5 Widely-Believed Myths about Mold

There are a lot of beliefs out there about mold. Some are true, some just plain are not. Hitchcock wants to debunk a few of these for you right here and now.

• Bleach can effectively remove mold

In days gone by, when someone saw mold, they would grab some bleach and try to scrub or spray it away. Unfortunately, this is not an effective technique for mold removal. That term, “removal”, is key during this conversation. Simply bleaching away the appearance of mold is not going to solve the problem. While bleach may kill mold on a hard, non-porous surface, even a concrete wall has places the mold can penetrate deeper into the surface.

Mold remediation requires a cleaner that has the ability to reach deep into a surface to remove all the mold spores for good. Trying to use bleach to “kill” mold yourself could end up with the problem coming back time and time again.

• Mold only exists in warm, damp places.

Just because mold thrives best in warm, humid places doesn’t mean the buck stops there. Mold spores can survive harsh environmental conditions, including extreme dryness. So it’s no surprise then that mold can survive pretty well during a Fleetwood cool, damp winter or hot, humid summer.

The good news is, you can control mold growth by controlling humidity levels in your home, like running the air conditioning on a humid, hot July day. Also, if you see a roof, window, or pipe leak, get it fixed quickly. Should you experience a flood in your home, be sure the affected area is dried quickly and completely and disinfected. Plus, be sure shower, laundry, and cooking areas are well ventilated.

• All mold will make you sick.

We talked about this in a previous blog post but really cannot emphasize the prevalence of mold illness enough. John Hopkins University’s School of Medicine did a study with some allergists to bust myths about mold.  They concluded not all mold is toxic. Only certain mold spores produce toxins, and even then will only produce toxic spores under certain circumstances.

Now, just because you aren’t sick doesn’t mean mold doesn’t exist. Mold can be lingering in places you might not expect. If that is a concern in your home, consider having mold testing done in your home. That will give you an idea of what might be lurking in those hidden places, and help you and a professional create a plan of action if needed.

• All mold is bad.

Nope, nope, nope. We are willing to bet you’ve eaten cheese or taken penicillin at some point in your life. Well, mold is used in the making of both.

• Cleaning up mold is easy. Doing it yourself is OK.

We live in the do-it-yourself age. There are YouTube videos for everything these days, but that doesn’t mean you should do everything yourself. Companies like Hitchcock have professional mold removal equipment, disinfectants, and training to properly remove mold. We also have the ability to contain the mold to the area where it was found, and get rid of any odor that may have been connected to the moisture issue that brought on the mold.

Have other questions about mold? Give us a call or ask one of our project managers – they’ll have the answer, or find out for you!