Tips for prevention
Mold in the bedroom: You can fight it with these methods
Mold in the bedroom can be dangerous. But there are ways to get rid of it.
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Anyone struggling with mold in their bedroom should react quickly. Because it can be harmful to your health. We reveal which methods can help to effectively combat and prevent it.
Mold in the bedroom: possible causes
In order to combat mold in the bedroom, it is important to identify the causes in order to specifically address them. Possible causes of mold infestation can be the following aspects:
- Humidity too high: We have explained in detail how you can reduce the humidity in your home in an article. For example, you should not dry laundry in the living room, always ventilate well and make sure that the air does not get too cold – so make sure there is enough heat.
- Problematic arrangement of furniture: If very large pieces of furniture such as a wardrobe are placed too close to the outside walls, which are usually colder than inside walls, it can happen that the air cannot circulate properly in the room.
- Moisture in mattress and bedding: We breathe a lot and sweat at night. This means we release moisture into our bedding and especially the mattress. If you completely cover your mattress with bedding immediately after getting up in the morning, the moisture cannot escape properly and can in turn cause increased humidity. You should always ventilate both well. Also a suitable one Mattress protectorwhich ensures that no moisture can get into the mattress, can be helpful.
- Construction defects: If the humidity and the like are right, there are other possible causes for mold in the apartment, for examplestructural defects. These can lead to more cold air and moisture getting into the bedroom or the walls. Poor insulation can also be a possible reason for mold growth. Also a burst pipe or something similar. Important to know: Lime plaster is generally better at repelling mold than gypsum plaster.
Remove mold in the bedroom
Different methods can be helpful to combat existing mold in the bedroom. A electric dehumidifier is one of them. In comparison to the conventional dehumidifier, which only passively absorbs excess humidity to a small extent, it actively combats excessive humidity.
You can use a so-called hygrometer to check whether the humidity is too high. If droplets settle on the inside of the window pane, it is definitely too high. It should be between 40 and 60 percent. Shows that hygrometer If the values are regularly too high, you should take action, purchase a dehumidifier and always keep an eye on the values.
Tips for buying an electric dehumidifier
When purchasing an electric dehumidifier, there are a few aspects you should pay attention to. The rating from Stiftung Warentest can be helpful, as can customer reviews. In addition, the target humidity should be adjustable, ideally as a percentage. The model of your choice should be selected to suit the size of the room. Helpful tip: The device’s water bowl should be filled after about a day. If this happens faster, it may make sense to purchase a second active dehumidifier. You should also leave dehumidifiers on at night to ensure high efficiency. When the device reaches the drying threshold, it usually switches off automatically.
Prevent mold in the home
In order to prevent mold infestation, it may make sense to purchase a dehumidifier either way, even if the electricity costs can be high. This way you can avoid potentially high removal costs. If there has already been mold infestation, it makes sense to treat the affected areas with a mold remover, dry the areas and then use a suitable one Anti-mold paint to paint over.
If there is already a high level of mold infestation, the help of experts is usually essential. They can determine the causes and also give tips for prevention.
Why you should react especially to mold in the bedroom
The bedroom, like the bathroom, is more often affected by mold because the humidity in these rooms is usually higher than in other rooms. The infestation can have an impact on health, especially in the bedroom, as we spend at least the night here. It can cause shortness of breath and asthma, as well as aggravate an existing illness. If you spend a long time in rooms with moisture damage, symptoms such as irritation of the conjunctiva, throat and nasal mucous membranes, coughing, headaches or fatigue are also possible consequences.
Who is liable for mold in a rented apartment?
If you have discovered mold in your apartment, you should immediately inform your landlord in writing with evidence. Especially if the damage is larger, you should not try to repair the damage yourself so as not to make it worse. The landlords should now take action to have the mold removed. If you are not responsible for the damage, it is possible to assert the right to a rent reduction. If you don’t come to an agreement with the landlord, the whole thing can become a case in court. Experts then check who is responsible for the mold infestation. But be careful: this can be expensive. In the event of a dispute, you should first seek help from the German Tenants’ Association so that the matter can best be resolved out of court.
Sources: Stiftung Warentest / Consumer advice center
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