Spring cleaning: Black mold loves these areas

HONOLULU (KHON2) – If you haven’t started already, now is your reminder to start spring cleaning, something that normally takes a couple days. Mold is continuously growing, sometimes in places we wouldn’t think to clean. Here are a couple places in the house to put on a Hawaii spring cleaning list.

Hawaii is known for its warm temperatures and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when the warm weather mixes with the rainy weather to make a humid environment, black mold can be found growing. Hawaii is known to have black mold problems in many places and in schools.

The department of health says mold also is a trigger for those who have asthma, making it important to clean unusual places. Hawaii DOH is focusing on controlling asthma in keiki with their “control asthma” campaign.

Places to clean this spring to prevent mold from continuing to grow:

• bathroom, laundry and cooking areas
• leaky roofs, windows and pipes

According to Precision Cleaning Hawaii, Inc., mold is most likely to grow on the northern side of buildings. This is because the northern side receives less sunlight and is a wetter and colder environment than the southern side of buildings.

When spring cleaning in the bathroom, mold is commonly grown in the corners of the bathtub/shower, in toothbrush holders, on overused towels and bathmats according to a mold inspecting company.

In the kitchen, there are many homes in Hawaii that do not have a dishwasher and the CDC recommends thoroughly drying clean dishes otherwise fungus may grow. The CDC also says to check around and underneath your sinks. This is because black mold likes to grow in dark places and residents may not realize they have a small leak. One thing to consider when spring cleaning that goes unnoticed in the kitchen as well is the seals to the fridge and insides of trashcans.

If residents do have an AC unit in Hawaii, make sure the area around is clean, as AC units create condensation according to Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Condensation is a great environment for mold to grow in.

How to properly clean out mold?

The Environmental Protection Agency says, “It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors; some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust.” Regular cleaning, ventilation and moisture control are steps people can take to prevent mold from continuously growing, according to the CDC.

Commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution are effective ways to kill mold on surfaces. However, the CDC says to never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners.