Mold Removal: What You Need To Know

What is Mold?

Mold can be pesky once it takes hold and mold removal can be time consuming and frustrating. So what is mold?

Mold is a hearty organism that can live on all sorts of material. These materials include common items you may find in your home, such as wood, paper, carpet, and food. Mold spores are very small and are commonly found in the air both indoor and outdoor. Typically, they are not a problem until they land on something damp and begin to grow. That’s fine for the outdoors, but not so great inside your home.

If mold finds a damp place to grow it will digest whatever it lands on, including whatever is in your home. So how do you prevent mold from eating your house and home and how do you remove mold once it appears?

Preventing Mold

The number one rule is to keep it dry so you don’t have to worry about mold removal later. Reducing the humidity in your home will prevent those pesky mold spores from growing.

Vent bathrooms during a bath or shower.
Have clothes dryer vents lead outside the house.
Immediately fix any leaks in your roof, walls, or plumbing.
Keep moisture less than 50% with air conditioning and dehumidifiers.
Mold inhibitors can be added to paints before painting a room.
Bathrooms should be cleaned with products that kill mold.
If carpet, rugs, or upholstery is soaked and cannot be dried, it should be removed or replaced.
Buy a humidity meter to check levels in the home or if you suspect a leak.

Is Mold Bad?

Mold spores that are in the air are usually harmless unless they land on a damp surface. The spores will then grow and begin to feed. If that surface it’s feeding on is your home than it can cause major damage. Mold can also cause or exacerbate health problems, such as asthma.

Black mold has received some attention for being particularly bad for your health. There is not scientific evidence to suggest that black mold is worse than any other mold. So, no matter the color, it is important to remove mold quickly and thoroughly.

Exposure to mold can also cause allergic reactions. It can cause eye, skin, nose, throat, and lung irritation for anyone, even if they do not have asthma or an allergy to mold.

Signs of an allergy or irritation to mold may include:

runny or stuffy nose
watery eyes
dry cough
rashes
sore throat
wheezing

Although these symptoms can be connected to mold exposure, they are also symptoms of other health issues, such as seasonal allergies or a common cold.

Who Can Clean or Provide Mold Removal?

If the area of mold is less than 3 feet by 3 feet, this is a job that you can handle yourself. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tips and tricks for how to clean mold.

If the area of mold is large or you prefer to hire someone to clean it up, make sure that they are are experienced with cleaning mold and check references.