Why Is Cleaning the Crawl Space Important?

You’ll want to clean your crawl space for the same reasons that you clean the rest of your home. A dirty crawl space can negatively impact your overall quality of life within your space. The longer you leave your crawl space dirty, the more likely it is that the mess will obscure signs of water damage or other structural failures. When you keep your crawl space clean, however, you can avoid losing value on your home or otherwise compromising your family’s health.  

When you clean out your crawl space, you’re doing more than making the space itself a little less cluttered. The benefits of cleaning out your crawl space include: 

Lowered Risk of Structural Damage Throughout Your Home 

Protecting your crawl space and ensuring that it stays clean isn’t about what the crawl space visually looks like. Instead, a clean crawl space protects the rest of your home from unexpected forms of damage. 

When you clean your crawl space, you prevent: 

• Foundation Damage. Water that gets into your crawl space can easily travel down into your foundation. The kind of foundation damage a leaking crawl space puts you at risk for can cost you a pretty penny—all the more reason, then, to keep your crawl space dry and clean. 
• Flooding. The last thing you want to find when coming down to clean your crawl space is standing water. If you clean your crawl space on a biweekly basis, however, you’ll be able to spot the signs of a leak in advance and reach out to the applicable professionals for help. 

• Mold Spores. If your crawl space is damp, it’s going to be a haven for mold. Clean your crawl space and dry it out with a dehumidifier if you want to keep mold spores from taking root alongside your belongings. 
• Infestations. If water can get into your home, so can insects and other critters. When you clean your crawl space and point out any leaks to a professional contractor, you’ll not only be eliminating a source of water damage but also a source of infestation. 
• Unpleasant Smells Throughout Your Home. Want to get rid of the musty smell in your home, but aren’t sure where to start? Head down into your crawl space. Unfortunately, the smell of dampness rooted here travels upward and fills the whole of your home. While some air fresheners can cover the scent up, you’ll need to get your hands dirty if you want to reclaim your space. 
• Damaged Insulation. Thermal insulation is a great temporary waterproofing measure in addition to a temperature control barrier. However, if you don’t keep an eye on it while cleaning your crawl space, you risk it becoming a hotbed for mold reproduction or animal nesting. 

Better Budgeting for The Future 

Not only will cleaning out your crawl space help preserve the overall integrity of your home, but it can also be a boon for your wallet. 

When you make a point to ensure that your crawl space remains clean, you can: 

• Improve Your Home’s Market Value. If you want to sell your home, you’re going to need to ensure that it’s in the best shape possible before you put it on the market. One of the ways you can get the most value out of your home is to keep the crawl space clean. A dirty crawl space that’s led to foundation cracks or crawl space leaks can cost you up to 30 percent of your home’s value. 
• Save Money on Repairs. The sooner you’re able to respond to a problem in your crawl space, the less money repairs are going to cost you. The best way to spot the kinds of problems that demand expensive repairs is to clean your crawl space consistently. 
• Save Money on Your Bills. If you leave your crawl space unattended, you may not be able to stay on top of pipe leaks or cracks. As a result, you may notice your electric, heating, or water bill spiking for seemingly no reason. If you want to better track the changes in your home, keep your crawl space clean. This way, you can reach out for professional guidance if you see a problem developing that you don’t know how to treat.