• HEALTH Health / Pharma

Monsoon malaise – Fungus and Molds to get rid of

• nationalherald
• August 6, 2021

by Prashant Kapadia/NHN

Why is it necessary to deep clean your homes during monsoon?

An invisible enemy is always more dangerous than a visible foe. A perfect example of this is the COVID-19 pandemic where the invisible virus has wreaked havoc. Similarly, increased humidity during monsoons makes our homes breeding grounds for fungus and bacteria, which can make our indoor environment unhealthy. In coastal regions like Mumbai, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala that face incessant rains around this time especially, it is common for walls, furniture, fabrics such as curtains, carpets, and mattresses to remain damp and become a cesspool for molds.

Molds and fungus can grow anywhere – on furniture, upholstery, clothing and in leaky pipes, cracks in walls and ceilings. It is not just unpleasant to look at, it also harbors bugs and insects. Molds such as Trichoderma Viride, Chaetomium globosum, and Aspergillus Brasiliensis tend to be present in furnishing material, plywood, roofs, and windows, respectively. The musty air and stale odor also affects the quality of indoor environments, especially in poorly ventilated spaces such as bathrooms.

Damage caused by molds is difficult and expensive to fix, so it is best to take precautionary measures during the season. Moreover, these molds spores are known to cause repulsive odor, respiratory conditions, and skin allergies. Should a few particles or areas of your home attract mold during the rain here are a few quick steps that might be useful.

• Dry wet areas – if there are wet areas in the house, take action to dry them. For areas prone to continual seepage place moisture absorption seeds. These are readily available in the market and are extremely handy to fix indoor moisture issues.

• Frequent disinfection – Follow up drying with a disinfection ritual. Wet carpets, damp couches, bathroom cabinets etc., should be sprayed with a formulation clinically proven to kill mold spores like the Savlon Surface Disinfectant Spray which is well known for killing 99.9% bacteria & virus is also effective in killing mold & fungi. Elimination of mold & fungal growth helps in reducing musty odours in the house.

• Improve ventilation in the house – open windows regularly and leave doors open whenever possible. Molds find it hard to proliferate in cooler temperatures. Cross ventilation can go a long way in keeping the house cooler and mold-laden spores out of the house. Move furniture away from walls and try to keep the doors to closets open for the cooler room air to flow in.

• Declutter – Additionally, ridding your homes of all unwanted and unused items is a key to making sure that there is enough space and airflow and sunlight. Decluttering of the home goes a long way in maintain cleanliness and avoiding germ growth in areas that might be hidden away from you.

• Pay attention to lesser tended to areas – Shared spaces including kitchen, tabletops and basins are high breeding grounds for germs and must be cleaned on a daily basis as a hygiene practice. Water trays in the refrigerators and water coolers can also breed bacteria and molds if not cleaned or dried regularly. Therefore, one must not allow water to stand for a long in such spaces. Curtains, backs of sofas and rugs are not frequently cleaned items in the house, so it becomes important to regularly spray them with a surface disinfectant to keep them hygienic and smelling fresh.