9 Do's and Don'ts of Finding Mold in Your Home

Finding mold in your home can be very scary and stressful. If you have no background in mold exposure in your environment it can be confusing to know what to do next. Since we have been through finding mold, moving, and training over mold remediation we would like to share the do's and don'ts of finding mold in your home. These 9 tips apply to all mold situations. While it is easy to Google "how to clean mold" and jump in to all the remedies, please start here first. Surface mold can be indicative of a larger problem and needs to be treated seriously. Sometimes simple bathroom mold is an easy wipe-down situation but that is for a different post on a different day. Don't bleach mold. Okay moving on.

DO
Take photos and document the exposure areas. This is especially important if you're a renter because you will need the "evidence" to share with your landlord or property management company. If you are the homeowner you will want these to serve as "before" pictures should anything arise with your remediation company, insurance, doctors, etc. Keep notes of calls, conversations, emails, etc for future reference should there be any disputes on the work done.

DON'T
Touch it or probe at it. Please don't do that. There are tons of micro particles that can be disrupted when it is touched. Those can enter your body and cause problems. Leave that to the professionals (IICRC S520 certified, industrial hygienists, mold/IAQ testers, etc) to do. If you see mold that means there are already countless spores in the area that can't be seen because they haven't colonized yet. Along these lines, DON'T use bleach on mold. It doesn't actually kill spores and can encourage more spores to become airborne.

DO
Get it tested by a professional. Not all black mold is toxic, black is simply a color and not a name, species, type, etc. The reason for testing is to determine what molds are present. In my opinion, all mold present and growing in your home is bad because it is indicative of a larger issue--moisture intrusion. Testing can also help establish a baseline for what is there before/after remediation and there should be improvement, reduction, or elimination of the mold spore counts. Testing should be done by a professional and not done with at-home petri dish kits (which don't tell you anything unless sent in for professional testing, so just skip and go right to the professional). Testing can also link the mold in your home to the mycotoxins in your body, should you need to go that route.

DON'T
Rip it out yourself. There are national best standard practices for remediating mold. Only allow people who are certified in the IICRC S520 touch the contaminated areas. There are enclosures that need to be made to prevent contamination, clean rooms that need to be set up to avoid cross contamination, venting protocols, removal protocols, etc. I have seen countless families lose EVERYTHING because remediation was done incorrectly by maintenance workers in their homes. It basically exploded from the lack of containment and contaminated the entire home in days. This is not a place to cut corners or try to save a buck.

(Infograph and more information available from our friends at Hayward Healthy Homes)

DO  
Take it seriously. Mold can be extremely dangerous and there is no way to know its effects between person-to-person in your home. Every single person can react differently when exposed so even if you are "okay" others may not be. Mold exposure can cause allergic reactions (coughing, breathing problems, upper respiratory issues, bloody noses, rashes, etc) which are fairly typical and accepted amongst medical professionals. It can, however, cause toxic reactions like anxiety, depression, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues, migraines, brain fog, and more. These are very often overlooked as life circumstances and not environmental factors.

DON'T
Let anyone tell you it isn't a big deal, "it's just mildew" (spoiler, mildew is mold), mold is everywhere, mold doesn't grow in the 'fill in the blank', it isn't humid enough, it's your fault, etc. Landlords like to deny deny deny and make you think it is your fault (while in some cases it may be, but moisture issues that are left knowingly unaddressed by homeowners/landlords contribute to these issues. Damp homes make people sick.) Friends, family members, and co-workers are other sources of lessening the situation to make you seem like you are over reacting. They may be well intended, but wrong.

DO
Find the source of the moisture intrusion and eliminate exposure as soon as possible. Mold needs moisture to grow (not necessarily active moisture, meaning it got wet and grew at one point) and there are tons of places in your home that can lead to leaks, flooding, over condensation, poor ventilation, etc. Here are the top 5 places to start that search. Once the root of the problem is discovered, you need to eliminate your exposure. Whether this means moving or having it properly remediated, you need to be free from mold-exposed areas. We discuss this more in our detox post here.

DON'T
Give up. Don't let your health and safety be ignored or put on the line because someone doesn't want to fix the issue properly. Don't let the powers that be run you down on the issue. Don't accept defeat even when you are worn out. Don't let doctors tell you that mold can't make you sick. Don't give up the fight for your right to safe and habitable housing. Don't. Give. Up.

Do...ask for help. We are happy to answer any questions we can or point you in the direction of other smart people with experience in this. There are lots of Facebook groups, advocacy groups, and healthy home advocates who can help.

Here's to moving on,

B&R


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