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Does Damprid Get Rid of Mold and Mildew? (Answered)

Hygiene is a top priority in many people’s lives since it is a key factor in keeping our good health. Therefore, in order to have a healthy life. We have to maintain proper hygiene of our houses to keep ourselves and our families in top shape. 

Mold and mildew are some of the few things that can grow if the air quality around the house is poor and has some serious health risks – this article explored the ways you can deal with them using DampRid.

DampRid to get rid of mold and mildew:

DampRid can get rid of mold and mildew by absorbing excess moisture from the air, which inhibits mold and mildew growth. DampRid crystals absorb excess moisture from stagnant air in places such as closets or other enclosed spaces. Each bag can effectively get rid of mold and mildew for 60 days.

DampRid is a dehumidifier made up of calcium chloride crystals which are placed in a separate compartment in the container along with liquid brine that forms as a result of the absorbed moisture. These crystals absorb moisture from the air and deposit them at the bottom of the container. 

Due to the hygroscopic properties of calcium chloride crystals they attract freely moving water molecules in the air – which is the moisture. As the crystals absorb the moisture, they start to liquify and become saturated with moisture and dissolves into the lower compartment. After all the crystals have been liquified, the package of DampRid can no longer remove the moisture and thus needs to be replaced.

Due to these properties of DampRid, they are used to trap excess moisture from the air to inhibit the growth of mold and mildew. In places such as closets or laundry rooms, stagnant air could lead to growth of mold and develop bad odors. Placing a package of DampRid can help remove the excess air and keep the air quality in check.

If you place a container in a damp room, the bottom compartment will soon fill up with brine. Depending on the environment of the room, a container of DampRid would last for 30 to 60 days. Besides acting as a dehumidifier, some crystals have fragrances added to them which keeps the room or enclosed space smelling good.

Besides that general purpose use of DampRid, there are some usage guidelines for DampRid to prevent the growth of molds and they have been listed below:

Keeping your house dry:

Humidity is the biggest culprit that allows mold growth in enclosed spaces of your rooms. Clothing in closets and wardrobes are more susceptible to these mold patches and thus start to have a bad odor coming from them. In order to protect your valuable clothing and other structures around your house, you need to place hi-capacity DampRid containers across your house. 

The damper the enclosed space is, the faster will it fill up with brine and will require replacement. Since DampRid only gets rid of moisture but not standing water, you need to address any possible leakages into your rooms – otherwise DampRid won’t be of much use.

Maintaining your vehicle’s air quality:

Keeping the air quality up in your vehicle is just as important as your home. Your vehicles are an enclosed space and given the right conditions – it too can be vulnerable to mold growth and put your breathability and health at risk. 

To address this issue, keep a package of DampRid in a corner of your car where it won’t tip over when the car is moving. Disposable units of DampRid are more suitable for use in cars and you can place one under each seat for improved effectiveness.

Keeping your holiday homes in check:

Holiday homes aren’t always inhabited, which makes them a prime target of mold growth. Holiday homes always remain closed when not in use and thus, any presence of excess moisture could cause rapid mold growth. Therefore, place a large DampRid container across your homes once every 2 months.

What is DampRid and how does it work on moisture?

DampRid is a package of calcium chloride crystals that helps to remove moisture from air which keeps the humidity level of the air around your house in check and prevents mold and mildew growth. However, in order to understand how DampRid works – you need to know what Calcium Chloride is. It is a naturally occurring mineral that has a unique property of absorbing moisture from air. Its crystals are slightly larger in size than salt crystals and they are commonly used in aquariums or swimming pools to keep the water clean.

But in DampRid, the crystals serve the purpose of absorbing moisture from the air which dissolves the crystals and then the liquified calcium chloride deposits at the bottom of the compartment. This keeps repeating until all the crystals in DampRid have been dissolved and the compartment has been filled up.

How long does it take DampRid to work?

DampRid crystals are chemical dehumidifiers and therefore unlike electric dehumidifiers, they can’t instantly get rid of all the moisture in the air. 

But once the container has been placed, it will immediately get to work and absorb the excess moisture in the air adjacent to it but to be fully functional – it would take 24 hours.

In a few days, you will notice the crystals begin to dissolve and liquids are dripping down into the bottom compartment – that will signify that DampRid is effectively working.

How to get rid of mold in your house?

Getting rid of mold in your house is no easy task since it requires you to change the way many things have been set up and also requires you to put an active effort on a regular basis to prevent further growth of mold. 

However, some little changes can make a huge difference in the mold growth in your house and those changes have been listed below:

Provide better ventilation:

Enclosed spaces create the perfect condition for mold growth as it traps both heat and humidity. 

If you install vents of exhaust fans connected to the enclosed rooms or spaces, then it would reduce the chances of mold growth and the cold air would discourage mold from spreading.

Use dehumidifiers few times a week:

If installing vents aren’t possible, make sure the humid area such as the attic or basement has less than 50% humidity level. You can ensure that by running dehumidifiers in those locations 2-3 times a week.

Check for any leaks:

Plumbing leaks can cause water to deposit and accumulate on a spot which would diffuse into the air and increase its humidity. Fixing the problem at the source would effectively keep the humidity of the air in check.

Check the air conditioning drain lines:

Air conditioner’s drain lines are typically separate from plumbing lines, therefore they need the same attention as plumbing lines to prevent accumulation of standing water.

Unclog your home’s gutters:

If your home’s gutter doesn’t have a clean and smooth flow due to debris, water will spill over and seep into unreachable places. That wouldn’t only be unhygienic but also make your air smell soggy and humid.

Check for standing water:

Apart from faults in plumbing lines, standing water could be a result of rain or other exposure to water as well. Keeping those spots dry within a day or two will prevent mold from growing.

Spray with Hydrogen Peroxide or vinegar:

For additional protection, you can make a spray of hydrogen peroxide or vinegar and spray into the mold affected areas or enclosed space to remove existing mold as well as prevent further growth.

What to do if mold keeps coming back?

If your mold keeps coming back, it means that you haven’t spotted the mold at its source. Therefore, in order to prevent mold growth you can apply mold-resistant paint in your walls if they are under the casualty of mold growth. 

Although it won’t remove the mold underneath the paint, it won’t allow new mold to grow on the paint layer.

Another factor to check is whether the affected area is well ventilated or has any plumbing lines near them. Chances are, the mold keeps coming back either due to poor ventilation which provides the area with enough humidity to start growing back. 

And even if the area stays ventilated, if there are leaky pipes causing water to drip into the spot – the humidity will skyrocket.

Unless these issues are addressed, the mold will keep coming back no matter how many times you remove them.

Final thoughts

By removing extra moisture from the air and preventing mold and mildew from growing, DampRid can get rid of mold and mildew. DampRid’s crystals absorb excess moisture from damp air in places like closets and other confined spaces. Mold and mildew can be effectively prevented for 60 days by each bag.