What You Need to Know About Mold: Debunking Myths

 

While performing spring cleaning, one of the biggest unexpected surprises you’ll find is mold. While mold affects the well-being of your home and is a hygiene issue, as well as a health issue, there are also a lot of misconceptions about it. These misleading facts can lead you to make dangerous or misguided decisions about how to approach mold.

Black Toxic Mold

Homeowners usually fear the spread of black mold, believing that it’s more dangerous than any other type. While black mold does exist and may look more hazardous than other colors, there are over 20,000 species of mold that take a black color, as well as other colors depending on the conditions. Also, it’s not inherently more toxic than other types, since all molds can produce mycotoxins, hazardous metabolites, under certain circumstances.

All Mold Affects Your Health

Mold is often associated with bad health and illness when left alone. The truth is that mold affects different people with different conditions, such as children, the elderly, or people with allergic or respiratory issues. Mold only produces mycotoxins under two conditions: The fungi competing with different bacteria and the mold producing secondary metabolites. If you’re feeling ill, make sure to check for other factors besides just the presence of mold.

Mold Always Smells

You can usually find mold near musty and old smells, but that’s not a reliable method of detecting all of it. Some mold, such as the mildew that forms in a shower curtain, doesn’t emit that kind of smell. You should always depend primarily on your vision and thorough inspection to find mold in your home.

You Must Test and Sample Mold

Testing specific mold initially sounds like an educated approach to the problem. However, due to the several types of mold and the varying ways it affects different people, it’s not a reliable method to see whether it impacts you or not. Always assume that mold is a health risk and make plans to have it removed.

By debunking some of these mold myths, you’ll have an easier time preventing mold from growing in your home.