How to Handle Toxic Mold in Your Home

Mold is a common and dangerous substance in your household. It may lead to serious health problems and the worst thing is even death on sensitive individuals. It poses a serious threat to the structure of your house as well and cause serious damage as that of termite infestation. A fungus reproduces by making small pores that work like seeds.

Controlling mold should be on every homeowners and parents' mind. The first thing you have to do is to understand its nature and appearance. It is a fungus, a living organism whose nature is to break down dead tissues. Since this is an essential role, we would not really want to hinder it from doing what nature meant it to do. It reproduces in damp and moist areas. If left unchecked, this will spread into neighboring habitable materials. It needs moisture, food and air. The food is any dead organic material. It grows on grass, rotting wood, compost piles, damp basements, bathrooms, carpets, inside your walls and any place where it is comfortable.

Exposure to mold can lead to respiratory, skin and eye irritation or much serious effects. You can cleap it up yourself, but it is recommended to have a professional do it for you. For small areas such as nine to 10 feet square feet or even less, you can manage to clean it up yourself. First, you have to make sure it is indeed mold. Spray a bit of hydrogen peroxide on the suspected area and watch for the reaction. It if foams, it is mold. Find a product approved by the EPA in your local hardware to kill it. Some will recommend using water and detergent but this is good only for small areas.

If the area is bigger than ten square feet, it is better to seek professional help to clean it away since there is always a chance that you might spread it. Spores could get in your ventilation/heating ducts and spread throughout the house. Make sure to get references or search the internet about the type of mold you suspected and the removal procedures before talking to a professional.

To prevent or minimize infestation, here is what you should do:

1. Ensure that indoor humidity levels are between 40 to 60 percent. During humid weather, run a dehumidifier, an air conditioner or both. Make sure your home is well ventilated.
2. Add a mold-inhibiting agent on the paint before painting a room.
3. Regularly scrub your bathrooms with cleaning products designed to kill it.
4. Do not put carpets on damp areas like the bathroom and the basement.

Although its spores are originally unseen through the human eye, once it starts growing, it usually becomes visible. It is easy to spot if you know what to look for. If you notice discoloration or a bunch of spots that can be green, black, grey, brown or other colors in nature. Some are invisible and cannot be recognized until structural damage happens or health problems occur. When on the lookout, do not depend on visual inspections alone. Use your nose as well. A musty smell is a sign of mold.

The key to handle the mold in your household is to keep the inside clean and dry. You may not be able eradicate it, but at least you would be able to clean it right away and prevent it from spreading and making more damage not just to your property but also your family's health.

Autor: Sonia C Llesol

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Added: February 11, 2010
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/