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Mold & Mildew Symptoms

There are nearly scientific ways to find out if mold or the creation of it–is nearby. The following mold symptoms are fail-safe ways to identify if the buildup is just within reach. If you’re not much of sneezer and suddenly you find out that you’re sneezing more often in a particular section of a house or a room–changes, are there’s something going on with the moisture situation in your abode.

By far, this is the top-of-the-line mold symptoms to watch out for when checking for that moist-sucking growth in any area of your property. Runny or clogged nostrils, as you can imagine, are related mold symptoms worthy of your watch. They are a by-product of the impending doom, which, if left unchecked, can cause sickness around the house.

The more advanced mold symptoms are coughing and along with it, an escalating nasal discharge coming from you and your loved ones. As you can see, you don’t even have to look for the location of the buildup. Mold symptoms are enough to give you precious clues to ward off an unsightly growth that easily leads to allergies.

Watery eyes are likewise mold symptoms that can point to the same culprit. However, it’s still quite possible that dust may be the leading cause of all the minor inconveniences taking place around the house. So at this point in your growing investigation, it’s probably a great idea to start scouting for possible breeding grounds in your abode. Windows, door corners, walls, and wall cracks are the best nesting grounds for that buildup that looks like a cross between a spider web and a silkworm project.

When you or your child’s skin is getting unusually dry despite the presence of and the full-functioning of an HVAC system–prevalent mold symptoms are indicative that the situation has definitely escalated. Molds are easy to eradicate. However, these buildups are also easy to miss by virtue of their coloring and chameleon-like virtues.

Stay ahead of the game by always keeping your home spic and span with either cleaning nooks and crannies regularly or getting a regular cleaning service. Don’t let the situation escalate to the point where you can almost smell the molds or feel it literally growing. Let mold symptoms guide you in anticipating the growth of an almost invisible enemy that thrives on too much moisture around the house.

Leaking water pipes or flash floods are the main culprits that lead to water damage. This leads to the formation of mold if you do not take remedial action immediately. Unfortunately, most individuals do not realize health risks that mold causes such as eye & throat irritation, wheezing, coughing, skin irritation and nasal stuffiness. Molds thrive in humid, damp, and warm conditions, and reproduce and spread by making spores, which have the ability to survive in harsh weather conditions. Therefore, it is important that you search your home for mold growth and eradicate them as quickly as possible before they start spreading.

Where to search for mold growth
Some of the typical places where mold thrives include:
• Shower tiles and bathtubs in bathrooms that lack proper ventilation
• Toilets and sinks
• Floors and walls, especially areas affected by flooding or by leaking concealed water supply pipes
• On and under the kitchen water sink
• Exposed food kept in the pantry, particularly those that have passed their expiry date
• Windows and windowsills
• Air conditioner vents and water disposal trays
• Curtains, carpets, and upholstery
• Behind walls and ceilings

If you notice a musty smell in your room, you can rest assured that it is due to mold infestation.

First step
Your air conditioner also functions like a dehumidifier. However, it cannot function properly if dust chokes its condenser coils and filter. Therefore, you should clean them immediately. Take this opportunity to inspect the water collection tray beneath the air conditioner and check if the water outlet is clogged. If necessary, remove the debris from the outlet with a stiff metal wire.

The carpet
Your carpet is extremely venerable to mold, especially if it has been damp for an extended period, either due to flooding or due to a leak in the floor underneath. You can be sure that it contains mold if you notice black, white, or various shapes of green colored patches on its surface. It is a good idea to lift the carpet and look for the presence of mold beneath the carpet. Examine the floor beneath the carpet for traces of dampness.

Eradicating mold
You may try removing mold by rubbing the affected area with a mild solution of bleach. However, you might damage the carpet if you are not careful, as the water-soluble dyes they contain can bleed from one area to the other, damaging the carpet permanently. You might damage the paint on your walls if you are not careful while cleaning them. Instead of attempting the cleaning task yourself, contact a professional agency to deal with water damage and mold-related problems and fix them.

Bathroom Mold Removal

Mold in the bathroom can be a potential health hazard, as well as being nasty and unappealing. If you see mold in your bath, shower or sink, the spores are actually living on the soap residue and skin cells, rather than on the actual hard surface.

One of the most effective ways of bathroom mold removal is by simply scrubbing it hard with soapy, warm water. Try to wash the mold away, rather than just scrape it; scraping it into the air simply allows the spores to settle on another surface. And cleaning with bleach will remove the black stain, but not actually kill the mold. However, spraying undiluted white vinegar on the mold, or a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with warm water is also effective.

You can help to prevent mold in the bathroom by wiping the shower walls down after having a shower and letting the shower curtain dry by opening it. Clean up any water spilled on the bathroom floor, and try not to accumulate too many washes, shampoo and lotion bottles in your bathroom. Switching on your exhaust fan while using the bathroom, and for at least 30 minutes afterward also helps keep mold from forming. Replacing the grout or caulk between your tile is another step to take if you just can’t seem to get rid of all the mold, although the grout you use should be moisture resistant. You can be alerted when humidity levels in your bathroom are high enough for mold to form by purchasing a humidity monitor.

Many homes have mold, particularly older houses, but getting rid of it is important since it can cause all sorts of health problems,  including asthma and other respiratory ailments. The following tips will show you how to get rid of mold.

1. Use the right materials

You don’t have to rely on fancy and expensive cleaning products to get rid of mold. In most cases, simply using a cup of bleach in 2 liters of hot water will be sufficient. Make sure you also have plenty of rags and a scrubbing brush. You should always wear gloves and a face mask when cleaning mold.

2. Mold on walls

If you have mold on the walls, use the bleach cleaning solution to gently wipe away the mold. Then use a dry rag to wipe away any moisture and vacuum any spores that have fallen to the ground. Make sure that you do not have leaky pipes behind your walls that are causing the mold.

3. Mold on clothes and fabrics

To remove mold from clothing and fabrics, simply pour your bleach cleaning solution into the washing machine and add your regular laundry detergent. Wash the load in hot water and then line dry the clothes so that the sunlight can kill any remaining spores. For colored clothes and fabrics, you can substitute vinegar for bleach so that the fabric will not be ruined by the chlorine.

4. Mold on tiles

To remove mold from tile grout, use your bleach cleaning solution and a scrubbing brush to scrub the tile grout. Scrubbing in circular motions will help to release the mold easier. Wash away the mold using clean water and then dry the area with a rag. Since mold can reappear in certain rooms, such as the bathroom, ensure that the area is well-ventilated.

Mole & Mildew Removal

Mold and mildew removal can become expensive, and many of the cleaners in your supermarket simply don’t work as promised, or release toxic fumes. If you notice mildew or mold in your home, you may want to try some of these tried and trusted home remedies.

One of the best ways to remove mold and mildew is by scrubbing the affected area with a small amount of baking soda mixed with warm water. If you don’t have baking soda in your kitchen, you probably have vinegar and undiluted white vinegar is also effective at killing the bacteria. Leave the vinegar on the area for at least an hour before wiping it off. Hydrogen peroxide sprayed on mold or mildew will also kill the spores, and using an alcohol spray on the affected area is another effective solution.

However, there are various other products that you may have in your home that are effective when it comes to mold and mildew removal. Grapefruit extract is a surprisingly effective way to remove mildew, as is tea tree oil, which also helps to prevent the mold and mildew from developing again. Anti-fungal properties can also be found in varnish, although you should wear a mask when applying this, and chlorine bleach are also worth using when it comes to removing mildew. If you simply don’t have anything else at hand, warm soapy water can be used, although you may have to repeat the process several times.

Keeping the mold and mildew out of your home, to begin with, will eliminate the often tedious task of trying to get rid of it. Proper ventilation and access to sunlight in your home will reduce the chances of mold forming while regulating the moisture levels in your home and installing dehumidifiers in the central air conditioning unit can help.

Pink mold like all other molds can have harmful effects if not properly removed. The mold mostly grows in the damp and wet areas such as showers, tile grouts, bathtubs, and wash basins. The bathroom offers a favorable environment for pink mold growth as it offers soap and shampoo residues that act as food for the mold. Depending on the growth conditions, the mold may look fuzzy and it may also be accompanied by other molds such as white or gray mold. The mold colony can appear in various shapes depending on the level of infestation. In the bathroom, the infestation usually starts as tiny specks and develop into disgusting growth if neglected.

If not removed, the pink mold can pose health risks that range from allergic reactions such as sneezing, coughing, and rash, to respiratory tract infection, pneumonia and bronchitis, poisoning, urinary tract infection, bladder ailment and infection as well as gastrointestinal ailments such as nausea, stomachache, and diarrhea. Anyone can be affected by the pink mold but people with a compromised immune system as well as elderly, children and babies are at a higher risk. Although the pink mold is not as dangerous as black mold, it is important to clean up the problem the moment you spot it to avoid the possible health complications.

The cleanup process for pink mold is similar to the cleanup process for other molds. You must use the right protective gear before starting the cleanup process to ensure the mold does not touch your skin. You should also use the right equipment to ensure the mold is completely removed as any spores left behind will continue to grow. Although you can clean up small infestations yourself, you should hire an expert to do the cleanup if you suffer various health complications such as asthma. You should also hire an expert cleaner if the mold covers a very large area, if the mold has affected your heating and ventilation ducts and if the problem is caused by contaminated water or sewage.

Conclusion

If you encounter pink mold in your bathroom, you should hire an experienced cleaner who understands how to clean it up on different surfaces. The cleaner will also give you tips to help prevent the mold from reappearing depending on your bathroom environment.

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