If you have just a small area of mold, use a hand-held dryer to dry it up in just a few minutes.

You can prevent mold from growing by keeping areas dry. Find source of moisture and control it. Mold in an undersink cabinet, for example, may require fixing leaky pipes. Controlling mold in a bathroom may involve installing a small space heater to run after a shower to dry out room, or using a fan for same purpose. No moisture--no mold.

In a closet, hang garments with space between them to allow for air-flow and install a small light, both to dispel darkness and provide a little heat. If you live in a very humid area, a dehumidifier may be necessary.

To remove mold from shower tile or other hard surface, mix borax and water, or vinegar and water, in a spray bottle. Spray it on and mold wipes right off. Borax inhibits mold growth, so wash down walls in your bathroom with a borax solution and just leave it on, or sprinkle borax in damp cabinets under sink. If you need something stronger to remove stubborn mold, use hydrogen peroxide.

Steam cleaners--which clean, sanitize, and deodorize using only hot water--also work great on mold. You can purchase small hand-held steam cleaners in housewares department of discount stores for about $50 or larger units on Internet.

Read more about controlling mold without toxic chemicals in my new book Home Safe Home, at http://www.dld123.com/homesafehome.html.

Low Immune System

If your immune system is too weak to fight off allergies, you will end up suffering for a good part of year. Your immune system may be weak for a couple of reasons. First, if you do not get enough vitamins and minerals your immune system will lose its strength and will become ineffective in fighting allergies and other forms of viruses or infections. Also, your immune system may be low due to mental stress. Mental stress can make you physically weak and cause your body to shut-down. When this happens, your immune system shuts down as well. To strengthen your immune system make sure you get lots of vitamins, eat a healthy diet and avoid stress as much as possible.

Many studies have been done and there is no “one thing” which has been proven to cause allergies. Allergies can be caused by one of reasons listed above or possibly a combination of many different reasons. Nevertheless, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Exercising, sleeping and eating healthy will all play an important role in avoiding allergy symptoms.