Using Bread To Understand Mold

1/13/2022 (Permalink)

All mold needs an organic food source, and most molds have favorites.

Understanding Mold Through The Use of Bread

You have many responsibilities for maintaining your home in Graham, WA, and staying mold-free is an important one. Reviewing your experience with bread mold is a great way to understand the impact of mold in your home. Why does mold grow on bread?

1. Mold spores are everywhere.

Most people store their bread in a plastic bag, yet mold will still grow thanks to the fact that spores are lightweight and travel through the air. The little bit of exposure your bread gets from opening the bag is enough to allow spore-containing air to enter. This is similar to the way mold spores get in your home: traveling on the air and entering through doors, windows and vents.

2. Mold grows in a moist environment.

You don’t see croutons covered in mold and that’s because there is not enough moisture. People love bread when it is soft and moist, and that moisture is exactly what fungus growth needs to thrive. That’s why controlling relative humidity and repairing water leaks are both important jobs to prevent mold growth in the home.

3. Mold needs a food source.

All mold needs an organic food source, and most molds have favorites. When it comes to bread mold, there are certain varieties that tend to colonize on bread. This is also true for homes, since most building materials are made from cellulose-based materials, and the molds that prefer that food source tend to colonize there.

Can’t You Just Change the Temperature?

While most molds prefer a warmer temperature, many varieties can handle a cooler environment, which is why you find fridge mold. You can prevent mold by freezing bread, but you can’t freeze your home.

With the lessons learned from bread mold, you can see that moisture control is the key to preventing household mold problems. If you already have mold, it’s important to get help fast since mold multiplies rapidly. Expert mold remediators are knowledgeable and use a variety of techniques to help prevent the further spread of mold during the clean-up process.