How to tell good mold from bad mold

It’s time to address the elephant in the room.

Is that mold in the bathroom really a big deal?

It’s only a little bit.

And it’s not black mold (you don’t think).

I sprayed it with bleach 👍, you tell yourself.

Okay, here’s some news you’re not going to like. (But it’ll give you a lot more clarity on that mold problem.)

There’s no such thing as “good” or “safe” mold growing indoors. Black mold gets the attention, but it isn’t a separate category of danger: whatever type of mold is in the house, it needs to come out. And unfortunately, bleach isn’t going to get rid of it for good.

In fact, that bit of mold you can see usually means there’s more of it in places you can’t see. And it didn’t show up overnight.

Because mold only needs three things to grow: oxygen, a food source (dust, paper, drywall), and moisture. And since the first two are always available in a house, if mold is growing, it means you have a moisture problem.

The good news is, moisture problems are fixable.

And the great news is, most of the time the fix isn’t as dramatic (or expensive) as folks expect.

The BEST news: you can prevent mold from ever growing (or getting out of hand) in the first place.

Here are a few key tips:

→ Find and fix the moisture source

→ Keep humidity down and air moving

→ Check at-risk areas twice a year (basement, crawl space, under sinks, around windows)

If you see something you’re unsure about, give me a call or send me an email. I read every message, and I’ll tell you straight whether it’s worth worrying about.

Take care,

Stephen

–

Stephen Simmons

Owner | Umpire Mitigation

Call or text us 24/7 at 703-665-1129

PS. Wondering whether you need air and surface testing to check for mold? Give me a call. Sometimes the honest answer is no, and I’d rather tell you that than sell you something you don’t need!

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