You see a little black discoloration on the upper corner of your basement wall, or maybe you find it under your sink. It’s mold, but you aren’t alarmed. You think it’s no big deal, and you clean it with a regular detergent. A few weeks later, you notice it’s coming back again. This time you clean it with bleach, but it still doesn’t seem like a big deal. Finally, your kids or employees start complaining about coughs. One of them ends up going to the hospital for an asthma attack. It turns out, mold is the culprit, and you need to get it out of your building.
By the time you see it growing, it has probably well-established its residence. Mold is a sneaky organism, and mold awareness can go a long way in preventing the problems it can create.
5 Things You Should Know About Mold
- It is everywhere! It really is. Mold spores are invisible to the naked eye, and they can enter buildings on clothing and shoes without anyone’s knowledge. It is nearly impossible to have a mold-free environment, but it is possible to keep that mold from growing.
- It is dangerous! It does not harm everyone, but if someone has a compromised immune system or other respiratory issues, it can be deadly. People with allergies to it may only suffer red eyes and an itchy throat, but they can end up hospitalized for respiratory distress. Long-term exposure to mold could potentially make a person develop sensitivity to it.
- It likes humidity. It thrives in moist conditions. Anything above 60% is optimal, and it will still grow at anything above 50%. If you have a water leak or cracks in your foundation, you could be inviting conditions that welcome mold to stay.
- It likes stagnancy. Mold also thrive in stagnant environments, so air circulation is a good way to prevent mold growth. You want your home to be sealed in some places, but air vents and air circulation are still important.
- It must be controlled. Having mold in your home does not mean you have an unclean home or that you are doing anything majorly wrong. It means there is an environmental factor in an area of your home that needs to be changed. The first step in prevention is controlling your environment. Keep the humidity low, and ensure that there is proper air circulation, and you won’t have a problem.