By: Rita Rooney, R.N., M.P.H
Reducing your exposure to mold and mildew indoors is one of the most important strategies you can take to help minimize allergic symptoms to these very common allergens.
Humidity and moisture are great hosts for mold and mildew damage. Often, mold and mildew buildup inside the home occurs in bathrooms, damp basements, bedding, and also in air conditioning. equipment. Here are some practical suggestions to help control mold growth in the home:

• Bathrooms. A fungicide (a chemical that kills mold-producing should be used often to clean bathroom surfaces. Read the labels on chemical cleaning products sold for household use. When cleaning, pay special attention to tile and areas surrounding plumbing fixtures where mold grows well. Repair leaks quickly to avoid dampness and mold growth. If you plan to use wallpaper for the bathroom, use (or ask for) a primer that is treated with a fungicide. Also, make sure that the bathroom is well-ventilated in order to reduce humidity. This is usually accomplished by using a bathroom exhaust fan or opening a window.
• Basements. If you have a damp basement, two side-by-side strategies should be followed. First, the source of the dampness must be discovered and fixed. It may be a clogged drain outside the house or a bad water drainage system beneath the ground surrounding your house. Indoors, your aim should be to reduce the humidity level, usually by running a dehumidifier. The device should be primed each season to improve its efficiency and decrease air contamination. The dehumidifier should be cleaned frequently using a fungicide.
• Air conditioning. Whether your house has central air conditioning or an individual window unit, regular maintenance is important to allow the system to work well, as well as to help lower indoor humidity, especially during the hottest months. For houses with central units, attaching an electronic air filter can help trap the mold spores. Cleaning ducts in central systems is a good control measure
  Another Strategy is to encase pillows and mattresses is special coverings. This is particularly important when dust nites are being fought. Room size air cleaners with HEPA filters can be valuable aids in the bedroom, too. They can help trap some of the mold spores and, perhaps more importantly, they increase air circulation, which reduces the humidity level.
• Clean-up and other measures. To reduce humidity to levels at which mold and mildew will not thrive, it’s a good idea to be able to measure it. Consider purchasing a simple device called a hygrometer to measure humidity. Your goal should be to keep indoor humidity below 45 percent. In dark, damp closets, consider placing a low-wattage light bulb and leaving it on. To reduce the load of mold spores that may be entering the home from outdoors, don’t delay in discarding piles of leaves and mulch from the grounds surrounding

The Basics
To reduce humidity, moisture, and the condition for mold and mildew damage:

• Eliminate the source of dampness in basements.
• Filter and circulate air in rooms
• Have an air conditioner with properly maintained equipment
• Use a dehumidifier
• Regularly replace and encase bedding
• Put some light in dark, damp closets to fight mold and mildew growth directly:
• Clean washable surface, especially in bathrooms with fungicide
• Clean air ducts in central air conditioning systems.
• Monitor your success with a hygrometer; shoot for a humidity level under 45 percent.

Make sure to keep any arrangements of dried plants and flowers out of the bedroom. Also, when repotting plants, do the job outdoors.
Rita Rooney, R.N., M.P.H is a health educator, consultant to AAE4, and the mother of children with asthma and allergies.