What is Mold and Mildew?

We hear a lot in the media these days about the dangers of exposure to mold, but what is mold exactly,

anyway? Mold is not a plant or an animal, but a type of fungi. We eat some types of fungi, like many kinds

of mushrooms and the yeast we use to make bread rise. Some types of mold are even used to make

medicine, like the type of mold that is used to make penicillin, a life-saving antibiotic. Other types of mold

can be harmful to our health, however.

There are hundreds of different kinds of mold found both indoors and outdoors. Mold grows in damp,

dimly-lit areas. Indoors, it can often be found in places like attics, basements, crawl spaces, and

bathrooms. Mold is also common in other areas if there is a leak in the roof, leaky windows, leaky pipes,

or seasonal flooding. Some molds commonly found indoors include aspergillus, chaetomium,

cladosporium, penicillium, and stachybotrys (sometimes referred to as black mold, although many types

of mold are black in color).

What is Mold Related Illness?

Because mold spores are very tiny and very light, they easily become airborne. Once floating around in the air, mold spores are easily inhaled

by anyone in the vicinity. It’s not healthy to inhale any type of mold spores, but some types of mold actually produce toxins, known as

mycotoxins, that frequently cause a variety of health problems.

Not everyone exposed to mold develops mold related illness, and some people are more susceptible than others, including the elderly, the

very young, those with respiratory problems like asthma, and those with immune related disorders. Everyone, even healthy young adults, is

at risk for mold related illness if you have a mold problem in your home, however. Even your pets can get sick from too much mold in the

home.

Some of the illnesses caused by mold include aspergillosis, blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis,

sporotricosis, and systemic candidiasis (a yeast infection). Symptoms of mold related illness are wide-ranging and include:

Headaches

Sore throats

Trouble breathing, wheezing, and shortness of breath

A runny nose or stuffed up nose

Coughing

Sneezing

Red, itchy, watery eyes

Asthma attacks or asthma-like symptoms in people not previously diagnosed with the disease

Infections in the lungs, such as pneumonia and bronchitis

Chronic sinusitis (sinus infections)

Rashes or hives

Fatigue

Depression

Depressed immune system, causing you to get sick easily

If you have mold in your home and have symptoms of mold related illness, you should see your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment.

However, symptoms will likely continue, even with treatment, until all of the mold is removed from your home.

What is Mold Remediation?

Mold remediation is the process of removing mold and repairing mold-related damage in the home. It’s a complicated process and must be

done carefully in order to prevent further exposure to potentially harmful mold spores. Mold can be cleaned from some materials, like

bathtubs and tile, and the surfaces disinfected. Some materials, though, like drywall, wood, and carpeting, are impossible to clean thoroughly

and instead must be removed and replaced.

Mold remediation is challenging in part because mold can grow in so many out-of-sight places, including inside walls, under carpeting, above

ceiling tiles, and inside heating and air conditioning ducts. Just locating all the mold can be difficult, and if you miss even a little bit, it will just

continue to grow and spread. Soon you’ll have a full-blown mold problem on your hands again.

Mold removal is also challenging because the process disperses many more mold spores into the air, increasing the risk of mold related

illness. Due to safety concerns, we recommend hiring a mold remediation professional for the job, though it is possible to tackle the task

yourself if you’re only dealing with a small amount of mold (such as a surface area covering no more than ten square feet) and you have no

pre-existing health issues that would increase the risk for you. If you’re experiencing symptoms of mold related illness, you should not

attempt a mold remediation job yourself, though, because you’ll end up exposing yourself to more mold and making your symptoms worse.

If you would like a list of licensed mold remediation experts in your area, follow the link.

For More Information

For more information about mold, mold related illness, and perhaps most important, how to get rid of harmful mold in your home, please

check out A Homeowner’s Complete Guide to Mold Remediation. Written by mold remediation expert Brian Turner, this ebook explains what

mold is, how it spreads, and how to perform complete mold remediation in your home.

Additional Reading:

Several readers have written to us to asked if mold attracts bugs to their home. Since mold and insects both thrive in warm, moist

environments, it would make sense. Follow the link for an in depth article on the connection between mold and insects.

Aspergillus Mold In Your Home

Aspergillus mold is a very common type of fungus found virtually all over the world. Allergic aspergillosis is a condition that occurs when

people inhale the microscopic spores of aspergillus, causing an immune response in the body that can include a high fever, asthma attacks,

and coughing up blood and mucus.

Complications of Allergic Aspergillosis

Exposure to aspergillus usually causes only minor symptoms in healthy adults, but some people are more susceptible to health problems

related to exposure to this type of mold. Those at greatest risk include the elderly, infants and young children, people with disorders of the

immune system, people with asthma, and people with cystic fibrosis. Those recovering from serious illnesses or surgery are also at increased

risk. Even healthy adults can be negatively affected by exposure to aspergillus, though.

The Mayo Clinic(1) website lists several serious health problems that can result from exposure to aspergillus mold, including:

Bleeding in the lungs, which can be fatal.

Infection and destruction of facial bones – when aspergillus causes a sinus infection, the infection can spread to the facial bones

around the sinus cavities and if not treated promptly, can damage and destroy the bones.

Sepsis – this is a serious infection that spreads throughout the body, ultimately causing organ failure, which can be fatal.

Treating Allergic Aspergillosis

If you’re experiencing health problems you think may be related to mold exposure, see your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and for

treatment. Your doctor may order some tests to determine if exposure to aspergillus is causing your illness, including a chest x-tray, a test of

any sputum you cough up, and blood tests. In some instances, a biopsy of your lungs may be recommended.

If it is determined that you’re experiencing symptoms caused by exposure to aspergillus, your doctor may prescribe oral steroids to help your

breathing and to prevent or lessen the severity of asthma attacks. Your doctor may also prescribe antifungal medications like amphotericin B

or voriconazole to fight infection in your lungs, but you’ll need to be carefully monitored by your doctor while taking these drugs because they

can cause kidney and liver damage in some people.

In order to recover fully from health problems related to exposure to aspergillus, you’ll need to avoid further exposure. If possible, stay

somewhere else until all of the mold can be removed from your home. If you must return to your home for any reason, your doctor may

recommend wearing a special face mask to prevent inhaling any additional mold spores. However, to prevent symptoms from worsening, it is

important to have all the mold removed from the home as soon as possible.

To be certain that all traces of mold has been removed, you can have a certified professional come in to test your home for mold. For a list

of certified mold testers in your area, follow the link.

Aspergillus Mold Removal

If you’ve got aspergillus mold or some other type of mold growing in your home, we recommend calling in a mold removal professional for a

free consultation. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends hiring a professional to do the mold removal for you if you have mold

covering an area greater than ten square feet, if you have mold in your household heating and ventilation system, or if you have health

problems that might be made worse by exposure to mold. Even if you plan on handling the mold removal yourself, though, you can get some

expert advice at no cost to you by scheduling a free consultation with an experienced professional. Follow the link for a list of mold removal

professionals offering free consultations in your area.

What is Black Mold?

When the topic of mold comes up, one of the first questions that people usually ask is: what is black mold? Many people know that they don't

want mold in their home, but they don't realize the serious dangers of black mold health problems that can occur. It is a good idea to monitor

your home to make sure that there is no mold growing, especially if you live in a warm humid environment.

Mold thrives in areas that are moist and warm. Sometimes the mold growth can begin after an area has been wet, and it never dried

completely. For example, if a basement is flooded and the carpet is never pulled up to allow the carpet and the padding to dry completely,

then mold may start to grow under the carpet. Common places for mold to grow include the bathroom, basement, or any area that may be

exposed to moisture from a leak, such as under the sink, in the attic, or under a waterbed.

What is Black Mold Made of?

To put it simply, black mold is a living organism that is microscopic. One mold spore is so small that it is not visible to the naked eye, which

means that it may be in your home and you won't even know it. If you can visibly see that there is a mold problem, then mold has probably

been present for quite awhile because it has grown and spread to an area large enough to be visible.

Mold usually grows on porous types of materials such as drywall, wood, carpet, and fabrics. Mold must have the right types of conditions to

grow. Usually, some type of water damage needed to occur and the area stayed wet for a long enough period of time (i.e. more than 48

hours). People who live in humid environments are more likely to have a mold problem, because mold thrives in more humid areas.

What is Black Mold Health Problems

It is very important to keep mold out of your home in order to avoid black mold health problems. When mold spores are present, they quickly

multiply and spread, and exposure to the spores can cause severe health concerns. In the beginning, the symptoms may start out small, but

they will get progressively worse with more exposure over time.

Typical black mold health symptoms include red itchy eyes, sore throat, coughing, runny nose, congestion, skin rashes and asthma like

symptoms. If mold is causing these problems they will continue to get worse and not better. For more information about the symptoms of

black mold exposure, follow the link.

It is best to avoid mold exposure by preventing mold growth in the first place. If any area has become wet, then you should clean it up as

soon as possible and completely dry the area. Mold can't grow in a dry environment, so quickly cleaning up the mess and drying the area will

help to prevent mold growth.

However, if mold growth has already started, then it is best to talk with a professional who knows how to safely clean it up. If you can visibly

see mold, that means that the problem is bad enough that an experienced mold remediation specialist should be consulted. If you can't see

the mold but are having health problems, then you need a professional black mold inspection of your property to find all of the "hidden mold."

Mold removal specialists have special training on how to properly clean up areas that have been contaminated with mold. These specialists

understand the serious health effects that can occur from mold exposure, and they have specialized equipment and techniques to make sure

all of the mold is removed and that it doesn’t spread to other parts of your home during the removal process. Most removal specialists will

come to your home and give a free inspection and evaluation, so even if you are thinking of doing the cleanup yourself you can get some free

valuable advice from an expert. You can get a list of mold removal specialists that give free home inspections in your area here.

After the mold has been removed, the home should be tested to confirm that all traces of the mold were successfully removed. The test

should be done by someone other than the remediation company. For a list of trained and licensed mold testers in your area, follow the link.

If any mold removal specialist tells you that a final test is not necessary, then you don’t want to use them.

Sinus Congestion from Mold Exposure

Sinus congestion, also referred to as sinusitis or a sinus infection, is one of many potential health effects of mold exposure.

It causes the sinuses, or nasal passages, to become swollen and inflamed. This interferes with drainage, so you feel stuffed

up. Other symptoms include headache, facial tenderness or pain, trouble breathing through your nose, coughing, earache,

and fever.

Causes of Sinusitis

Sinusitis can be caused by many things. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most frequent cause is the common cold. Other

causes include other types of viruses, bacterial infections, environmental allergies (like hay fever), and fungal infections.

Exposure to mold can also cause sinusitis. Some people are allergic to mold, which triggers sinus problems for them. Mold

is also a fungus, and tiny mold spores drift around in the air, where they are easily inhaled. These mold spores irritate and

inflame the linings of the sinus cavities, throat, airways, and lungs.

Treating Sinus Congestion Caused by Mold

While sinusitis caused by the common cold virus generally gets better without medical treatment, just like a cold does,

sometimes sinusitis does require medical care. Bacterial infections may require antibiotics. Fungal infections may require

prescription medication, as well. If allergies to mold or other substances are causing sinusitis, immunotherapy (allergy

shots) may help.

Over-the-counter remedies can relieve some symptoms of sinus infections. For instance, decongestants help relieve sinus

congestion. Saline nasal spray can help clear clogged nasal passages and soothe inflamed mucous membranes. Over-the-

counter pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Aleve) can relieve sinus pain.

Sinusitis caused by mold will almost certainly not resolve completely, though, even with medical treatment, as long as you

continue to be exposed to mold. Symptoms may abate temporarily but will probably return and may even worsen. You’ll

need to have your home thoroughly cleansed of all traces of mold if mold is causing or contributing to your sinus problems.

Other Health Effects of Mold

Sinus problems are by no means the only health problem that can be cause by mold. Other possible health effects of mold

include:

Shortness of breath

Coughing

Sneezing

Sore throat

Bronchitis

Pneumonia

Asthma attacks

The development of scar tissue in the lungs

Bleeding in the lungs

Headache and/or migraines

Skin reactions like rashes or hives

Digestive problems

Joint inflammation and/or pain (symptoms similar to rheumatoid arthritis)

Depression

Fatigue

As with sinus problems related to mold exposure, these other health problems probably will not respond fully to medical

treatment as long as you continue to suffer exposure to mold.

Is Mold Causing Your Sinus Problems or Other Symptoms?

Finding out if you have a mold problem is not as easy as you might think. Mold can grow in all sorts of hard-to-reach

places, like inside walls, above ceiling tiles, underneath carpets and floorboards, and inside ventilation systems. You might

be aware of a mold problem in your bathroom or basement, but mold spreads easily throughout the home and if you have

mold in one area, you might have mold in other places as well where it’s just not visible.

Skin Rash from Mold

You might know that mold in the home can cause respiratory problems, but did you know it can also cause a skin rash? A

rash from mold can be extremely itchy and uncomfortable, and if you scratch too much, you risk breaking the skin and

causing an infection. This can lead to an illness requiring medical care, including antibiotics, and may also cause scarring.

How Mold Causes a Rash

Some people are allergic to mold, and like any allergy, an allergy to mold often causes symptoms that include a rash or

even hives. Allergic reactions occur when your immune system overreacts to a harmless (or minimally harmful) substance,

producing large quantities of antibodies and other chemicals to try to destroy the substance in question and protect your

body from the perceived threat. The allergic reaction causes inflammation, swelling, and irritation of the skin. In severe

cases, swelling occurs in the throat, which can be life-threatening because it can impede breathing. This is a rare

occurrence due to mold allergy, but rashes and hives are not at all uncommon.

Treating a Skin Rash Caused by Mold

Antihistamines are often used to halt or decrease allergic responses. You can buy antihistamine drugs like Benadryl or

Allegra over the counter or you can get a prescription for antihistamines from your doctor. You can also get antihistamine

creams to apply directly to your rash to relieve itching. Taking cool baths with baking soda or colloidal oatmeal added to

the water (add about one cup to your bath) is a simple home remedy that will help relieve itching and discomfort, as well.

As long as you continue to be exposed to mold, though, you’ll probably continue to have symptoms, even with treatment.

To get rid of a mold-related rash for good, you’ll need to have all mold removed from your home.

Complications from a Skin Rash Caused by Mold

As mentioned earlier, a rash from mold can be very itchy and it’s hard not to scratch. Excessive scratching often breaks

the skin and then infection can set in. Signs of infection include redness, swelling, and warmth to the touch in the affected

area, increasing levels of pain, discharge from wound (often foul-smelling discharge), and a fever. Usually some oral

antibiotics will clear up an infection of this sort but in some cases, the infection is too severe or doesn’t respond to the oral

antibiotics, and then more intensive treatment, such as hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics, is required. See your

doctor as soon as possible if you develop signs of infection after scratching a rash.

Someone recovering from a severe infection of a rash from mold should absolutely recover in a mold-free environment.

Exposure to mold during the recovery process will only cause more rash and itching, and with your immune system

depressed from dealing with the infection, you’ll be less able to fight off the harmful effects of mold.

Mold Remediation

If mold has been causing rashes or other health problems for you, it’s important to get the mold removed from your home

as soon as possible. We recommend hiring a professional to handle the job so you don’t suffer further exposure to mold,

which would only make your symptoms worse. Mold remediation professionals have extensive training and know how to do

the job safely and thoroughly. Most will come to your home at no charge to you, offer you a free consultation, and provide

important information that will benefit you even if you end up choosing the handle the mold removal on your own.

Testing For Mold

We are often asked about testing for mold, including when homeowners should test for mold and

whether or not they can do the tests themselves or if they need to hire a professional. It’s not always

necessary to do tests for mold; sometimes there is so much mold in an easily-accessible area that you

can see it plainly and you know it’s there. Other times, though, mold hides in hard-to-get-to places, like

inside walls, under carpets, and in crawlspaces. Then testing can confirm its presence and help you

locate all of the mold.

When is it Necessary to Test For Mold?

We recommend testing your home for mold if:

You smell a musty odor in the home (a musty odor is almost always caused by some sort of mold).

Your home has recently been flooded (mold frequently begins to grow after a home has been flooded).

You discover mold in one area of the home (mold spreads quickly and easily throughout a home, so if you have

mold in one part of the home, we recommend testing the rest of the home in case the mold has spread).

You or another member of your household have symptoms of mold-related health problems, such as chronic

sinus infections, chronic sore throats, frequentheadaches, coughing, wheezing, unexplained rashes or hives, or

unexplainedfatigue.

You may also want to have your home tested for mold if you or another member of your household has a health

condition that can be made worse by exposure to mold, such as asthma, severe environmental allergies,

respiratory disorders, or immune system disorders.

You suspect there is hidden mold in your home that you can't find.

How Do You Test For Mold?

There are a couple of different ways to test for mold. Some tests check for mold on a particular surface. Other tests check

for mold spores floating in the air. Sampling the air for mold can help you find hidden mold. For instance, if there is mold

in your heating and air conditioning ducts, you may not be able to see it, but every time you turn on your furnace or air

conditioner, mold spores will blow out into the room. A mold tests that samples the air for mold spores should let you know

mold is present somewhere nearby. You’ll still need to track down the exact location, though.

There are mold tests homeowners can buy and use themselves; it’s not necessary to hire a professional to test your home

for mold. However, the do-it-yourself mold tests are very limited and may not provide accurate results. Improper handling

can give incorrect results as well.

Professional Testing For Mold

We recommend having a professional come in and conduct testing for mold if you aren’t sure you’ve located all the mold in

your home or if you’re having health problems that might be related to mold. Most professionals that do mold testing are

actually engineers and they are trained to conduct mold tests with precision to ensure accurate results. They also know

where to test for mold in order to make sure all the mold in the home is located. Their tests can tell you what type or types

of mold is growing in your home, information which may help your physician in formulating the best treatment plan if

you’re suffering from mold-related health problems. A certified mold tester can also tell you the expected and safe levels of

mold in the home and let you know if the levels in your home are unusual or unsafe. For a list of certified mold testers in

your area, follow the link.

Additional Reading:

Home Mold Test Kit Reviews - Although the home mold testing kits are generally inaccurate and the results vary greatly

due to improper testing techniques and handling, we get questions about them every week. To answer those questions we

have published our reviews of the most popular home testing kits for mold.

Pictures of Mold

The pictures of mold we’re about to show you might shock you. They might horrify you. You might take one look at the

following toxic mold picture and feel a strong urge to clean your bathroom.

These mold pictures might make you wonder if the homes pictured have ever been cleaned, but the truth is, mold can

grow in homes that are cleaned regularly. Mold doesn’t require dirt in order to grow. It just needs water. In many cases,

mold can grow and thrive with just a little moisture; for instance, mold can grow inside air conditioning ducts with just a

little condensation for a water source.

That’s why mold is common in bathrooms. It’s not because bathrooms are dirty or contain a lot of germs, but because

there is plenty of moisture there. Sometimes toilets leak a little, sometimes pipes under sinks leak, but even with no leaks

anywhere, water may get on the floor when people shower, and steam from a hot shower can moisten walls.

Most types of mold grow rapidly and spread easily from one area to another. Mold that begins in a bathroom or in an air

conditioning duct can quickly spread and before you know it, you can have a full-blown mold problem on your hands.

The Mold Removal Process

The mold removal process is complicated because mold spreads so easily. What starts as a little mold in the corner of a

room can quickly become an overwhelming problem. The following pictures of mold show how severe the problem can

become.

Mold in a basement

Mold in an attic

In addition, mold often grows in places where you can’t see it or easily reach it to remove it. For instance, if you see mold

growing on a wall like in this toxic mold picture, there is often mold growing inside the wall, as well, where it can grow on

the wooden studs and in the insulation.

When you have mold growing on a porous surface, like drywall, and in materials such as insulation, it’s impossible to

completely remove that mold. Instead, the drywall, insulation, and any other contaminated materials must be removed

and replaced with new, mold-free materials.

Strict safety precautions must be taken when removing moldy materials because handling them stirs up microscopic mold

spores, which can easily be inhaled. The mold in this toxic mold picture is not just unsightly, it’s extremely hazardous to

your health.

Exposure to mold spores can lead to many health problems, including allergic reactions, difficulty breathing, coughing,

wheezing, sore throats, headaches, sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, inflammation of the lungs, and pulmonary

hemorrhage. In addition, mold spores spread easily to other areas of the home if moldy materials are not handled

correctly.

Follow this link to see pictures of black mold.

For Help with Mold Removal

If you have mold in your home that looks like any of the pictures of mold shown here, you need help with mold removal.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends against trying to remove mold yourself if you have mold covering a

surface area greater than ten square feet or if you have mold in your heating and air conditioning ducts. You should also

avoid attempting mold removal yourself if you have symptoms of mold-related health problems, since handling moldy

materials can make symptoms much worse.

You can schedule a free consultation with a mold removal professional that will visit your home, assess the problem, and

advise you about the mold removal process. You’ll benefit from some free expert advice even if you end up choosing to do

the work yourself. Just follow the link to find professionals offering free in-home consultations in your area.

Dealing With Mold Smell

You’re probably familiar with the musty mold smell sometimes found in basements, attics, crawlspaces, and other areas where mold grows. It’s an unpleasant odor, and we

are often asked about the best method of mold odor control.

Why Does Mold Have A Musty Smell?

Mold produces gasses called microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC). Many of these gasses are odorless but some have a musty odor, the smell typically associated with mold. If you notice a musty odor in your home, you probably have mold growing there, even if you don’t see any mold. Mold often grows in hidden places, like inside walls, under carpets, and inside heating and ventilation ducts.

What Does It Mean if You Smell Mold?

It’s important to realize that if you smell the musty odor of mold, that means you are inhaling compounds produced by the mold and are probably also inhaling mold spores. Some of those compounds are toxic (called mycotoxins) and those toxins, as well as the actual mold spores, can cause a wide range of medical problems such as difficulty breathing, sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, migraines, sore throats, depression,joint pain and inflammation, exhaustion, and digestive problems. Yes, mold has an unpleasant odor and you probably don’t want your home to smell musty, but the potential health problems are of much greater concern than the unpleasant mold smell.

Mold Odor Control

The only way to really control the mold smell is to remove the mold. Air fresheners, disinfectant sprays, and common household cleaning products may temporarily cover up the smell but they won’t really get rid of it. Scented candles, incense, and potpourri are some other ways people sometimes attempt to disguise the musty odor of mold, and none of them work very well, either. The only truly effective method of mold odor control is to remove all household mold.

Of course, removing mold is not only important because it will improve the smell of your home. Removing mold is important if you want to be healthy, since mold can cause so many medical problems.

Testing Your Home for Mold

If you notice a musty odor in your home, we recommended testing your home for mold. Even if you’ve spotted some mold in your home, it may be helpful to test for additional mold in other areas of the home. That’s because most types of mold spread quickly and easy from one area of the home to another and mold often grows in places where it’s not easily seen, like under carpeting and floorboards, above ceiling tiles, inside walls, and inside heating and air conditioning ducts.

You can purchase mold test kits at many home improvement stores, but we recommending calling in a professional to test your home for mold because mold tests are very sensitive and must be performed just right in order to provide accurate results. There are also different types of mold tests, including those meant to sample the air for mold and those meant to test for mold on surfaces, and in order to get accurate results you need to know which type of test to use and where in the home to conduct the test. A certified mold tester can help you find mold you might otherwise miss.

Most certified mold testers are actually engineers and they are highly trained professionals. Not only do they know how to properly conduct mold tests, but they know how to interpret the results and can tell you what levels of mold are expected

in your area and what levels are potentially harmful to your health. For a list of certified mold testers in your area, follow the link.

Mold vs Mildew Differences

We are often asked about the differences between mold vs mildew and about the best method for cleaning mold and mildew. Mold and

mildew are both types of fungi and are similar in many ways. The chart below shows some of the major differences.

Mold and Mildew

Mold Mildew

Appearance Mold is usually fuzzy in appearance. It can be

many different colors, including blue, green,

yellow, brown, gray, black, or white.

Mildew usually grows in a flat pattern and may appear either powdery or downy. Powdery mildew usually

starts out white and may later turn yellow, brown, or

black. Downy mildew usually starts out yellow and

later turns brown.

Problems it Causes

Structural damage to homes can occur over

time. Mold can also cause numerous health

problems, including respiratory problems, allergic reactions, migraines, inflammation and

pain in the joints, mental status changes, and

extreme fatigue.

Mildew can cause damage to plants and crops. It can

also cause health problems, including respiratory

problems and headaches.

Beneficial Uses

Some forms of mold are used in the production

of food, like cheese, and some forms of mold

are used to make medications, like the antibiotic penicillin.

None.

Health Effects of Mold vs Mildew

Common health effects of exposure to mold (which vary depending on the strain of mold) include:

Difficulty breathing

Coughing

Sneezing

Sore throats

Migraines

Sinus infections

Pneumonia

Allergic reactions

Rashes or hives

Inflammation and pain in the joints

Mental status changes (depression, forgetfulness)

Extreme fatigue

Common health effects of exposure to mildew include:

Difficulty breathing

Coughing

Sore throat

Headaches

As you can see, exposure to mold is associated with more health problems, but exposure to mildew isn’t good for your health, either.

Tips for Cleaning Mold and Mildew

When cleaning mildew and mold:

Make sure your work area is well-ventilated, as many mold and mildew cleaners give off fumes that are harmful to breathe.

Wear a facial mask to prevent breathing in mold or mildew spores as well as to protect yourself from breathing fumes given off by

the cleaning product you use.

Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the mold and mildew as well as from the cleaning product you use.

Use an antimicrobial mold and mildew remover. We like Foster 40-80, because it is effective on both mold and mildew, but you can

get other brands that will work just as well. Not all household cleaning products and bathroom cleansers will do the job, though.

Clean the surrounding area as well as the area where you actually see mold and mildew, to make sure you remove all traces of the

substances.

Remove materials that cannot be thoroughly cleaned of mold and mildew, like insulation, carpeting, or drywall, and replace those

with new, mold-free materials.

For Help Cleaning Mold and Mildew

If you need help removing mold or mildew from your home, you can schedule a free consultation with a mold removal professional. An

experienced professional will come to your home, assess the situation, help you distinguish between mold vs mildew, and advise you about

the best way to remove the mold and mildew. Of course, you can hire a professional to handle the job for you, which is recommended if you

have mold or mildew covering a large area or if you have symptoms of mold or mildew-related health problems, but even if you opt to do the

cleanup yourself, you can benefit from some free professional advice. Follow this link to find mold removal professionals offering free in-home

consultations in your area.

http://www.mold-advisor.com/what-is-mold.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildew http://www.diffen.com/difference/Mildew_vs_Mold http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mildew http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Mold-and-Mildew http://www.cleanipedia.co.uk/en/bathroom-kitchen1/what-is-mildew-and-how-to-deal-with-it