Common Misconceptions About Mold

1. "This isn't mold. It's just mildew." Or "This mold isn't the toxic mold."
   
   Mold and mildew are the same thing. Mildew is often the term used for mold growth on clothing or fabric. Clothing and fabric can have a high organic content making them great food sources for mold. The term toxic mold has most often been applied to the Stachybotrys mold and can be misleading. While the Stachybotrys mold has the potential to be hazardous, there are many other species of mold like Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Alternaria that are very common and can be just as unhealthy if present at high enough levels. Any mold growth on a surface with an organic content (ie. paper, cloth, wood, sheet rock, etc) has the potential to be Stachybotrys or one of these molds known to have potential negative health effects. There are even more types of molds that have the potential to cause health problems in sensitive individuals if present at high enough levels. Any significant amount of visible mold will likely cause elevated levels of mold spores in the air. Just because the mold is not Stachybotrys, it does not mean that the mold is not a problem and that it cannot be harmful. Immediate steps should be taken to eliminate any mold growth indoors, regardless of the type, and care should be taken in completing the mold abatement.



2. "If the mold is not Stachybotrys, it is safe to clean it myself."
   
   When doing any kind of mold abatement, it is necessary to take steps to limit exposure, no matter what type of mold it is. This includes wearing gloves, coveralls, and respiratory protection. Mold levels can increase up to 10 to 100,000 times background levels during mold clean up resulting in acute exposure. For large areas of mold it is recommended that the clean up be completed by individuals properly trained in the handling of hazardous materials. It is also important to ensure that all impacted materials are properly treated or removed so the mold does not return.



3. "If you have Stachybotrys in your home you have to get rid of all your personal belongings."
   
   When Stachybotrys is present there is a risk of cross contamination of spores to clean areas because the Stachybotrys spores are sticky and may stick to the surfaces of furniture and other belongings. These spores may cause allergic responses in sensitive individuals. If Stachybotrys contamination is extensive in a home it may be safer and more cost effective to throw away the personal belongings rather than treat them and risk bringing the mold spores into a new residence. If the contamination is not extensive and the airborne levels are not very high, it is possible to treat the belongings, as long as the mold is not growing on the belongings themselves. If Stachybotrys is growing on a wall or other surfaces in a home, it can release spores into the air that will settle on the surface of furniture and other belongings. As long as there is no moisture on those surfaces the spores will not form active growth. Since the spores are primarily just on the surface of the furniture, they can be treated and removed. Soft furniture items may require additional cleaning to remove spores.



4. "I want to make sure that my house is free of mold"
   
   No house is completely free of mold. Molds are very common outside, so some mold spores will always be present in the air indoors as well. We are exposed to the outdoor or background levels of molds every time we go outside, and in most cases will not experience any adverse reactions, with the exception of hay fever or allergy like symptoms in some sensitive individuals when outdoor levels are high. Mold growth inside a building is not normal, though. If mold is growing on a surface inside a home, it will create indoor levels of spores that are higher that what the body is normally used to, which can overwhelm our natural defenses to mold spores and cause adverse reactions. When a home is tested for mold, it is checked to make sure that the levels of molds indoors is comparative to the background levels, and that mold is not actively growing inside.



5. "I cleaned the mold with bleach, so I have fixed the problem."
   
   Bleach is not always effective at killing mold, especially if the mold is present on a porous or fibrous material, like wood or sheet rock. If mold growth is significant, it is better to remove the impacted material, rather than treat it. For some surfaces that are harder to remove, like wood framing in homes, it may be necessary to complete multiple treatments with a stronger chlorine solution than is found in bleach. Cleaning the mold also does not fix the underlying moisture problem that is allowing the mold to grow. Mold should not grow without a moisture source, so if mold is growing on a wall, there may be a hidden leak somewhere or there may be a problem with water intrusion from outside. If mold is growing on sheet rock, there may be a larger, hidden problem inside the wall space, which is not accessible without removing the sheet rock.