What to do If You Have Mold in Your Home

What to do If You Have Mold in Your Home

Mold can look like spots. It can be many different colors, and it can smell musty. If you see or smell mold, you should remove it. You do not need to know the type of mold.

If mold is growing in your home, you need to clean up the mold and fix the moisture problem. Mold can be removed from hard surfaces with household products, soap, and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of household laundry bleach in 1 gallon of water.

If You Use Bleach to Clean up Mold

  • Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners. Mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaning products will produce poisonous gas.
  • Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when you use bleach or any other cleaning product.
  • Open windows and doors to provide fresh air.
  • Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles during cleanup of affected areas.
  • If you need to clean more than 10 square feet, check the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guide titled Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, which gives advice on all building types. You can get it by going to the EPA web site at https://www.epa.gov/mold/mold-remediation-schools-and-commercial-buildings-guideexternal icon.

To Prevent Mold Growth in Your Home

  • Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you can—no higher than 50%–all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. You can buy a meter to check your home’s humidity at a home improvement store. Humidity levels change over the course of a day so you will need to check the humidity levels more than once a day.
  • Be sure the air in your home flows freely. Use exhaust fans that vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home.
  • Fix any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow.
  • Clean up and dry out your home fully and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after a flood.
  • Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. You can buy mold inhibitors at paint and home improvement stores.
  • Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products.
  • Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried right away. Think about not using carpet in places like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.
health problems associated with exposure to mold

Who is most at risk for health problems associated with exposure to mold?

People with allergies may be more sensitive to molds. People with immune suppression or underlying lung disease are more susceptible to fungal infections. Individuals with chronic respiratory disease (e.g., a chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, asthma) may experience difficulty breathing. Individuals with immune suppression are at increased risk for infection from molds. If you or your family members have these conditions, a qualified medical clinician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment.

How do you keep mold out of buildings and homes?

Inspect buildings for evidence of water damage and visible mold as part of routine building maintenance, Correct conditions causing mold growth (e.g., water leaks, condensation, infiltration, or flooding) to prevent mold growth.

Inside your home, you can control mold growth by:

  • Controlling humidity levels;
  • Promptly fixing leaky roofs, windows, and pipes;
  • Thoroughly cleaning and drying after flooding;
  • Ventilating shower, laundry, and cooking areas.

Specific Recommendations:

  • Keep humidity levels as low as you can—between 30% and 50%–all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. Bear in mind that humidity levels change over the course of a day with changes in the moisture in the air and the air temperature, so you will need to check the humidity levels more than once a day.
  • Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier during humid months.
  • Be sure your home has enough ventilation. Use exhaust fans which vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home.
  • Fix any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow.
  • Consider not using carpet in rooms or areas like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.

Should I be concerned about a serious health risk to me and my family?

There is always a little mold everywhere – in the air and on many surfaces.

Certain molds are toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins (specifically “mycotoxins”). Hazards presented by molds that may produce mycotoxins should be considered the same as other common molds that can grow in your house. Not all fungi produce mycotoxins and even those that do will not do so under all surface or environmental conditions.

Mold growth, which often looks like spots, can be many different colors and can smell musty.  Color is not an indication of how dangerous a mold may be.  Any mold should be removed and the moisture source that helped it grow should be removed.

There are very few reports that toxigenic molds found inside homes can cause unique or rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. These case reports are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxigenic mold and these conditions has not been proven.

Basic Facts about Mold

Basic Facts about Mold

How common is mold in buildings?

Molds are very common in buildings and homes. Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.

The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus.  We do not have precise information about how often different molds are found in buildings and homes.

How do molds get in the indoor environment and how do they grow?

Mold is found both indoors and outdoors. Mold can enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems. Mold in the air outside can also attach itself to clothing, shoes, and pets can and be carried indoors. When mold spores drop on places where there is excessive moisture, such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs, pipes, walls, plant pots, or where there has been flooding, they will grow. Many building materials provide suitable nutrients that encourage mold to grow. Wet cellulose materials, including paper and paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, wood, and wood products, are particularly conducive for the growth of some molds. Other materials such as dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation materials, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery, commonly support mold growth.

How do you know if you have a mold problem?

Large mold infestations can usually be seen or smelled.

How do molds affect people?

Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions. Severe reactions may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of molds in occupational settings, such as farmers working around moldy hay. Severe reactions may include fever and shortness of breath.

In 2004 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found there was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition.

In 2009, the World Health Organization issued additional guidance, the WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould pdf icon[PDF – 2.65 MB]external icon. Other recent studies have suggested a potential link of early mold exposure to the development of asthma in some children, particularly among children who may be genetically susceptible to asthma development, and that selected interventions that improve housing conditions can reduce morbidity from asthma and respiratory allergies.

A link between other adverse health effects, such as acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage among infants, memory loss, or lethargy, and molds, including the mold Stachybotrys chartarum  has not been proven. Further studies are needed to find out what causes acute idiopathic hemorrhage and other adverse health effects.

There is no blood test for mold.  Some physicians can do allergy testing for possible allergies to mold, but no clinically proven tests can pinpoint when or where a particular mold exposure took place.

3 Ways to Kill Mold Naturally, Tampa Residents

3 Ways to Kill Mold Naturally, Tampa Residents

One of the most commonly known facts about mold is that it loves growing in dark, damp, warm, and humid places. This makes your kitchen, basement, and bathroom three ideal places in your house where you are likely to see the growth of mold. The main reason for that is these three areas are in constant contact with moisture, which presents an ideal breeding ground for mold and bacteria.

There may be times when mold is growing in your home, and you may not even realize it. This is because it tends to enter and grow very quietly and quickly before you can even sense it or notice its presence.

This is why you should always be well-equipped with tools that can help you with immediate mold removal. Leaving mold untreated can be very dangerous as it can lead to several illnesses and allergies, and can also damage the infrastructure of your home.

Therefore, you must get rid of it immediately. Here are some natural ways to kill mold to get rid of it at first sight. Before that, though, make sure you wear the right protective equipment (gloves, a mask, etc.)

Vinegar

This common household ingredient works as an excellent mold-killer and successfully cuts through the growth of mold spores. It has a very pungent smell and has great stinging properties that ensure successful mold removal.

The best way to use vinegar to kill mold is to spray it directly onto the affected areas. If the smell is too overpowering for you, you can dilute it with a little bit of water. After spraying it on the mold-affected areas, let it sit for a few hours during which it will not only kill the mold but will also prevent it from growing any further.

After a few hours, scrub the surface with a hard brush and then wipe it with a clean cloth.

Hydrogen Peroxide

This is another ingredient commonly found in most households, and it features great anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. It is extremely effective for mold-removal from a variety of areas, such as floors, tile grout, the kitchen sink, the bathroom shower, etc.

Pour three percent hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and then spray it on all the mold-affected areas. Leave it for only ten minutes since it is very strong and highly reactive.

After ten minutes, scrub the surface with a brush till it’s perfectly clean. Wipe the area with a clean, damp cloth in order to remove any mold residue that may have been left behind.

Baking Soda

Known as one of the most versatile ingredients that can be found around the house, baking soda has excellent properties that effectively kill and remove mold from your home. The best part about it is that it not only kills the mold but also absorbs all the moisture from the affected areas to prevent it from growing again.

Simply mix some baking soda with water and spray the mixture on the moldy areas. With the help of a scrubbing brush or a damp cloth, scrub the area till the mold is effectively removed. Since baking soda is very mild and is a natural disinfectant, it doesn’t leave any lingering smell or residue.  If the growth of mold has spread too much in your home, it is best to immediately call a mold remediation company to ensure quick and effective mold removal.