How to Stop Mold & Mildew in a Florida Home

Where it hides

• Bathrooms: grout, caulk, shower corners and the exhaust fan. Steam that lingers usually means the fan is too small or needs cleaning.
• AC: drip pans, drain lines and vents. A clogged condensate line is a classic Florida mold source and can flood a closet.
• Fridge door gaskets, which stay damp and dark.
• Windows and sills, where cold glass meets humid air.
• Closets and behind furniture, where air sits still against exterior walls.

Prevention

• Run the AC, add a dehumidifier in problem rooms, and use exhaust fans every time.
• Service the AC seasonally. Pour a cup of vinegar down the condensate drain line to keep it clear.
• Squeegee the shower and leave the door open to dry.
• Don't let damp laundry or towels pile up.
• Pull furniture a few inches off exterior walls.

AC settings

• Fan on AUTO, not ON. A nonstop fan blows across the wet coil between cycles and puts the moisture back in the house.
• Leaving town? 78–80° with the fan on AUTO, not 82–85°. Set too high, the system barely runs, barely dehumidifies, and you come home to a musty house.
• Oversized units cool fast and shut off before they dehumidify. If the house hits temperature quickly but always feels damp, ask your HVAC tech.

An inexpensive hygrometer tells you if it's working. Aim for 45–50% relative humidity; humidity that stays above 60% raises mold risk. See also cleaning AC vents and returns.

After a storm

After a leak, rain intrusion or a post-hurricane power outage, mold can take hold on wet materials in 24 to 48 hours. Lift wet rugs off the slab, run fans and a dehumidifier, and don't close up soaked closets. If water soaked into drywall or you suspect mold behind a wall, call a water-damage or mold-remediation pro. More in our hurricane prep and cleanup guide.

Cleaning what's already there

• Small spots on hard surfaces: detergent and water. Scrub, then dry completely. Never mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia.
• Porous materials that absorbed mold (drywall, grout that won't come clean, soft furnishings) often need removal.
• Get help past about 10 square feet, or for a musty smell with no visible source.
• Grout that re-spots within a couple of weeks needs airflow (run the exhaust fan 20–30 minutes after each shower) and a scrub-and-seal, not stronger chemicals.
• Vacant homes and rentals left with the AC off grow mildew in cabinets, closets and gaskets. We see this often on move-in and move-out cleans. Walk the property monthly and leave the AC on.

Regular cleaning removes the dust mold feeds on, and a cleaner who's there every week or two spots the first gray shadow in a shower corner early.