Hi Sylvia, I apologize for the delay in responding to your question! Since temperatures that are conducive to mold growth (70-90ºF) overlap with optimum starter temperatures (70's), there isn't much you can do to avoid the possibility of mold completely, but I would try to keep your starter a little cooler next time around and give it its first feeding a little earlier. Before you start again, be sure to clean your container and utensils very well with hot (boiling, if possible) water, and air dry. Also, I would be careful to cover your starter well, to limit the amount of exposure to mold in the air. The reason we say to "cover loosely" is not because the starter needs airflow in order to ferment properly (it doesn't), but because fermentation gases can build up in a tightly lidded container and cause the lid to pop off. It's fine to cover your starter container well with plastic wrap to limit its exposure to outside invaders and dry air. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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