Unfortunately, mold grows anywhere there is water damage. So, if your closet recently suffered water damage of any kind, chances are it has developed mold. Mold develops as little as 24 hours after water exposure. As a result, unless you’re checking every spot in your closet daily, it’s easy to miss until it’s too late. If you have mold in your closet, you need to call a mold remediation company.
Below, we discuss the common causes of closet mold, how to detect it, and how to treat it.
Common Causes of Closet Mold
As we briefly mentioned, the most common cause of closet mold is water damage. Mold thrives in dark, damp, and humid environments. Your closet offers a prime breeding ground for mold to develop and grow.
But how do closets suffer water damage? Unfortunately, there are several ways this can happen.
Our homes have many pipes, most of which are behind walls throughout the house. This includes the walls inside your closet. If one of these pipes bursts, it may not be readily apparent until the damage is too severe.
Depending on the location of your closet, it may also suffer the results of a ceiling water leak. If your closet is on the second floor, it may suffer damage from a water leak caused by a significant rainstorm. Likewise, if your bathroom or laundry room is directly above your closet and overflows, this water may seep into the floorboards and into the top of your closet.
Signs of Mold in Your Closet
Chances are you’re not digging through the deep parts of your closet every day – or ever, unless you’re doing a big clean-out. As such, it’s not always easy to know you’ve suffered a water leak or any subsequent damage.
However, there are a few common signs of mold in your closet you should be on the lookout for:
- Foul smells: You might have mold if you smell a foul, musky odor when you open your closet doors. This odor is one of the most common signs of mold, regardless of where it grows in your house.
- Dark spots: If you see a grouping of spots or patches of discoloration, this may also be a sign of mold. Moldy spots are typically black or dark green. In some cases, they may be fuzzy as well.
- Increased humidity: While this may be more difficult to recognize, look out for increased temperatures when you open your closet doors. If it feels warmer than usual, it may be due to mold growth.
- Wet clothes or wet floors: While wet floors or clothes aren’t an immediate sign of mold, they’re signs that mold damage may be imminent. If your garments are wet, call a water damage company to address the underlying issue as soon as possible.
Keep in mind that this isn’t an exhaustive list. However, these are the most common signs of mold growth both inside closets and outside of them.
How a Mold Remediation Company Treats Mold
Treating closet mold isn’t too different from treating mold anywhere else in your house. Generally speaking, you’ll first call a water damage restoration company to treat the burst pipe or water leak. You don’t want to clean up mold only for it to come back because the main issue wasn’t addressed.
Once they fix the problem, your next call will be to a mold remediation company. Though you may want to treat mold yourself, doing so is trickier than you might realize.
First and foremost, there are many different species of mold. So while many household cleaners claim to treat mold, they may only be able to clear mold at the surface – but not kill it. Because of this, hiring a skilled mold remediation company is necessary. They have the tools and cleaning solutions required to treat mold at the source. Furthermore, they will properly discard damaged property, so you don’t have to risk getting sick.
Did You Suffer Mold Damage in Your Closet? Let the Mold Remediation Pros at PNW Restoration Help!
Did you recently find mold in your closet? Finding it can be a shock. But treating it can be easy when you call PNW Restoration.
At PNW Restoration, we are your go-to source for top-rated mold remediation in Portland, OR. Call us today at (971) 247-3381 or email us at contactus@pnwrestorationservices.com. We have everything needed to find and treat mold properly. If you find mold in your closet, don’t panic. Pick up the phone and call the mold remediation pros at PNW Restoration. We’ll get your home back to normal.
