From feeling sick and smelling weird odors to visible damage, there are many signs that tell you that you might have mold issues in your house. If you see signs of mold growth in your house, pay attention and get rid of it as soon as possible.
In most cases, there is a clear reason behind mold growth in a house. It’s important to take care of the problem and then clean your house thoroughly to ensure mold doesn’t come back.
Generally speaking, mold spores are everywhere around us. Therefore, you should know when to take precautionary measures. In this post, we’ll explain what mold is, some of the common mold signs, and what you can do to eliminate it.
What Is Mold?
Mold is a common type of mildew found in homes. It is a fungus that grows in the form of hyphae. Mold grows with time on various surfaces including food, walls, and clothes when it has the right conditions and nutrients. If you find a build-up of mold growing in your house, it’s worth considering it a potential health risk and addressing it as soon as possible.
However, the problem is when mold infests your house, the signs are not so obvious at the start. Your home can have mold growth even if it looks spotless and sparkling clean. It happens because mold can grow in unexpected and hidden areas, which can also make its detection and mold removal even trickier.
The Environmental Protection Agency suggests that mold can grow on any surface in the home including carpet and wood, but its appearance may differ based on its type or species. Mold releases small spores that stay in the air. When left untreated, varieties like black mold can cause structural damage and serious health problems for households.
Mildew is a type of fungus that flourishes in damp places like basements and bathrooms or fabrics that are not dried properly. When mildew starts forming, it appears as a white powdery colony which then turns brown or black as it grows further.
At least45 million buildings in the United States have unhealthy levels of mold.
Types of Mold
There are multiple types of household mold however the three most common types of indoor molds are:
- Cladosporium
- Penicillium
- Aspergillus
Symptoms of Mold Exposure
Let’s talk about the health-related signs of mold exposure in your house. Mold doesn’t necessarily make everyone sick, but it does have the potential to cause mold allergies and serious health issues such as:
- Sneezing
- Headache
- Runny nose and congestion
- Eye irritation
- Sinuses
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Sore throat
- Lung irritation
- Skin rash
- Watery eyes
- Shortness of breath
- A weaker immune system
In most cases, symptoms of mold don’t require an emergency response. However, it’s advisable to visit a doctor if you experience some of these symptoms to avoid complications down the road. Mold can make existing allergic and asthma conditions worse.
Now let’s see what else indicates mold in your house.
6 Signs of Mold in Your House
Mold can appear in a variety of colors, so if you notice an unusual spot, look out for the following mold signs:
1. Your Air Conditioning Smells Bad
One obvious sign of mold is a consistent smell from your heating or air conditioning systems. Air conditioners are major spots where mold can grow easily since they’re exposed to moisture and warm temperatures. Installing an HVAC system in a heated basement increases the chances of mold growth. Make sure to have an HVAC expert inspect your air conditioning systems regularly.
2. Peeling Wallpapers
Another obvious mold sign is wallpaper peeling off the walls. If you notice cracking or bubbling on the walls, it could be an indication of mold development, so keep an eye on your walls. Don’t ignore damp areas or areas that look warped.
3. Water Spots on Your Walls
Paint often begins to bubble when mold starts growing on a wall. The first thing you should do is identify the source of the moisture. It could be a leak in your plumbing fixtures that eventually leads to mold growth. In other words, mold can be a sign of an unknown water leak.
Water leaks are hard to detect until you see unusual spots around the ceiling, walls, or flooring. It’s not uncommon to hear that mold problems often begin behind the walls.
4. Water damage
Houses with an old and inefficient plumbing system are more prone to mold. If you had water damage or flooding in the past, your house is more likely to experience mold growth. Since fungus feeds on moisture, water exposure often creates mold problems.
Mold is just one outcome of water damage; you must fix water-related issues in order to protect the integrity of your home. Reach out to a damage restoration expert to fix those issues in a timely fashion.
5. Contaminated Curtains and Rugs
Rugs and carpeted areas can become breeding grounds for mold. It might be difficult to notice mold on a colorful surface. So, you have to inspect your rugs and carpets closely to find spots and stains, making sure to take a look at both sides of the carpet. Don’t let your household items turn into a breeding ground for harmful fungus.
6. Musty Odor
If you have a musty smell in your house, it could be a sign of mold. Different types of mold have different types of odors. So if there’s an unusual but consistent odor in some part of your home, you should investigate it right away.
How To Get Rid of Mold in Your House
Most of us breathe mold spores regularly without becoming sick. However, people with existing health problems shouldn’t let mold add to their health concerns. If you see mold growth or experience signs of mold, don’t overlook it. Take immediate actions to get rid of it from every surface of your home.
1. Remove Mold From Carpets, Drywall, and Flooring
Once you’ve identified the mold, the first step should be to fix the root cause. After that, it’s time to clean all the objects affected by mold. To clean off mold from surfaces like wood and drywall, you can prepare a homemade cleaning solution.
Take 20 parts water, 10 parts bleach, and one part dishwashing detergent to prepare an effective cleaning solution. Use a mop or sponge to apply the solution on affected surfaces. Let the solution air dry after applying the solution.
2. Remove Mold From Exterior Walls
When it comes to bricks, stone, and concrete, chlorine bleach is one of the best cleaning solutions you can use. When cleaning exterior walls, make sure to cover plants with plastic sheeting. To clean exterior walls, you need one gallon of water and one cup of chlorine.
To make the cleaning process easier, use a garden hose. When cleaning mold from exterior walls, wear safety clothes, gloves, glasses, and a respirator.
3. Remove Mold From Tile and Grout
Some parts of your house are more likely to develop growth due to high humidity levels and body soil. While commercial cleaners are effective against mold, consider using homemade items to clean your house. The composition of water and chlorine bleach is just as effective as a commercially available cleaner.
To clean tile and grout, take 16 parts water and one part bleach and then apply the solution to the areas you want to clean. Let the solution rest there for 15 minutes before scrubbing. After that, rinse the area with water and wipe dry.
4. Remove Mold From Furniture, Shoes, and Other Household Items
Sometimes we don’t use shoes and other items for a long period of time, giving mold a chance to grow. To remove mold from shoes, furniture, and other such items, you need white vinegar and a piece of cloth.
All you need to do is wipe down a surface with a cloth dipped in the white vinegar, and then repeat the process using warm water and leather soap. Let the object air dry and then treat it with a leather conditioner.
5. Consider Using an All-Natural Mold Cleaning Gel
Azuna’sMoldGold Antimicrobial Mold & Mildew cleaning kitis an all-natural alternative that uses tea tree oil as its active ingredient. MoldGold will fully clean, neutralize odors and help prevent future growth in the area in which it was applied
Our Small Room Odor Eliminator Treatment is perfect for bathrooms as it not only helps to eliminate odors but it neutralizes mildew and mold in the air helping to improve the overall air quality. Browse throughour shop to learn more about our products that help improve indoor air quality.
Don’t Let Mold Make You Sick
If you think you can’t remove the mold from a surface, simply call a mold remediation company and let them take care of it. They should be able to provide you with effective mold control and remediation solutions.
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