Mold and Mildew Removal Tips

Some types of mold are relatively harmless, while others can cause serious health problems for you and your family. Mold identification is the first step in deciding whether you’ve got a serious mold problem or not.

Common Household Mold

The most common household mold is aspergillus. It can come in about any color of the rainbow, and can grow nearly anywhere. For people with weak immune systems, this mold can be dangerous. For most people, it causes minor irritation like coughing, sneezing or other cold-like symptoms.

Black Mold

This is the stuff you really want to be careful with. Black mold, or stachybotrys mold, is highly toxic. This is the stuff that causes cold-like symptoms, allergic reactions, fatigue and headaches. If small kids are exposed to it over time, it can cause lifelong asthma problems. For older people and others with weak immune systems it can be deadly.

Because it is dangerous, it should be cleaned and removed immediately. You can do it yourself but it’s a big job and most people prefer to call a professional.

Cladosporium

This mold comes in lots of different colors, but is usually grey, brown, blue or black. It can grow just about anywhere. It isn’t as dangerous as aspergillus. Indoor cladosporium causes allergic reactions like sneezing, runny nose and coughing. It rarely causes anything worse than that partly because it is usually found in low concentrations.

Food Molds

Penicillium is the mold you most often find on food.  It’s the blue or green stuff on

bread, cheese, and other stuff that’s been in the back of the fridge for centuries.  All moldy food should be thrown away immediately, and you should check other food around it for penicillium as well.

Some foods, especially cheeses, are prone to developing mycotoxic molds. These molds are very dangerous and should not be eaten. It takes a laboratory to identify this type of mold, so it is best to simply dispose of all moldy foods.

Whether toxic or not, all mold should be cleaned up and removed quickly. Identification is just the first step.