Mildew: A Sign of Summer
Just as sure as summer is on its
way so is mildew. The warm,
humid conditions of summer days
are perfect for growing a thriving
crop of this fungus.
It can appear on siding, walls,
bathrooms, carpets, shoes and any
where that there is sufficient food
and moisture for growth. Mildew
is a form of fungus and although
most types are black, some are red,
green, or other colors. Mildew
spores are almost everywhere. But
to grow they need the right
conditions.
Its favorite foods include organ
ic materials like paper, leather,
natural fibers, or surfaces coated
with even the slightest amount of
organic matter such as food,
grease, soap scum, or soil.
Its favorite temperature is in a
range of 77 to 86 degrees Fahren
heit, but some will grow in temper
atures as low as 32 degrees or as
high as 95 degrees Fahrenheit
Mildew does not require oxygen
for growth nor does it need light. In
fact, strong sunlight will kill it To
prevent mildew growth, remove
the source of moisture, ventilate
the area adequately, and dry the
air. Without moisture mildew will
not grow. The optimal relative
humidity range is from 70 to 93
percent. Relative humidity below
70 percent inhibits most mildew
growth.
Adequate ventilation will also
inhibit mildew growth. Be sure to
use bathroom exhaust fans and
exterior vented range hood fans, or
open windows and doors to
exhaust excess steam from the
bathroom or kitchen. Clothes
dryers should be vented outdoors.
During the air conditioning sea
son, windows and doors probably
should not be opened at night
unless the outside air is at least IS
degrees Fahrenheit lower than
inside temperatures. As much as-7
or 8 pints of water can be brought
into the house during the night.
The next day, the air conditioner
would have to work much harder
to remove the moisture.
If you have no air conditioner, a
dehumidifier can be used. Damp
ness in the basement is often
caused by condensation of warm.
moist air on cooler interior wall
and floor surfaces. There are three
ways to overcome this effect:
improve the insulation of the
walls, provide heat in the base
ment. or use a dehumidifier in the
basement. If the basement is conti
nually wet from water leaidng
through cracks in the walls or
floor, be sure that outside drainage
is .adequate.
The procedure for removing
mildew depends on the surface on
which it is growing. For exterior
painted surfaces, scrub with a soft
brush and a solution of 1/3 cup
detergent, 1 quart household chlor
ine bleach, and 3 quarts warm
water. Use rubber gloves when
scrubbing. Then rinse well. The
surface can then be treated with a
commercial fungicide and, if
necessary, repainted with a
mildew-resistant paint
To prevent mildew from grow
ing on siding, be sure there is good
air circulation between plantings
and the house. At least two feet of
air space is recommended
between the house and the plant
ings. Paints such as latex flat
paints are the most susceptible to
mildew, especially when linseed
oil base primer is used.
For interior painted surfaces,
scrub mildweed paint or plaster
with a solution of 3/4 cup house
hold bleach to 1 gallon of water.
Rinse clean with water and allow
to dry thoroughly before painting
or papering.
For bathroom or basement
walls, scrub surfaces with a solu
tion of 1 quart of chlorine bleach, 2
tablespoons of liquid detergent.
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toothbrush can work well to scrub
the grout around the bathroom tile.
After letting the surface dry, rinse
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Plastic shower curtains can be
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Magazines and newspapers are
rediscovering the appeal beef has
with readers, as evidenced by in
creasing numbers of articles and
features appearing nationwide.
Much of the publicity is inspired
or enhanced through checkoff
funded assistance to publication
editors and writers.
A recent article in the April
1996 issue of Country Living
symbolizes the editorial return to
beef. “Beef is Back,” headlined
the B'/> -page article. “After a brief
fall from grace, beef is again
drawing crowds to steak houses,
while leaner cuts have reclaimed
starring roles at home.” With six
recipes and four full-page color
photographs, the article showcas
es recipes and meal ideas that en
courage consumers to choose beef
more frequently. It was made pos
sible by an ongoing, one-on-one
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almost dry. Work with a small area
at a time, rinsing with a cloth
dipped in clean water and wrung
almost dry.
Dry each area thoroughly before
going on to the next area. Keep in
mind that water will damage wood
if allowed to stay on it But better
than cleaning up the mildew after it
occurs is to prevent it by removing
the source of moisture. Be sure the
area is well ventilated, and that the
air is dry. Summer will be more
enjoyable if you don’t have to keep
after the mildew.
relationship between the test
kitchen staff of the National Cat
tlemen’s Beef Association
(NCBA) and the food writers at
Country Living, which has a cir
culation of 1.8 million and reach
of 4 million readers.
Overall, efforts by the test
kitchen staff to place more stories
about beef are having tremendous
success in 1996. Since Ocl 1,
1995, editorial placement efforts
have resulted in 3,669 place.'nents,
with a combined circulation of
more than 488 million. Last year
at this time, 3,092 placements had
been made to publications with a
similar combined circulation.
‘The relationships we’ve devel
oped with these publications are
really helping to generate more
great exposure for beef,” accord
ing to Marlys Bielunski of the
NCBAS test kitchens.
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