4 Unsuspecting Yet Common Hot Spots For Mold, From Michael Rubino

Mold has quite the sinister reputation, which makes sense given the fact that it loves to hide in dark, secluded areas. And according to mold remediation expert Michael Rubino, host of Never Been Sicker podcast, a little bit of mold may be inevitable at some point.

After all, "Mold can grow in as little as 24 to 48 hours," he says on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, and it can crop up in unexpected places. Take front-loading washing machines, for example: These typically have a rubber gasket around the door to create an airtight seal, which creates the perfect humid environment for any lingering moisture. 

You may have heard that coffee itself can carry a specific type of mycotoxin (meaning, a toxic chemical product produced by fungi), but you should watch out for the machine itself. "I had this automatic De'Longhi Italian [machine] that grinds the beans and pours it all out," says Rubino. "I went away on vacation, and I forgot to empty the grinds out of the coffee machine before I went, so all those wet grinds were sitting in this plastic tray. I come back and [mold] is just all over the inside of this machine. I literally had to throw it away." 

Speaking of rubber gaskets, dishwashers, too, have a rubber seal that keeps water from spilling onto the floor—and when water becomes trapped in those folds, it creates the perfect environment for mold. That said, you might want to leave the dishwasher door open after each wash cycle so the machine can fully air out. 

How often have you checked your toilet for mold? While you may think the shower is the most common bathroom hot spot, don't ignore your toilet tanks: "Most homes that have a mold issue, if you go to their toilet tank, take the lid off, flip it over, and look on the underside of the toilet tank cover, you'll find mold," says Rubino. "And usually a lot of it."

"I can't tell you how many [of my kids'] sippy cups I had to throw away that were getting moldy," Rubino shares. Again, anything with a rubber fold that gets exposed to water is fair game, even if the parts themselves are super small.