You might think you’re safe from winter’s long arm, sat in your living room right now. The snow and ice are outside and you’re lovely and toasty indoors. However, winter has an ace up its sleeve. It uses moisture and wind, to slowly creep into your home unannounced. It’s such a tricky thing to combat that most people don’t even realize what’s happening until the damage is already done. Mildew is a very annoying and relentless part of winter. If you have an extraction fan in your bathroom, it will have to work doubly hard to get rid of the lingering moisture winter winds carry into the home. On top of this, really cold temperatures clog up your ventilation and air ducts because of dry debris sticking to the walls. Here’s what you can do.
Cleaning the gunk
It may not look that troubling, but gunk is something that can cause more than just a bad smell. This is a mixture made up of dirt, soil, and debris. It clings to the edges of your shower and along the underside of the doors. The simple and most effective way to clean gunk away is to use boiling water and bleach. It’s imperative to put on a pair of rubber gloves to shield yourself from the scalding hot water. Firstly, wear a face mask to protect your ability to breathe and if you can, wear goggles or glasses to shield your eyes from the fumes. Drench a rag in the boiling water and then pour a little bleach on it. Scrub the gunk vigorously off the walls. Add more bleach as and when needed. You might need to get a rough scrubber if the gunk has been set for a long time as it tends to turn hard.
Cleaner, clearer breathing
The air in your home is going to become hot and muggy if you don’t have proper ventilation. It’s quite common for this to happen because you dare not open your windows or keep your doors open for very long. Hiring an air duct cleaning service to clear all the dry debris from your air conditioning system and ventilation shafts will solve any issue with a lack of circulation. They have equipment that vigorously dislodged any sort of dry or wet substances in the ducts, but doesn’t harm the duct itself. The indoor air quality should drastically improve, allowing you to take deep breaths without developing a wheeze which occurs when the air is filled with bacteria.
The green mist
Mildew grows very gradually but it’s difficult to remove the green substance. It builds in the bathroom as moisture tends to cling to the walls. Using a washing up liquid and bristled brush, you can gently scrub away the mildew without taking off the plaster between the tiles or smearing some of the paint off the wall. The key is to take your time and not rush it, as you could do more damage than good.
The winter chill may not get inside your home, but the melting snow, rain, and winds push moisture into your home. Clean your ducts and prevent the air inside your home from becoming muggy.
