Don’t Take Mold For Granted

Have you ever come home after a hard day’s work tired, grabbed a drink and relaxed in front of the television?

Then that familiar feeling starts: an irritation in your nose and constant, bothersome sneezing and sniffles.  Sometimes, this only occurs in specific areas of your house or a particular room.  If this is so, your symptoms may be due to the presence of mold.

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What is mold?

Mold is a variety of fungus that travels through the air inside and outside of our home, seeking a landing place to take root and multiply.  Different molds like different environments; some like oxygen and water, while others like dryer areas.  Either way, once  a mold finds a suitable spot, it will stay there and reproduce.

Common Household Molds

There are four common household molds.  Each one has  several subspecies, sometimes up to 200 for a single mold.  The four most common are:

Cladosporium

This mold can be dark, green, brown or black.  It accumulates on wood, fabrics, curtains, bed sheets), tile grout (bathroom and kitchen tiles) and on plastic (if kept in moist places like bathrooms or kitchens).  Sometimes, mold hides on a subfloor or sheetrock.

Penicillium

This mold gets its name from the Latin word “penicillin” or “little brush,” as the green mold often appears to have braches like a brush.  It is found in dust bunnies, on wallpaper, wood, food (cheese, dry cereals, fruits, etc.) and debris.

Alternaria

This mold is sometimes found on old wallpaper or it may grow unseen beneath wallpaper on its substrates.  If the wallpaper is in your bedroom, you may experience hay fever, lung problems, shortness of breath or fatigue, among other symptoms.

Aspergillus

This mold seems to be irrepressible.  It can be found everywhere in the home, but it particularly likes damp areas, such as the kitchen, bathroom or any place with a leaky pope or faucet.

Mold can be found in food, drinks, medicines, basement leaks, neglected roof areas, water, damaged ceilings and walls, household dust, clothes, wallpaper, drywall, attics, floors, leather, windows and almost anywhere else.