(Newswire.net — December 7, 2018) — Does mold die in freezing temperatures? This might be a question that you’re asking yourself if your home has recently gone through water damage or has seen a high level of humidity. Although the thought of removing mold may be daunting, it doesn’t have to be. You can try different methods of remove the mold in your home, but freezing it won’t do much. Since mold is extremely resilient, you’ll need to try other methods to completely rid your home of mold. This article will discuss how mold grows and what you need to know to keep your home mold-free.
Does Mold Die in Freezing Temperatures?
Mold spores can be persistent, and of course opportunistic little creatures. If you leave inactive molds in your home, then they are likely to become active and produce microscopic spores in large quantities and which can, in turn, spread to other organic materials in your home.
The key items that usually lead to the development of mold include: the presence of mold spores, availability of food for the mold, right temperatures, and enough moisture.
Presence of Mold Spores
Mold spores can be found in almost every place as long as there are living or dead organisms. Trying to eliminate mold spores is a difficult task and impossible.
Availability of Food
For molds to thrive, they need organic nutrient supply — and museum and library objects are just some of the perfect places for molds to thrive in. Apart from library and museum objects, molds can also get their nutrients from cellulose-based materials like cotton, linen, wood, paper and even proteinaceous materials which include leather and adhesives. To some extent, molds can even grow on inhospitable materials like plastics.
Appropriate Temperatures
Mold thrives well in room temperatures. This is one of the reasons why you will find molds in your kitchen, bathroom, and even in your basements. Temperature below freezing points will not, however, kill the molds but only make them dormant. Controlling the temperature alone is also therefore not a good way of controlling molds.
Considerable Moisture
Molds require considerable moisture to grow, and when high relative humidity or water provides moisture, then you should expect mold spores to germinate, grow and eventually release the molds. If you are planning to control molds by regulating moisture, then you need to ensure that the moisture you keep your objects and things is below 65%.
This is also another reason why you should fix or replace water damaged flooring immediately as well — since this can harbor mold spores and cause mold to grow that much quicker. Regardless of if you have laminate flooring, carpet and carpet padding, hardwood flooring, tile, etc., you should get it fixed.
What You Need to Know
First, you have to realize that mold does not have a specific color. It can be green or even black. Active molds may be soft and even smear when touched, and in some cases, it may be slimy or damp. Molds can damage objects in your home and even make them more susceptible to future mold contamination. Once the molds thrive on your objects, they excrete digestive enzymes that allow them to eat cellulose and starches.
Bottom Line
So, does mold die in freezing temperatures? Freezing molds cannot entirely control molds. Therefore, you’ll have to consider different methods to control the mold in your home. You can, for instance, regulate the environment through humidity. Also, you should avoid storage of collections near damp areas like basements. You can also ensure proper circulation and ventilation to ensure that your materials are dry and spores do not land on your objects.