Mold and mildew form easily in moist places around the home. The kitchen is one of these places as there is water from cooking and washing that happens there. Therefore, it is a perfect environment for mold to grow if you are not keen. The mold issue is risky in the kitchen as it can cause health issues through contaminating the food. Also, once it sets in, it is not easy to eliminate it as the humidity level here is always high. Therefore, prevention is better to save yourself from the hassle of removing it and the costs involved. Plus, you will prevent a lot of health problems as well that occur due to mold exposure. Here are some precautions to take to prevent mold in the kitchen.
- Use mold-resistant paint
One way to prevent mold in the kitchen is by using mold-resistant paint. This helps to provide an extra layer of protection against the formation of mold and mildew. It is possible to do this by yourself, or you can check if the professionals such as AWA Environmental who provides services like mold inspection cover these residential areas. Get this mold-resistant paint at home improvement centers and prevent mold in your kitchen. Additionally, other rooms in the house that suffer high humidity levels can get a layer of this paint. For instance, in bathrooms and basements to help prevent mold effectively in the home. However, the wall should be mold-free before applying this paint.
- Turn the stove fan on when cooking
The kitchen has a lot of cooking going on every day in most households. Therefore, its humidity levels are high due to the steam from preparing the food. Hence, it is vital to control the humidity level during food preparation as it is a fast way to prevent mold. Each time you are cooking turn on the stove fan to help clear out the increased moisture levels. If you do not have one, try opening the windows as it works efficiently as well. Therefore, control the humidity levels instead of blaming the cooking and boiling water for the mold in your kitchen.
- Regularly check the walls
Either they are the walls in the cabinets or the wall behind the cooking range you need to inspect both walls regularly. This is to ensure that there is no mold growing there as these walls are hidden areas where you discover mold too late. Have a routine checkup once in a week or once per two weeks as the need arises. also, remove any clutter in the cabinets as the cabinets need to stay dry and clean throughout. As for the wall behind the cooking range, this needs inspection often, if not daily, due to the exposure to moisture emanated during the cooking process. Therefore, moisture is easily trapped on this wall, especially when there are poor ventilation and inadequate distance to the wall. It is important to clean the wall behind your cooking range after a fortnight and floor as well and ensure it is dry before returning the cooking range.
- Often check for leaks
Since mold is known to love any sort of moisture in the home. Any water leaks or flooding in your kitchen will favor mold growth. This is second after humidity levels in the kitchen, and you can easily prevent them. Therefore, ask a plumber to check your pipes regularly in case of any leaks, and also you can do it yourself. In the case of any leaks, ensure that you act on it immediately to prevent the presence of water damage in the kitchen. If you own a dishwashing machine, inspect it as well and if you notice any water, remove it and wash it thoroughly. Therefore, check for leaks to ensure your kitchen is dry at all times. Avoid splashing water around the kitchen counter and sink as you wash utensils or rinse food. These spills can penetrate the countertops and it needs to stay dry.
- Dispose of spoiled food
When you buy your foodstuffs and vegetables in bulk. It is important to regularly clean your food storage cabinet and remove leftovers daily. Spoilt food, fruits, and vegetables are not only breeding ground for mold but they also spoil the fresh food. Also, find a way to preserve your food, especially if you are always throwing it away. Either the moisture levels in your kitchen are too high making them rot, or you buy too much of fruits and vegetables, yet you eat too little. For that reason, make an impact of mold prevention and dispose of spoiled foods and check the storage even in the fridge is there are any moldy food leftovers. Also, keep your refrigerator clean and well maintained as it can be breeding ground for mold, affecting the food in storage too.
- Clean kitchen appliances after use
The kitchen has a lot of appliances and after preparing one meal for your family. Several appliances need cleaning to store them for the next use. Remember, food source and moisture are all mold needs to grow in your kitchen. Therefore, wash your coffee pots, blenders, and wipe your microwaves as often as you use them. Do not assume that the microwave radiation kills mold spores as it easily forms in the microwave. Therefore, clean not only appliances, utensils too, and dry them properly before putting them away.
- Empty your trash can
Trash cans that are kept in the kitchen are always full within no time due to all the food waste put there. If you have a garbage disposal unit, it is also busy with getting rid of garbage. Mold loves both of these areas and you need to take care of them daily. Therefore, run your garbage disposal and empty your trash can daily, and if necessary, as much as it is needed. After you empty your trash can, clean it with detergent and leave it out in the sun to dry. While for the garbage disposal, pour vinegar down the drain as it helps kill bacteria once a month.
