"Wipe with water" and "rubbing" are counterproductive to mold, how to eliminate it and how to prevent it from increasing?

What exactly is mold?

June means rainy season, and rainy season means mold. It seems to be an association game, but ``tsuyu'' is read not only as ``tsuyu'' but also as ``baiu'', and ``baiu'' can be read as ``mild rain'' (mold rain). There is also a way to write rain), so that is also possible.

What exactly is mold? Since childhood, we have been accustomed to refer to microscopic entities that are likely to harm our health as "bikin". . In other words, "mold" and "fungus". ``Kacti'' generally refers to ``bacteria'' (however, molds are also called ``fungi'' in contrast to bacteria, so it's a bit confusing).

Molds and bacteria tend to be treated together, but they are completely different creatures. They are highly evolved microorganisms and have properties somewhat similar to those of plants.

Basically, it scatters "spores" like the seeds of plants with preserved genes, "germs" where they are transported, and then stretches out "hyphae" like roots and stems. It grows. However, unlike plants, they do not undergo photosynthesis and must obtain nutrients from the outside. Organisms with this mechanism include mushrooms and yeasts, which are collectively called "fungi" together with "molds".

Fungus decomposes what it feeds on with the enzymes it secretes, converts it into nutrients, and takes it into the body. The things that serve as food include the remains of other living things, and for that reason, they have the significance of being "the sweeper of the natural world", but from the perspective of humans, even things that they don't want to decompose have an environment. If you fix it, it will attach and grow.

What are the conditions for mold to grow?

What is the ideal environment for mold? In fact, it is said that there are more than 80,000 types of mold, and some of them can withstand even fairly extreme environments, so it is difficult to generalize. For example, the optimum temperature is 25-28 degrees Celsius, the optimum relative humidity is 60-80%, and there is oxygen and food. Cellulose, carbohydrates, proteins, etc. are typical feeds, but we need to be careful because they also include our living bodies themselves.

What Is Mold Harm?

Actually, eating mildly moldy food doesn't seem to affect us very immediately. However, "mycotoxins" can cause health hazards over time, so we can't take it lightly.

Inhaling mold spores can also cause fungal pneumonia, and if they grow on the skin dandruff, athlete's foot and thrush It may also cause symptoms such as b>. It can also cause allergic symptoms such as rhinitis and asthma. In the case of allergies, the symptoms themselves are similar to those of hay fever, so I thought that hay fever would not go away, but it turned out to be mold. You can't just leave mold growing in your home.

Mold in daily life

Anyway, mold is the bath! "Bathroom tile joints!" It seems that there are many people who do not have an antenna for the existence of mold that grows in various places in their lives, probably because there is an imprint somewhere like this. However, considering the optimal environmental conditions for mold, measures against mold are not limited to the so-called "water supply". In recent years, especially in "highly airtight and highly insulated" homes, it is easy for mold to spread.

The mold doesn't suddenly grow one day, it grows gradually. It's a "pretty" situation that can be seen and understood, so it's important not to ignore its existence and neglect it.

Blind spots? The following are the places where mold is often seen in our lives, including the points that are easy to become. Please be careful and take a look.

・Curtain・Caulking part of sash of glass window・Bed (mattress)・Bed (frame)・Inside drawer under bed・Futon (hanging) , bed)・Around foliage plants・Inside the closet・Inside the closet・Tatami・Wooden parts such as Japanese-style rooms・Dressers (especially the lowest drawers)・Guest futons

・Refrigerator vegetable compartment・Refrigerator automatic ice maker (water tank)・Refrigerator door gasket・Food in the refrigerator (mysterious bottles, etc.)・Tableware (Pottery, bamboo products)・Cutting board・Tableware basket・Lunch box packing・Water bottle packing・Double part of chopstick case such as trio set・Chopstick stand

・Washing tub in washing machine・Detergent input port・Washing machine packing (drum type)・Washstand overflow hole・Toothbrush stand・Bath mat・Bath Towel

・Bath lid・Shelves・Chairs・Under bottles of shampoo, etc.・Luffa and sponge that you don't know how long they have been on the shelf・Sheets to put on walls such as multiplication tables /b>・Children's toy・Ceiling・Ventilation fan filter・Behind the bathtub apron

・Inside the toilet tank・Back of the tank・Back of the toilet seat

・Leather shoes・Umbrella・Umbrella stand

・Cloth diapers・Thick-padded brassieres, etc.Underwear・Middle and high school student gym clothes and judo uniforms・Athletic shoes >・Inside the air conditioner・Inside the dehumidifier・Inside the humidifier・Inside the vacuum cleaner

What is mold erasure measures? It is not a countermeasure because it may increase by giving water. be careful.

For mold in places that can be rinsed later with water, such as bathrooms and kitchens, use a commercially available mold remover containing sodium hypochlorite as the main ingredient ( Chlorine bleach) can be used to oxidize and decompose mold, kill it, and bleach it.

In terms of washability, mold growing on fabrics can also be treated with chlorine if it is made of materials that can withstand strong alkalis to some extent, such as cotton and polyester with white fibers. Bleach is supposed to be used. However, once the mold has grown, the fibers have begun to "decompose", so there is a possibility of holes or tears after the mold is removed. there is.

You cannot use chlorine bleach on clothes with colored patterns or protein silk, wool, etc.. There is a lot of talk about how to remove mold from curtains using mildew remover, but if you try it, do so at your own risk and be careful not to cause any accidents.

A mild alkaline sodium percarbonate (oxygen bleach) may be used to remove early stages of mold. For mold on cotton cloth diapers, there is also a method of washing with oxygen bleach and soapy water.

For mildew in the washing machine tub, use a commercial tub cleaner. Depending on whether the washing machine is vertical or drum type, it is divided into chlorine type and oxygen type, and there are cases where it cannot be used, so please check carefully when purchasing.

For mold that grows on other areas that cannot be rinsed with water, spray or wipe off with 'ethanol for disinfection'. The alcohol reaches the cell wall of the mold and denatures the protein to kill it, and because it is highly volatile, it dries in a short time, so it has the advantage of not leaving moisture on the wiped area. However, do not reuse the cloth used for wiping, but be sure to throw it away. Also, disinfecting ethanol does not have a bleaching effect, so the pigment remains even after wiping. to make sure.

Preventing the growth of mold

We can't eliminate cellulose, carbohydrates, proteins, and other food items and oxygen from our lives, and the optimal temperature for mold is something we can't do without. It overlaps with the comfortable environment of Therefore, the only countermeasure that can be taken is water control, and preventing excess moisture and excessive humidity.

For that reason, in order to prevent mold from increasing, be aware of the installation of a "thermo-hygrometer" in your daily life, check the humidity, and control the humidity.Make sure that the relative humidity does not exceed 60%. Please adjust. Be careful not to overuse the humidifier throughout the year, provide adequate ventilation, and regularly dry the futons and beds where sweat accumulates, or put them in a futon dryer.

Bathrooms are the most likely to be a breeding ground for mold. Even if there is a window in the bathroom, it is better to use the ventilation fan together.

Also, during the rainy season, it's time to dry your laundry indoors, but do not dry your laundry in your bedroom. The futon absorbs moisture well, so the laundry dries. But the futon is moldy.

[This article was jointly planned by Yahoo!