As winter melts away into spring, things may start to reappear in your yard that was previously hidden by winter’s thick blanket of snow. You may rediscover that tool that was not put away before the first significant flurries, or just the welcome signs of spring as your perennial bulbs begin to push through the surface. An unwelcome sight, however, may be the appearance of a fungal lawn disease called snow mold.
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You’ve waited 18 years to become a college student; the parties, the people, the diminishing parental control. What you most certainly did not bank on was sharing a dorm with mold.
Yet this is an ever-growing problem for the students of America. In recent years, Maryland’s College of St. Mary and the University of Louisville had to relocate hundreds of students after mold was found whilst some students at the University of South Carolina developed respiratory problems, and the University of Delaware had to close its fitness center and one residence hall because of black mold. More serious stories around mold-related deaths at university have since been reported on, too, making the issue as important as ever.
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As any seasoned reader of MoldBlogger will by now know, mold is most commonly caused by moisture, humidity and lack of ventilation. It stands to reason, therefore – what with the likes of plumbing leaks and badly insulated pipes – that walls commonly fall prey to this fungal fiend. Not only can this cause health problems but also structural ones, so definitely not something to ignore!
What else do you need to know?
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A spattering of particularly concerning news reports has hit good old Google recently, concerning the discovery of mold in children’s lunchboxes. There is so much wrong about this we don’t know where to start, but start we must, so here goes.
A 2016 study conducted by e-cloth found that 73% of fabric lunch boxes contain shocking amounts of bacteria, with the researchers warning that, if left uncleaned, could cause mold-associated health problems that we have come to know and, er, hate – namely things like respiratory issues, migraines and itchy eyes. Equally alarming, however, was the presence of Staphylococci and Enterococci – particularly dangerous bacteria, usually found on toilet flushes, that the NHS warns could lead to serious cases of food poisoning.
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Do you ever wonder how people coped before household appliances? It boggles the mind – especially as domestic chores can be hard enough even with the help of our electrical peers.
Yet there’s nothing more cringe-inducing than the thought of these much-loved appliances – designed purely to clean – being infected with its own antithesis: Mold. Of the 100,000+ types of mold, over 1,000 are found in US homes. Eeek. We would say it doesn’t bear thinking about, if the removal of this fiendish fungi wasn’t so important. And seeing as so many appliances work with water (think washing machine, dishwasher and freezer), it’s a problem that arises time and time again, due to “poor venting and high level of moisture in the appliance, high level of humidity in the kitchen, darkness and supply of food”, according to professional cleaning technician at Fantastic Services, Dean Davies.
Fear not, good reader. MoldBlogger is, as ever, awash with the tips you – and your appliances – need to survive.
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Another week, another excellent question from one of our loyal followers. This time, we were asked how to bypass the age-old recommendation of drying things naturally in the sun to deter mold from its pesky invasion when the sun just simply does not have its hat on. And what better time to answer this than during the very cold – very wet winter months?
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It seems like you can’t load up Google News these days without another story about a mold-infested school. By now we are well aware of what causes mold and what mold causes, but why are schools so seemingly at risk? And what should they do about it?
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Like carpet comes in many colors, shapes and sizes, so, too does mold, and our fungal foe thrives off the woven fabric that provides warmth, comfort and a final finish to the room it adorns. Yet it can be difficult to detect carpet mold as it flourishes beneath the surface. So, what can be done about it? Here’s all you need to know:
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Introduction
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, an evil fungus called Mold lived. Not content with simply existing alone, he craved causing as much trouble as he possibly could and thought nothing of encroaching on others’ lives. All he needed was a food source and moisture, and he would do everything in his power to make sure he got it.
On first thoughts, you might think that wallpaper and bathrooms are mutually exclusive. How would one, after all, reconcile the notion that one of the most vulnerable rooms in the house to mold is also often wrapped up in paper? Surely that’s asking for a whole load of water-based, excess moisture, sodden-wall trouble?
And yet, for some, wallpaper is still a preference when it comes to decorating bathrooms. So, what’s going on?
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As if dealing with a flooded home wasn’t enough, you then have to worry about the very real possibility of the unwelcome intruder that is mold (when it rains it pours and all that – quite literally in this case!). And with floods holding the accolade of leading natural disasters in America today – unavoidable, even, in many regions of the country – it’s something that may be closer than you think. Read about the role of mold in post Hurricane Katrina deaths here. So, what should you do if the unthinkable happens and you have to deal with a flooded property?
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As if finding a suitable rental home wasn’t hard enough, you then have the constant challenges that living in someone else’s property inevitably brings.
It can be hard to know where one responsibility ends and another begins; namely in the general wear and tear of our everyday lives. But what of mold? Who should be left to deal with this if the unthinkable were to occur?
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There’s so much to love about a restaurant; tantalizing aromas, delicious food and a luxurious ambience. Unfortunately, the presence of mold can also be high up on the list of what to expect from a restaurant – especially if certain precautions are not taken.
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It’s all very well harping on about the fact that the bathroom is one of the places in the home most susceptible to mold and, thereby, the importance of keeping it clean. But in real terms, what does this actually mean? Let’s break it down in an article dedicated to bathroom cleaning tips and tricks.
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There may be a million other ways you’d rather spend your money as a homeowner, but mold proofing your home is one of the best investments you can make. Mold can destroy your home and cost you lots of money as well as cost you or a family member your health. There are many preventions you can put into place in order to preserve your home and protect your family.
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How often do you spend time in your attic? Perhaps once a year to retrieve Christmas decorations? If you are like most homeowners, you probably don’t visit this non-living space very often. Because of that, attics are often left out of regular home inspections and maintenance. The bad news is that attic mold (along with a multitude of other issues) can easily be overlooked. It is important that you take the time to periodically visit your attic space and give it a thorough once over. Mold attic can quickly become dangerous because it often goes unnoticed until it begins to penetrate the rest of your house. By the time that happens, there is likely quite a bit of mold and may already be affecting the health of your family.
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When a hurricane or bad storm parks itself above your hometown and dumps several feet of water on your home, there isn’t a whole lot you can do to prevent flooding in your home. However, many homes flood every year from milder storms and many of those floods could have been prevented. In addition to the loss of personal property and the expenses of repairing your home, water damage can leave behind mold and other health hazards.
Here are 9 things you can do in advance as a homeowner to prevent flooding and water damage in your home.
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As the cool weather blows in and we pack up our bathing suits until next year, our minds tend to turn to snowball fights and Christmas trees. Winter is a great season where we enjoy family and friends, hot cocoa and mold. Wait? Mold?!?
The cold, wet months of winter are some of the most opportunistic times for mold growth. Luckily there are some steps you can take in advance to prevent mold growth in your home throughout the winter season.
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What happens to a city when a storm system dumps an entire year’s worth of rain in just 3 days? In late August of 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated the city of Houston, Tx and surrounding areas. The storm left 33 trillion gallons of water on U.S. soil before finally weakening. As you can imagine, the flooding experienced in Houston was intense. Many lives were lost. Homes were ripped apart, bridges collapsed and dams gave way. Even though the hurricane is now in the rear-view mirror, the health catastrophe continues to unfold in slow motion. While the focus of the news was on the shear amount of rainfall in the city (upwards of 50 inches in some locations), mold will be an issue for months and potentially years to come.
So, the question remains: after the wrath of a big storm has passed, what should a homeowner or renter do to keep mold from growing in their homes? Here are the essential steps to consider after your home has been flooded.
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Lisa: We get contacted quite often for mold inquiries from people all across the country, but most people are unaware if they actually have mold, the scope of the problem or how to properly remove it. Many people will experience hay fever like symptoms, but if they can’t see visible mold, they tend to think it doesn’t exist or isn’t a real threat.
Ron: We always start by advising the person test, not guess. Too many people unknowingly put themselves and/or their loved ones in danger by ignoring the visible signs of moisture or water damage and/or a musty smell. They assume it will go away on its own. Many people wait too long before addressing the root cause of the issue – typically a leaky water source.
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