If your family is sneezing more than usual, even if it’s not allergy season, it may be due to the presence of mold that is either hidden or just waiting to appear. These incidents are common due to the possible unkempt environment of your home, but there are actually multiple other factors at work here. But more importantly, how can you exactly tell, and what should you do?
This guide is here to help you solve the issue correctly. As many American homeowners have either ignored the problem entirely or just painted over it, you need to get rid of this home epidemic. It will only worsen over time if not properly treated, and there may be more mold that you aren’t seeing right now.
Kinds of Common House Molds
Before acting on it, you need to first identify or at least be wary of the common kinds that grow. There are kinds that you can easily spot but take note that there are some that are invisible to the naked eye:
- Common types: Let’s start with the basics. Usually, visible mold in the home grows and becomes worse over time due to high moisture content in the air. Take note that mold grows from a single organism with multicellular fungal filaments and eventually grows into a large colony. It can spread easily through the release of spores.
The common mold colors include black, white, and brown. Sometimes, they can also be blue or green. Watch out for these on your walls or at the back of your appliances, like your fridges and sinks.
- Hidden or dormant types: You also need to be on high alert for the stealthier kinds of molds. These can further be categorized into hidden molds and dormant ones. For the former, you need to be looking in the nooks and crannies, like under the tiles or wallpaper.
The latter is trickier to deal with because cleaning their visible growth can be ineffective. Remember that spores disperse, settle on new surfaces, turn dormant, and can reactivate later on. That’s why common cleaning supplies won’t suffice, and painting over the problem definitely won’t do.
Standard Procedure for Mold Problems
Now that you know about the mold epidemic that your house is dealing with, you need to follow this step-by-step plan to deal with the problem quickly:
- Identify where it is and avoid it: Rule out where the source is. Molds have a particularly musty smell, and you can refer to the colors we mentioned earlier. Don’t leave any stone in your home unturned, and make sure you wear a mask and use a flashlight as you search for the signs.
- Remove all valuables and relocate: Once you have located mold, don’t think twice. Take out all your belongings quickly before the mold spreads. If you have a hunch that the items are contaminated too, then it’s best to leave them since you might end up carrying spores around. Seal off the affected parts of your home and avoid those areas until the problem is properly dealt with.
- Advice the more vulnerable members of the household: Now that the valuables have been accounted for, make sure to take note of your more vulnerable family members. In particular, those who have allergic rhinitis, are immunocompromised, and have a debilitating medical condition need to step back.
- Don’t touch the mold, and call a mold remediation contractor: Now that your house has been accounted for and quarantined, immediately call the attention of your local mold removal specialists. They are more than equipped and experienced to handle the problem. As we previously mentioned, it’s almost impossible to get rid of mold yourself. You will end up spending money on cleaning supplies that only address the issue temporarily. Deal with mold as you would an emergency situation.
Conclusion
Home molds are common, but remember that you are capable of getting the assistance you need to deal with the problems. Take note of the aforementioned guidelines and secure your home swiftly and surely with the help of a mold remediation contractor.
In need of a mold removal company in Brooklyn? We are Yellow Respiration, your professional disaster restoration service ready to clean and protect your home against a mold epidemic. Secure your home by sending us a message today!