Closet Mold in Florida: Why It Happens and How to Stop It
You reach for a pair of leather shoes you have not worn in a few months and find them coated in pale green fuzz. The jacket beside them smells like a basement. Closet mold is one of the most common complaints in South Florida homes, and it often appears in houses that are otherwise clean and well kept. The cause is the closet itself: how it is built, where it sits and how it is used.
Why closets are the first place mold shows up
- No air supply. Most closets have no AC vent. With the door shut, the dry, conditioned air in the bedroom never reaches the inside.
- No air movement. Still air lets moisture settle on surfaces and stay there.
- Temperature differences. A closet on an exterior wall, or next to a bathroom or the air handler, has surfaces at a different temperature from the room. Humid air against them reaches high relative humidity even when the rest of the house reads normal.
- Plenty of food. Leather, cotton, wool, cardboard, wood shelving and dust are all organic materials mold can grow on.
- Darkness and tight packing. Clothes pressed against walls block what little airflow exists.
Humidity problem or leak?
Before you clean anything, work out which kind of problem you have, because the fix is different.
Signs of a humidity problem:
- Light, powdery or fuzzy growth spread over many items, especially leather and items at the back
- Walls that look clean or have only faint, even spotting
- It is worse in summer, or after the home was closed up or the AC was off
- Other closets show the same thing
Signs of a leak:
- Growth concentrated on one wall, in one corner, at the baseboard or on the ceiling
- Stains, bubbling paint or soft drywall
- Damp carpet or swollen trim
- A bathroom, shower, AC closet, exterior wall or roof directly on the other side
A humidity problem can usually be solved with changes to airflow and habits. A leak has to be found and repaired, and the wet materials dealt with.
How to stop it
- Let the air in. Leave closet doors open a few inches, or replace solid doors with louvered ones. For a walk-in closet, ask an AC contractor about adding a supply vent or a transfer grille.
- Give things room. Keep clothing a few inches off the walls and avoid packing the rod tight. Keep the floor clear.
- Switch to wire shelving where you can. Air passes through it; solid shelves trap damp air underneath.
- Put nothing away damp. Gym clothes, rain jackets, towels, beach bags and shoes worn in the rain need to dry fully first.
- Remove dry-cleaning plastic. It traps moisture against the fabric.
- Replace cardboard boxes with plastic bins or open shelving. Cardboard absorbs moisture and feeds mold.
- Watch the number. Put a small hygrometer in the closet. If it stays above 60 percent, the closet needs more air or the home needs better dehumidification.
- Keep the whole home dry. Fan on AUTO, bathroom exhaust running during and after showers, and the bathroom door closed while it clears.
Cleaning what was affected
Carry items outdoors before brushing or wiping them so you are not spreading spores inside. Wear gloves and a mask.
- Washable clothing and linens: launder with detergent and dry completely, in a dryer or in direct sun.
- Leather shoes, belts and bags: wipe with a damp cloth and mild soap or a leather cleaner, let them dry in moving air, then condition. Valuable pieces are better sent to a professional cleaner.
- Hard shelves, rods and plastic bins: wash with detergent and water and dry them.
- Cardboard, paper and heavily affected porous items: bag and discard.
Empty the closet completely while you do this. It is the only way to see the walls, the corners and the baseboards.
When the walls are the problem
Once the closet is empty, look closely at the drywall. A few faint surface spots on painted drywall that is dry and firm can be wiped with detergent and water and then watched. The situation calls for professional remediation when:
- Growth covers a large part of a wall or the ceiling
- The drywall is stained, soft or damp
- There is a leak source behind the wall
- Mold returns within weeks of cleaning
- The smell stays after everything has been removed and cleaned
In those cases the affected drywall has to be removed under containment and the cavity dried, after the moisture source is fixed. If anyone in the home has health symptoms, a doctor is the right person to consult.
A dry closet stays clean
Air, space and dry belongings prevent most closet mold. If yours has moved from the shoes to the walls, request an on-site remediation estimate at drymiami.com or call (954) 778-7999. The visit is $79, credited in full toward the job if you hire DryMiami.
Mold problem at home?
We come out, find the moisture source and give you a written remediation estimate. The visit is $79, credited in full toward your job if you hire us.
