Molds in your home – Clarity Realty

What is mold?

Mold is found throughout indoor and outdoor environments. Outdoors, mold plays an important role in helping to break down dead leaves, wood, and other things found in nature. Indoors, mold can damage property and should be removed.

How does mold grow?

Mold produces spores, very tiny particles that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Spores are the “seeds” of mold and are common in every home. They can grow into new mold when they land on a wet surface or on food.

How can I tell if I have a mold problem in my house?

You can find a mold problem by using your eyes to see it and nose to smell it.

If you see:

signs of moisture or water damage such as water leaks, standing water, water stains, discoloration on walls or other surfaces
white, gray, brown, black, yellow or green growths with a cottony, velvety, granular, or leathery texture

or smell:

musty or earthy odors

you can assume you have a mold problem.

To find mold growths, you may need to look underneath flooring, behind furniture, near stored items, or you may need to make an opening in a wall. If you have not had an obvious water leak or high moisture problems in your home and you do not see mold growing in your home, you likely do not have a mold problem.

Can exposure to mold affect my health?

Exposure to mold does not always result in health problems. The average healthy person’s immune system usually provides protection from the harmful effects of mold. Most health problems caused by mold are from allergic reactions to it. People with special health concerns (infants, children, and adults with respiratory conditions or weakened immune systems) may be more sensitive to mold than the general population.

Exposure to mold can occur from:

breathing in mold spores that have been released into the air
eye contact with mold spores that have been released into the air
eating food that has become contaminated with mold
touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with mold-contaminated fingers

How can I prevent exposure to mold?

The best way you can prevent exposure to mold is to control moisture and prevent mold from growing. Here are some tips to prevent exposure:

Throw out moldy food.
Promptly attend to leaking pipes, flooded basements, roof leaks, ice dams, and other source of water infiltration.
Run exhaust fans in showers, baths, indoor pool areas, and cooking areas to allow moisture and steam to escape outdoors.
Not all moisture problems are the result of leaks, condensation, or floods. Humidity levels above 60% can promote mold growth. In humid months, try using an air conditioner or dehumidifier to keep the humidity in your home below 50%.
Humidifiers increase the moisture in your home. If you use a humidifier, be sure that it is set properly to prevent excessive humidity.
Be sure your clothes dryer is vented outdoors. Avoid drying clothing indoors on drying lines or racks.
Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products.
Insulate pipes and install chimney lines to limit condensation.
Use storm windows to limit window condensation.
Ventilate crawlspaces to prevent moisture build-up.
Use area rugs that can be washed often. A vapor barrier (like plastic sheeting) may be necessary if carpet is installed over concrete.
Have your heating and cooling systems inspected and serviced regularly.

How can I clean up mold?

Locate and fix the water leak or moisture problem.
Wear disposable rubber gloves, goggles that don’t have ventilation holes, and a respirator available at your local hardware store to reduce your exposure to mold spores. If you have respiratory problems or the area is large (over two square feet), check with your doctor before starting cleanup or have someone else do the cleanup.
Be sure the area is well ventilated. Open windows and doors and use fans to create a path of fresh air from the cleanup area to the closest door or window leading to the outdoors. Avoid blowing mold spores through the rest of the house.
When mold is growing on porous material (ceiling tiles, leather, cloth, drywall, paneling) remove, bag, and discard the material. When removing drywall, cut at least 12 inches beyond the area of visible mold. Hard (non-porous) material such as glass, plastic, or metal does not need to be thrown out. It can be cleaned and disinfected.
Use non-ammonia soap or detergent in hot water to scrub non-porous areas. Use a stiff brush or cleaning pad on block walls or uneven surfaces.
Thoroughly since the area with hot water. Using a wet-dry vacuum is an easy way to pick up excess water. Remove the filter so that it doesn’t get wet, creating a place for mold to grow.
Disinfect the area with a solution of 1 part household bleach to 10 parts water. To avoid skin, eye or lung irritation, do not mix bleach with ammonia or other chemicals. Do not use straight bleach – it will not be more effective. Avoid the bleach solution runoff. Wear old clothing as bleach can ruin clothes.
Allow the area to dry completely. This can take two or three days. Raising the temperature and running a dehumidifier in the area will help.
Vacuum your home thoroughly with a HEPA or filtered vacuum.
If you still have mold odors after cleaning and ventilating, it is possible the mold is hidden within walls or behind wall coverings. It is important that these sources are found and cleaned.
If you have mold damage caused by sewage or other contaminated water, call in a contractor who has experience in cleaning buildings damaged by sewage or contaminated water.
If you choose to hire a contractor to do cleanup, make sure the contractor has experience in cleaning up mold. Check the contractor’s references. The State of Michigan does not certify or license contractors for mold removal.

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Information provided by the Michigan Department of Community Health

1-800-648-6942