Hi, Joseph! While a warm and moist environment definitely encourages mold growth, that's the environment of every sourdough starter. Mold grows when there are spores in the environment, so if they were present in your kitchen before, they're likely still there. (It's not uncommon to find molds growing under appliances, behind baseboards, and back behind plumbing.) You might consider keeping your starter in another part of the house, like a bedroom or study, and bringing it to the kitchen just for feedings. Sometimes this is enough of a separation to do the trick! 

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