Mold is something that doesn’t usually cross our minds until we have it in our homes, staring at our faces while it’s eating up our walls, carpets, and furniture. Struggles with mold are a reality for many homeowners today, especially those in the southern states like Florida or Texas where the weather is warm and the air is humid.
But how dangerous is mold really? Can mold make you sick? And how to deal with it once it grows?
We’ll discuss all of that in today’s post. Let’s dive right in!
What is Mold?
First, before we dive into the dangers of mold, let’s discuss what mold actually is and how it develops.
Mold is the formation formed by certain fungi. Not all fungi form mold, some form mushrooms instead, while others grow in other ways. Mold spreads by producing spores which then flow through the air.
Note that mold spores are everywhere, both outside and inside, in all of our homes, even when there is no visible mold. However, whether these spores develop into problematic mold depends on multiple factors.
How Does Mold Grow?
Mold grows whenever certain conditions are met.
High Humidity
High humidity is the biggest factor that contributes to the development of mold. Whenever there is humid air and moisture present in a property, mold will start growing.
Mold thrives in damp conditions, which is why most homeowners notice mold shortly after they’ve experienced water damage.
Organic Surfaces
Mold grows on organic surfaces, and it eats all of the material it grows on. The more it eats, the more it grows, which leads it to eating up even more of your organic surfaces, and the cycle snowballs from there until mold is removed.
Warm Weather
Warm weather itself isn’t necessarily going to be the reason why mold grows, but when paired with the previous factors we’ve mentioned, it can certainly aid mold in its development.
There is a reason why more people struggle with mold in the southern cities near the beach.
Combine all three of these factors with poor building conditions or little to no ventilation, and you’ve got a perfect breeding ground for mold.
How Dangerous is Mold?
Mold can cause many health problems. It can make you constantly experience the symptoms of cold and chronic fatigue. Most people experience mold symptoms that can include coughing, sneezing, or nausea. In more problematic cases, some people can suffer from vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, and diarrhea.
Mold can also trigger asthma or allergic reactions.
Now, these are more common scenarios of mold exposure for most people. They usually don’t result in any worse conditions. People notice the problems, look for the cause, find it, and then resolve the issue either by themselves or by calling a professional.
However, there are times when mold can have some serious consequences.
Around 2 million people die from fungal infections every year. So, if you’ve been wondering “can mold kill you”, the answer would be yes, it can.
If you’re dealing with a more dangerous mold type, like Aspergillus, you’re facing a serious health risk. In as little as 14 days, Aspergillus can severely harm or even kill people with compromised immune systems.
This is where the discussion of mold and how to deal with mold with professionals of companies like U.S. Enzyme becomes very important.
How to Know if You Have Mold?
If you, your family members, or even your pets have started experiencing some of the mold symptoms we’ve mentioned above, those are the clear signs that something is wrong.
However, there are other signs to look out for:
- Musty/rotten odor
- Dark spots on walls
- Moldy clothing, carpets, or furniture
- Peeling wallpaper or paint
- Moisture condensation
- Plumbing leak
- Dirty bathroom tiles.
If you’re unsure whether you have mold or not, call a mold inspection company to search your house and see if they can find any hidden mold behind walls.
A mold inspection company uses various devices that you might not have at hand that will help have a much more accurate conclusion on whether you have a mold problem.
If there is mold in your house right now and you’ve got a family member with a weaker immune system, you need to take the right measures to remove the mold and prevent your loved ones from experiencing any worse conditions.
How to Remove Mold?
Your best bet is to call a mold removal specialist if you’ve got mold. The reason for this is that you likely don’t have the protective equipment required to deal with the mold. You may also not understand where the mold is coming from, unless you’ve hired a mold inspection company.
If you did work with a mold inspector, see if they can also remove mold (in most cases they can), and how much that would cost.
Mold removal can cost a lot in certain areas of the house, but it’s still worth paying the price to avoid risking your health by exposing yourself to potentially dangerous mold species.
You may be able to get your insurance company to cover the cost of mold removal if the cause of mold growth is a “covered peril”. Speak with your mold professional regarding this.
But, you may still wish to proceed on your own. This is perfectly understandable since not all mold problems require a professional mold removal service to be resolved. For such scenarios, you can use white vinegar.
Simply spray white vinegar onto the infected area and leave it for an hour to be absorbed. Once an hour passes, wipe the area and rinse it with warm water.
Then spray white vinegar again. Keep repeating this process until you see improvements.
Conclusion
Mold can be a dangerous hazard. Great job on educating yourself on the dangers of mold and what you can do about it. Now you need to take appropriate steps to locate the cause of the mold and then remove it altogether. We wish you all the best, have a great day!
