Can a Dehumidifier Kill Mold?
Until recently, dehumidifiers haven’t been used very often, as many individuals were unaware of their benefits. But thanks to growing awareness, property owners have learned that dehumidifiers have the ability to protect personal contents and building materials from water damage. So in addition to keeping moisture levels low, they can improve the comfort (and sometimes breathability) of the home or building.
In addition, they also provide many health benefits, such as “thinning out” the air, and allowing individuals battling asthma to breathe more easily. It can also help prevent mold growth, preventing beads of water from developing on building materials and contents.
But the question is, can a dehumidifier kill mold growth and its spores? Read on to find out.
What is a Dehumidifier, and How Does it Work?
What are dehumidifiers?
Dehumidifiers are convenient machines that effectively remove moisture from the air. While comfortable humidity levels range anywhere between 30% and 60%, depending on personal preference, a dehumidifier can lower these levels while improving comfort and health symptoms. You can also measure the current humidity level in your home with a hygrometer and use it to help you adjust the setting on the dehumidifier.
How do Dehumidifiers work?
When turning on the dehumidifier, they extract the hot air from the room, pushing it through a fan within the machine. The air is then pushed back out, but the moisture is captured and held within the unit. Now with a drier room, there is significantly less of a chance that condensation will form on your building materials and belongings.
This also helps to prevent mold from growing in problematic areas, including attics, crawlspaces, basements, etc. But before you purchase the unit, think about the size of the room you want to dry out. The smallest units reach as low as 30 pints each day while the larger machines run up to 90.
Can a Dehumidifier Remove Mold?
No. Dehumidifiers cannot remove mold. Depending on the surface, if the area is small, the mold growth can be removed with home remedies, such as vinegar or bleach. For porous surfaces, use vinegar and for non-porous, use bleach.
If you have found a large patch of mold in your home and are experiencing negative health effects, such as coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, watery and/or itchy eyes, or other allergic or asthma problems, call a mold remediation specialist right away. Avoid all contact with the affected area because the spores can be detrimental to your health. But cutting off the source – which is moisture – would be the first step to preventing it from spreading.
So although dehumidifiers do not kill or remove mold, they do help to stop it from spreading. This will also prevent additional costs and time spent during the remediation process.
Professional Mold Removal Services
When searching for a mold removal company, it is essential to choose one that is licensed, experienced, and qualified to ensure that it won’t return again after it’s removed. A highly recommended company would be your local restoration company. They will also ensure to prevent it from returning in the future by using commercial products and equipment.
In addition to eliminating the spores, they can also make necessary repairs to the building materials whose parts were consumed by the spores. Either restoring or replacing drywall, carpeting, or flooring, you can depend on our restoration experts to do the job effectively and efficiently. Don’t hesitate to give them a call as soon as you notice mold growth in any area of your property.
About Vince Sandri
Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.
