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It
Happens In the Best Neighborhoods
Nobody is immune
to an attack of mildew. The best
we can do is take preventive steps to
keep it at bay. Why? There
are about 100,000 species of fungi that
have been discovered, and most of them
have spores floating freely in the air
all the time -- anywhere
from 100 to over 1,000 spores per
cubic meter of air, depending on
geographic location. All they're
waiting for is an opportunity, and opportunity
knocks a lot for them.
How
to brew the perfect mildew
All
that fungi like mildew require is oxygen,
water, a source of food and temperature
of 70 to 90 degrees to metabolize
and reproduce. Oxygen
and water are the critical elements, since
even if you freeze something that mildew
spores have invaded, it will just wait
until the item comes back to the proper
temperature and then breed like mad.
What does mildew
eat? Starches, sugars, proteins,
fats, and cellulose -- that's wood fibers
to us. That's why mildew can invade
a home, inside the walls, and totally
deteriorate the home from the inside out.
But what about those other things?
They sound an awful lot like what we eat
every day, don't they? And they
are. Mildew
loves to find clothes and other textiles
(like table cloths, bedding, towels, etc.)
that are damp and have ready sources of
food on them. Yummm!
Unfortunately,
as mildew "eats" it is destroying the
fibers and causing permanent damage.
Is
this really a problem?
People
who live in homes that have mildew growing
in the walls or other areas may experience
health changes that include allergic reactions,
asthma or other respiratory complaints.
That's why it's so essential to control
moisture in your environment so that mildew
doesn't get a toehold on your home and
become dangerous.
On a smaller
scale, you probably know from past experience
that if you drop a damp towel on the floor
in the morning, often by evening it already
has that mildew smell. It can happen
just that fast!
Ben
Franklin was right!
Franklin is credited
with a lot of clever statements -- and
"a stitch in time saves nine" or "an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
are gems that really speak to this issue.
When it comes to getting the upper hand
on mildew, prevention is the name of the
game.
Here
are some tips to prevent or remove mildew:
- Keep
your home dry as much as possible
-- mop up spills, wipe down cabinets
if you generate a lot of steam during
cooking, use a dehumidifier, air conditioner,
and fans to circulate air.
- If
something gets wet, dry it as quickly
as possible. NEVER
let it sit in a pile. It's not
a question of if mildew
will grow, but how fast.
- Ultraviolet
light from the sun will kill mildew.
But don't depend on it to get it all
out of the fabric, since spores can
be hidden from the sun's rays in the
thickness of the fabric.
- If
a dry-clean-only garment or textile
gets wet, allow it to air dry before
bringing it to us, so
that it won't mildew before we can get
it cleaned. Remember, mildew grows
fast.
- For
washable items, immediately spread them
out and hang to dry if they get wet.
- Separate
dark colors from light, hand-washables
from machine-cleanables.
- Presoak
in cold water (NOT in your washing
machine). Large items like
curtains, blankets or rugs can be
hung on a line and hosed down.
- Use the
warmest temperature permissible
for the garments you are washing,
and include bleach in the water
before you add the clothes, if they
are colorfast.
- Remember
that heat kills germs, so tumble
dry clothes thoroughly. If
they might shrink, dry them in the
sun.
- Ironing
also kills germs, and steam pressing
is good for clothes that will require
air drying away from the sun
-- like washable wools. We specialize
in quality pressing, and can make sure
your garments are handled with care.
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more about it...
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