Break That Mould! How to Keep Your Home Clear of Damp & Fungus Without Chemicals

A house is truly well-lived in when the signs start to show up on the interior and exterior walls. For those facing problems like peeling wallpaper, damp patches or even the furry growth of minute fungi called ‘mould’, it’s really just damp air plaguing your house. It is quite a concern because mould is known to pose all sorts of health risks such as respiratory problems, sinus infections, headaches and eye irritations.

It’s natural for your living areas to have high levels of moisture and humidity, especially if you live in moist warm conditions. Damp usually occurs when excess moisture is caused by steam from cooking, bathing, and drying clothes inside the home.

Fellow Indians, we feel you! Here’s how you can ensure the circulation of fresh, dry air inside your home.

Open the eyes, open the windows

Often, the most neglected part of the room, the window, must be opened when you wake up in the morning. It enables air circulation, throwing out the humid air. Once your room is ventilated, you can shut them back later. But doing it every day is mandatory.

It’s not Aladdin’s carpet; clean it regularly

If there’s a musty, unpleasant odour in your carpeted room, it’s most likely due to a mould breakout. Either invest in high-quality padding with anti-microbial qualities or make sure to get them professionally vacuum cleaned twice a year.

Invest in a dehumidifier

Whether you suffer from any allergies or have breathing problems, a dehumidifier is perhaps the best product to reduce the humidity inside your home.

In the first few uses, you’ll be surprised to see the amount of water it will collect from the air, making it less hospitable to mould, dust mites and mildew. However, the water tank needs to be emptied and cleaned regularly so as to prevent the dehumidifier from being attacked by mould.

Scrub off the mould on your walls using bio-enzymes

There are tonnes of products available in the supermarkets to clean moulds, albeit they come laden with harmful chemicals and allergens. Try using this natural cleaner that’s non-toxic (it doesn’t use harsh chemicals such as bleach, phenyl, and other chemical solutions) and helps in removing mould, while also preventing it from growing back.

Clean the exhaust fans in your kitchen and washrooms

The job of these exhaust fans is to filter out the odour building inside closed quarters like the kitchen or washrooms.

And after a point, fluff and dirt start to build on them, making them less effective. So either clean it yourself using mild washing soap or get it serviced by a professional.

Indoor plants work wonderfully as air purifiers

There’s nothing better than indoor plants if you want clean, fresh air around the house at all times. They’re simple to place, effective unlike any other, and add to the aesthetic appeal of your home. What’s more, indoor plants remove pollutants from the air by absorbing gases through their leaves and roots.

Our favourites are the snake plant, weeping fig, aloe vera and spider plants. Even money plants are great and can be cultured hydroponically.

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While big brands claim to keep your homes free from 99 per cent of the bacteria, the pertinent question is whether you really need to. This may come as a surprise, but in the process of removing all bacteria, we often end up killing the good ones too. The good ones are particularly helpful in promoting gut microbiome—in other words, healthy gut bacteria.

So, as an aside, don’t aim for living in perfectly turned out surroundings. That’s kinda far-fetched and hardly any fun!

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

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