If you detect mold in your home, you may be concerned about the health of your family. You want to clean it up correctly, so nobody gets sick, so you hire a mold removal specialist. The problem is that the professional may be using scare tactics to persuade you to invest in their mold removal services when you could easily clean up the mold with a simple solution of detergent and water.
Pushy mold removal companies may advertise specialized equipment or even mold-sniffing dogs to get you to see that a layman could not possibly remove mold. Then, they’ll note the deadly nature of mold, so you will surely want to remove it immediately no matter what the cost.
You need to know if your mold removal specialist is using scare tactics because it will help you to be better informed about whether or not to invest in professional mold removal services. If some detergent and water can be a successful fix, you can send the specialist home and not waste money!
This is not to say that mold cannot be harmful and even deadly to people with certain health conditions. But mold is everywhere! It grows in the grout on tile surfaces. It grows in any place where there is moisture, warmth, and poor air circulation. In fact, modern homes with their energy-efficient walls are more apt to trap mold because there isn’t as much air circulation.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends hiring a professional for mold removal services if the area affected is 10 square feet or larger. This means you don’t have to call a professional at the first site of mold, but if you aren’t sure how big the mold growth is, you may want to hire a professional for a mold inspection.
If you don’t have allergies to mold and don’t seem to be affected by mold growth, don’t let your mold removal specialist use scare tactics. The term “toxic mold” is a debatable term used more often in court cases than in the scientific community. However, some molds do produce mycotoxins. Even if you aren’t sensitive to them, you can become sensitive if you are exposed to them for long periods of time.
Mold removal scams are out there, so check the references of your mold removal company, and pay attention. Do they sound gimmicky? Are they telling you that you could die if you don’t remove the mold? Mold can be dangerous and needs to be cleaned up, many times by specialists, but don’t let scare tactics push you into making a mountain out of a molehill.