The kitchen is a naturally moist place, which creates a conducive environment for mold to grow. Over time, mold can spread to other parts of your home and cause various problems. Read on to find out the most common causes of mold in the kitchen and what to do about it.
Cooking activities
Different types of foodstuff contain water. Even then, you need to add some water to your food to cook. Whether it is from the food ingredients or the added water, vapor from the stove escapes to the environment and sometimes attaches itself to the wall, windows, ceiling, and appliances. If mold spores contact this vapor before it dries up, it causes a mold problem in the kitchen.
To prevent mold growth during food preparation, open the windows whenever you turn on the stove and cover the cooking food with a heat-resistant lid.
Mold spores and moisture inside the dishwashing machine
As you run your dishwasher, some moisture gets trapped on the door gasket or filter, leading to mold growth. The organic food particles trapped inside the filter provide food for mold, causing a major mold infestation in your kitchen. Mold inside the dishwasher is often black, orange, or pink. For mold to grow inside the dishwasher, there must be some mold spores in there, just waiting for enough supply of moisture, organic material, and heat to start growing.
To prevent mold growth inside your dishwasher, clean it once a week and pour vinegar or bleach to kill any mold that could be growing inside the vent. Also, wipe the door with a dry cloth to address the moisture problem and prevent mold growth. For the moisture problem from the vent, you need to direct the exhaust vent to face outwards to drain the excess moisture outside the kitchen. It is also advisable to open the windows when washing dishes.
Sink backups
The kitchen sink is a very busy place. It takes all the waste food particles, dirty utensils, and groceries. Water continuously runs in the kitchen, making it prone to wear and wear. If it is not a leaky pipe under the sink, some food particles have been stuck inside the sink and caused a blockage. A blocked kitchen sink is a major cause of house floods. When the sink backup dirty water, you get a flood problem and expose your kitchen to mold growth.
You can solve this problem easily by regularly inspecting the kitchen sink to ensure it is good working. Practice good garbage disposal techniques to prevent food particles from getting stuck in the sink and blocking the kitchen drain. If you start noticing signs of sink blockage, pour a mixture of distilled white vinegar, baking soda, and warm water into the sink to remove the rotten food from the drain lines. Also, avoid leaving the tap running unattended to fight household mold.
Plumbing leaks
Plumbing leaks are responsible for most household mold problems. You will find mold growing in those damp surfaces hidden under the sink, inside kitchen cabinets, on the ceiling, basement floor, and inside the crawl space. Leaking pipes can cause mold growth in less than 72 hours. One sign that mold is growing in your home includes health problems such as asthma-like allergies, itchiness, and runny nose.
Take note of the problem water supply lines where leaks are likely to occur or have occurred before and then monitor them regularly. Since mold spores rise from the basement and crawl spaces to the kitchen and the entire living area, you need to get rid of the mold breeding ground by hiring a mold remediation professional to clean it up.
Refrigerator
The fridge is a breeding ground for food mold. If you keep food in the refrigerator for too long, you will start seeing mold marks on the fridge’s seals, shells, and sides. Poor air circulation in the refrigerator is the main cause of fridge-related mold, while overstayed food is a great food source for food mold. Clean your fridge regularly to prevent mold growth and remove any spoiled food inside.
Other appliances responsible for kitchen mold growth
Most appliances that produce moisture are a perfect breeding ground for household mold, especially if you have inadequate ventilation. These include;
- Air conditioner
- The water heater
- Washing machine
- Humidifier
What to do when you suspect mold growth in your kitchen?
You need a lot of caution to clean mold. While it is easy to clean small mold colonies using homemade solutions such as baking soda, hot water, regular soap, or hydrogen peroxide, mold in the kitchen is tricky because it can easily contaminate your food and cause severe reactions. Wear rubber gloves to safely remove mold from small appliances and regularly inspect the kitchen for any signs of mold growth. Mold thrives in moist areas with high relative humidity, so it is important to keep your home dry. However, mold allergies can result in severe health complications such as lung disease. To be on the safe side, call a mold remediation professional as soon as you smell mold spores in the air or start showing signs of mold allergy. Since mold grows very fast, call a mold remediation company after any flooding or moisture problem in your home for safe mold removal.
Other ways to prevent mold growth in the kitchen
Mold loves moisture and high humidity areas, so the first step towards removing mold is by keeping your home completely dry. Wipe any spills as soon as they occur. Fix leaky pipes. Unclog blocked drain pipes. Open windows when running appliances. Practice good garbage disposals to remove the mold food sources. Remove moisture from the walls kitchen cabinets. Most importantly, ventilating the house to let fresh air in and cleaning exhaust fans are useful methods of preventing mold growth. Finally, invest in mold-resistant kitchen appliances and clean appliances regularly.
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