as asthma, allergies, bleeding in the lungs, respiratory illness, or, perhaps most frightening, cancer. It has been shown that children are more likely to develop asthma if they are exposed to molds in working and home environments. Apart from asthma, hives, sinus problems, tremors, vomiting, dizziness, and even mood swings have been known to occur in places where mold has been allowed to spread freely across.
Pneumonitis is a condition that afflicts the lungs, and is developed by inhaling dust, mold, or fungus spores for long periods of time. If a person is not removed from the area where these spores are located, they could have permanently lung damage, among the other serious conditions that could go along with it. Although it may be expensive to have a professional help remove the mold spores and dust from the house, it would be nowhere near as expensive as the impending medical bills that would come around as a result of lung damage.
There is an abundance of health complications that could come about from prolonged exposure to mold and dust, many of which people are unaware of. Often, people are unaware that there even is a dust problem in their house, and this is especially dangerous. The owner of the home usually thinks that they cannot afford to vacate their home while a professional helps remove the mold, so they stay there. But, in all actuality, they are only putting their spouse, children, any elderly relatives that may live with them, and pets in serious physical jeopardy. It is best to simply vacate and find some means of getting the house cleaned before it becomes completely infested and unlivable.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Miami and
water damage restoration in atlanta companies.
Mold inhalation can cause such afflictions as asthma, allergies, bleeding in the lungs, respiratory illness, or, perhaps most frightening, cancer. It has been shown that children are more likely to develop asthma if they are exposed to molds in working and home environments. Apart from asthma, hives, sinus problems, tremors, vomiting, dizziness, and even mood swings have been known to occur in places where mold has been allowed to spread freely across.
Pneumonitis is a condition that afflicts the lungs, and is developed by inhaling dust, mold, or fungus spores for long periods of time. If a person is not removed from the area where these spores are located, they could have permanently lung damage, among the other serious conditions that could go along with it. Although it may be expensive to have a professional help remove the mold spores and dust from the house, it would be nowhere near as expensive as the impending medical bills that would come around as a result of lung damage.
There is an abundance of health complications that could come about from prolonged exposure to mold and dust, many of which people are unaware of. Often, people are unaware that there even is a dust problem in their house, and this is especially dangerous. The owner of the home usually thinks that they cannot afford to vacate their home while a professional helps remove the mold, so they stay there. But, in all actuality, they are only putting their spouse, children, any elderly relatives that may live with them, and pets in serious physical jeopardy. It is best to simply vacate and find some means of getting the house cleaned before it becomes completely infested and unlivable.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Miami and
water damage restoration in atlanta companies.
Mold and Your Food
We’ve all had mold in our refrigerator at some point or another, but most of us just accept that this is going to happen and there’s not much that we can do about it. Food ages in our refrigerator whether it’s a piece of fruit, a vegetable, or a jar of grape jelly and becomes moldy over time. This mold spreads to the other items in our fridge and contaminates them, as well. What can you do about it?
Well, storing your food in your refrigerator properly is one of the most important things that you can do. Mold, bacteria, and mildew will start to grow in your fridge if you don’t. Check your food items in the fridge regularly and if anything is showing signs of mold growth, remove it immediately.
Don’t leave cracked egg shells in the carton. Bacteria exists on the outside of the egg shells and once on the inside, even if you’ve removed most of the egg, some of it still remains on the inside of the shell and bacteria will feed on it.
There are some general rules if you find food that has mold growing on it. There are some kinds of cheeses that are made with mold, but sometimes we see a spot of it that shouldn’t be there, like on a block of cheddar cheese. You don’t have to throw the whole block away, just take a clean knife and cut off the moldy part. It’s best to cut about an inch around and an inch underneath the spot to make sure that it doesn’t contaminate the rest of the block and don’t touch your knife to the mold. Don’t bother trying to save any soft cheeses or individual slices or sour cream.
You should follow the same rule for things like country ham and hard salami. If it’s covered with mold, though, toss it.
Any fruits and vegetables that are showing mold can be treated this way as long as they’re hard natured. Soft ones like plums or tomatoes should be thrown away if you see mold.
Any grains that you see with mold on them should be thrown away immediately. Be careful about any organic food that you buy; these don’t contain any pesticides or preservatives, they’re more likely to have mold growth.
Any tissue in potatoes that looks black or discolored in any way should be cut off.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companies.
Well, storing your food in your refrigerator properly is one of the most important things that you can do. Mold, bacteria, and mildew will start to grow in your fridge if you don’t. Check your food items in the fridge regularly and if anything is showing signs of mold growth, remove it immediately.
Don’t leave cracked egg shells in the carton. Bacteria exists on the outside of the egg shells and once on the inside, even if you’ve removed most of the egg, some of it still remains on the inside of the shell and bacteria will feed on it.
There are some general rules if you find food that has mold growing on it. There are some kinds of cheeses that are made with mold, but sometimes we see a spot of it that shouldn’t be there, like on a block of cheddar cheese. You don’t have to throw the whole block away, just take a clean knife and cut off the moldy part. It’s best to cut about an inch around and an inch underneath the spot to make sure that it doesn’t contaminate the rest of the block and don’t touch your knife to the mold. Don’t bother trying to save any soft cheeses or individual slices or sour cream.
You should follow the same rule for things like country ham and hard salami. If it’s covered with mold, though, toss it.
Any fruits and vegetables that are showing mold can be treated this way as long as they’re hard natured. Soft ones like plums or tomatoes should be thrown away if you see mold.
Any grains that you see with mold on them should be thrown away immediately. Be careful about any organic food that you buy; these don’t contain any pesticides or preservatives, they’re more likely to have mold growth.
Any tissue in potatoes that looks black or discolored in any way should be cut off.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companies.
Mold and Ways to Avoid It
A little known fact about mold is that it is everywhere, even the air we breathe. Mold is a form of fungus that grows everywhere in the world, of which uncountable quantities of species and colors exist. Despite the fact that most molds are harmless and come in pretty colors, there are some to be sure to steer clear from. A prime example of dangerous mold is toxic black mold, which anyone would be afraid of dwelling in their houses. Black mold is a highly toxic mold which many people are allergic to, not to mention the health complications the mold brings on its own.
Mold is a very sneaky fungus which can invade your home from outside, or leaky plumbing, or even condensation due to high humidity. Mold loves to grow where there is a lot of moisture in the air or even where there is water in general.
While at first glance mold may not seem like something to write home about, it is an ugly force to be reckoned with. Molds can cause very nasty health problems, and can ruin furniture, clothing, and food. If any of these are plagued with mold, it will take rigorous scrubbing and sterilization before they can be used again, if it’s a good idea to use them again at all. Some items are best just thrown away, like the aforementioned food and clothing. If one discovers a mold infestation, one should remove the mold through any means necessary, including cleaning kits, or different testing. If neither of these works, it is highly recommended to call in a professional to evict the mold from your home, because no one wants something living in their home that doesn’t pay rent.
Some should worry about mold more than others. Small children, elderly people, and basically anyone who is afflicted with a respiratory condition should be cautious. Anyone whose immune system is weakened, pregnant women, anyone freshly out of surgery, or chemotherapy patients are also at high risk.
It is actually easy for one to prevent mold from tormenting your living environment, as long as you make sure to be consistent with home cleaning habits. It is important to make sure that your home is fairly dry and cool, with as little moisture as possible. The most popular hang-out spots for mold are the basement and the attic, which like to attract humidity. Any spill that occurs in a bathroom or kitchen should be cleaned up quickly, but thoroughly. Do not allow standing water in any place in the home, or it will become a hotbed for bacterial infection which leads to mold. It is also important to draw heat and moisture away from your home with fans, and a good ventilation system.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Mold is a very sneaky fungus which can invade your home from outside, or leaky plumbing, or even condensation due to high humidity. Mold loves to grow where there is a lot of moisture in the air or even where there is water in general.
While at first glance mold may not seem like something to write home about, it is an ugly force to be reckoned with. Molds can cause very nasty health problems, and can ruin furniture, clothing, and food. If any of these are plagued with mold, it will take rigorous scrubbing and sterilization before they can be used again, if it’s a good idea to use them again at all. Some items are best just thrown away, like the aforementioned food and clothing. If one discovers a mold infestation, one should remove the mold through any means necessary, including cleaning kits, or different testing. If neither of these works, it is highly recommended to call in a professional to evict the mold from your home, because no one wants something living in their home that doesn’t pay rent.
Some should worry about mold more than others. Small children, elderly people, and basically anyone who is afflicted with a respiratory condition should be cautious. Anyone whose immune system is weakened, pregnant women, anyone freshly out of surgery, or chemotherapy patients are also at high risk.
It is actually easy for one to prevent mold from tormenting your living environment, as long as you make sure to be consistent with home cleaning habits. It is important to make sure that your home is fairly dry and cool, with as little moisture as possible. The most popular hang-out spots for mold are the basement and the attic, which like to attract humidity. Any spill that occurs in a bathroom or kitchen should be cleaned up quickly, but thoroughly. Do not allow standing water in any place in the home, or it will become a hotbed for bacterial infection which leads to mold. It is also important to draw heat and moisture away from your home with fans, and a good ventilation system.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Mold Allergies
A lot of us suffer from allergies due to pollen, grasses, dogs, cats, and any number of items, but mold can be the cause of allergy symptoms just as much as any of these. These symptoms are common in individuals from spring all the way into late fall and even though some molds can grow at freezing temperatures, most cannot. Any plants or animals that have been killed by the winter elements are a feeding ground for mold.
In some areas of the United States, such as the far southeast where it remains warm almost year round, mold can grow throughout the year and aggravate the allergies of anyone nearby. Molds that are allowed to grow inside the home or workplace can cause perennial allergic rhinitis.
The symptoms of mold allergies can be brought about or even made worse by eating foods that have been processed with fungi such as mushrooms or foods containing yeast such as bread or beer. Having an allergy to the mold penicillium can be held accountable for problems occurring when a person receives a dose of penicillin at the doctor’s office.
Generally only if mold spores are in large quantities do they aggravate a person’s allergies. Being easily carried by the air or being a specific kind of allergenic mold are also important factors. There are only a few dozen kinds of mold that are significantly allergenic. Alternaria and Cladosporium (Hormodendrum) are two of the frequently found molds indoors and outdoors and are allergenic. Penicillium is also a kind of mold that is allergenic and people with an allergy to the drug penicillin know this all too well.
Mold counts sometimes exist on the news or other weather reports and these exist to determine what kinds of mold and how much of it is in the air at a certain time or place. These reports aren’t always accurate because as the weather changes, the mold spores will spread out or collect in other areas. The time of day that you plan your activities is also important when it comes to planning around mold counts because research has indicated that dry mold spores tend to favor the daytime and wet spores tend to favor the night.
There are many different ways to determine if a mold health related condition exists in a person. There are x-rays that can be done, blood tests, examination of sputum, or a swab of a sore on the skin can be examined to determine if fungus exists living inside the body.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
In some areas of the United States, such as the far southeast where it remains warm almost year round, mold can grow throughout the year and aggravate the allergies of anyone nearby. Molds that are allowed to grow inside the home or workplace can cause perennial allergic rhinitis.
The symptoms of mold allergies can be brought about or even made worse by eating foods that have been processed with fungi such as mushrooms or foods containing yeast such as bread or beer. Having an allergy to the mold penicillium can be held accountable for problems occurring when a person receives a dose of penicillin at the doctor’s office.
Generally only if mold spores are in large quantities do they aggravate a person’s allergies. Being easily carried by the air or being a specific kind of allergenic mold are also important factors. There are only a few dozen kinds of mold that are significantly allergenic. Alternaria and Cladosporium (Hormodendrum) are two of the frequently found molds indoors and outdoors and are allergenic. Penicillium is also a kind of mold that is allergenic and people with an allergy to the drug penicillin know this all too well.
Mold counts sometimes exist on the news or other weather reports and these exist to determine what kinds of mold and how much of it is in the air at a certain time or place. These reports aren’t always accurate because as the weather changes, the mold spores will spread out or collect in other areas. The time of day that you plan your activities is also important when it comes to planning around mold counts because research has indicated that dry mold spores tend to favor the daytime and wet spores tend to favor the night.
There are many different ways to determine if a mold health related condition exists in a person. There are x-rays that can be done, blood tests, examination of sputum, or a swab of a sore on the skin can be examined to determine if fungus exists living inside the body.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
Keeping a Bathroom Free of Mold
We want our bathrooms to stay as clean as possible and the idea of something unsanitary such as mold living in it is a little gross to most of us. Bacteria is bad enough, but when you start thinking about the fact that fungi might be growing in what’s supposed to be one of the cleanest places in your home, you tend to wonder what you can do to prevent it from happening to you. How can you do that? Here are a few tips.
Don’t put carpet in your bathroom. If your toilet overflows, having carpet at its base will prevent you from being able to soak up all the water and if it isn’t cleaned up properly and is allowed to dry naturally, mold can start to grow within 48 hours. The best kind of floor to have in the bathroom is a tile one and caulking around the bathtub and walls will make sure the water can’t escape into the wood behind it.
One of the most important purchases you can make if you buy an older home is a bathroom vent that will allow steam and warm air to escape outside into the atmosphere instead of collecting and causing condensation on your ceiling. The sheetrock on your ceiling will absorb this condensation and become water damaged over time if the steam from your shower or bath has nowhere to go. If you don’t have a vent like this installed in your bathroom, it will save you money to have one installed as quickly as you can gather the funds to do so.
Throwing wet or damp towels and rags into your bathroom closet and leaving them in contact with the floor, even if you do have a tile one, will cause mold to grow if they’re not removed regularly. It’s best to use a clothes hamper or something else to put the clothes into besides just leaving them on the floor. Dirty clothes baskets or bins should be emptied often, at least every two days. Even if they’re in a bin instead of on the floor, mold can still start to grow.
If you discover mold growing anywhere in your bathroom on the sheetrock or around the floor, it’s best to assume that the mold is also growing inside the wall, ceiling, or floor. Most of these building materials will need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
We want our bathrooms to stay as clean as possible and the idea of something unsanitary such as mold living in it is a little gross to most of us. Bacteria is bad enough, but when you start thinking about the fact that fungi might be growing in what’s supposed to be one of the cleanest places in your home, you tend to wonder what you can do to prevent it from happening to you. How can you do that? Here are a few tips.
Don’t put carpet in your bathroom. If your toilet overflows, having carpet at its base will prevent you from being able to soak up all the water and if it isn’t cleaned up properly and is allowed to dry naturally, mold can start to grow within 48 hours. The best kind of floor to have in the bathroom is a tile one and caulking around the bathtub and walls will make sure the water can’t escape into the wood behind it.
One of the most important purchases you can make if you buy an older home is a bathroom vent that will allow steam and warm air to escape outside into the atmosphere instead of collecting and causing condensation on your ceiling. The sheetrock on your ceiling will absorb this condensation and become water damaged over time if the steam from your shower or bath has nowhere to go. If you don’t have a vent like this installed in your bathroom, it will save you money to have one installed as quickly as you can gather the funds to do so.
Throwing wet or damp towels and rags into your bathroom closet and leaving them in contact with the floor, even if you do have a tile one, will cause mold to grow if they’re not removed regularly. It’s best to use a clothes hamper or something else to put the clothes into besides just leaving them on the floor. Dirty clothes baskets or bins should be emptied often, at least every two days. Even if they’re in a bin instead of on the floor, mold can still start to grow.
If you discover mold growing anywhere in your bathroom on the sheetrock or around the floor, it’s best to assume that the mold is also growing inside the wall, ceiling, or floor. Most of these building materials will need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
Employees, Tenants, and Mold
As if mold invading our homes wasn’t enough, it also invades other buildings such as the places where we work. Anyone who owns a rental property or hires employees to work in a building that he or she owns must ensure that the building is free and clear of mold infestations not only because this can cause significant structural damage, but because they can be held legally liable for any and all medical bills associated with mold health complications resulting from working in a mold infested environment.
The list of health complications that can be blamed on mold are almost endless. You’d have a better chance of picking a winning roulette number than you would of guessing the health effect(s) mold will cause in you. You can become sick with anything from chronic dandruff, skin rashes, to bleeding in your lungs and aspergilloma (fungus balls that grow in cavities within the body). The list of conditions caused by or aggravated by mold is longer than can be listed here. What can employers and landlords do to ensure the safety of their workers and tenants?
First of all, take the claims that mold exist on the property seriously. Check out the areas where your workers or tenants claim mold exist yourself and if you see even the slightest evidence that they could be right, you should be quick to have a professional test for mold. If the test comes back as positive, you’re required to inform your workers that mold exists on the property and when remediation of it will begin and a general idea of when it will be concluded. As soon as the property has had the mold removed, you need to have another test done to prove that the mold is gone. Getting your employees back to work and your tenants back in their rental as soon as you can will restart your cash flow.
You should encourage any of your employees that suffer health effects that could be attributed to the mold in your workplace or your rental property to see a doctor. Any mold infestation that you detect should be dealt with as quickly as possible because you can be held responsible for more than just their medical bills associated with the mold. If they’re your tenants, you can also be held responsible for their relocation bills and moving expenses.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
The list of health complications that can be blamed on mold are almost endless. You’d have a better chance of picking a winning roulette number than you would of guessing the health effect(s) mold will cause in you. You can become sick with anything from chronic dandruff, skin rashes, to bleeding in your lungs and aspergilloma (fungus balls that grow in cavities within the body). The list of conditions caused by or aggravated by mold is longer than can be listed here. What can employers and landlords do to ensure the safety of their workers and tenants?
First of all, take the claims that mold exist on the property seriously. Check out the areas where your workers or tenants claim mold exist yourself and if you see even the slightest evidence that they could be right, you should be quick to have a professional test for mold. If the test comes back as positive, you’re required to inform your workers that mold exists on the property and when remediation of it will begin and a general idea of when it will be concluded. As soon as the property has had the mold removed, you need to have another test done to prove that the mold is gone. Getting your employees back to work and your tenants back in their rental as soon as you can will restart your cash flow.
You should encourage any of your employees that suffer health effects that could be attributed to the mold in your workplace or your rental property to see a doctor. Any mold infestation that you detect should be dealt with as quickly as possible because you can be held responsible for more than just their medical bills associated with the mold. If they’re your tenants, you can also be held responsible for their relocation bills and moving expenses.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
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