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Home Safety
Mold &
Moisture
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Should You Be
Concerned?
Most of us have seen mold or moisture around
the home. But did you know that mold is alive? It grows on wet or damp
surfaces. It is often gray or black but can also be white, orange, or green. It
can grow out in the open, on places like walls, clothes, and appliances. But
you may also find it in more hidden places-under carpets or in walls and
attics. Mold often smells musty. Mildew is a common kind of mold. If you live
near the ocean or in a damp climate, there may be more mold in your home than
in homes in other places.
Mold produces "spores," tiny specks you can't
see and that float through the air. When you breathe in mold spores, they get
into your lungs. This can cause health problems. People with allergies to mold
may have reactions. They include watery eyes, runny or stuffed up noses,
sneezing, itching, wheezing, trouble breathing, headaches, and tiredness. Mold
can even trigger asthma attacks.
We are learning more about the health problems
mold causes. Some molds can cause severe health problems in some people, but
scientists disagree about what the problems are. Mold is almost everywhere, but
it is not healthy to live where mold is growing. Because mold needs moisture to
grow, try to keep your home and everything in it dry. Here are some places you
might find mold:
- In bathrooms, especially around the shower
or tub, and on the walls, ceiling, or floor
- In wet or damp basements and crawl spaces
- Around leaky bathroom and kitchen sinks
- In attics under leaking roofs
- On wet clothes that are not dried quickly
- On windows and walls where condensation
collects
- In closets
- Under wallpaper or carpet
- In your air conditioner
It's important to fix any moisture problem in
your home right away. Mold can grow fast, so it's best not to wait. To stop
mold from growing, quickly dry or throw away anything that has gotten wet.
Questions to ask?
How is Your
Family's Health?
- Does anyone have allergies or
asthma?
- Does anyone in your home always seem to have
a cold-a runny nose, wheezing, coughing, and headaches?
- Do these problems go away when they leave
home for a while?
- Are there infants, children, or elderly
people living in the household?
How Can You Tell
if Mold is Growing in Your Home?
- Can you see mold growing
anywhere?
- Is there mildew growing on clothes or
towels?
- Does any part of your house or apartment
smell musty or moldy?
- Do you see color changes on walls or floors
that you can't wipe off?
Is There Moisture
in Your Home That Could Cause Mold to Grow?
- Has any part of your home been flooded?
- Has there been a water leak or overflow?
- Has the carpet gotten wet and stayed damp
for more than 24 hours?
- Can you see moisture on walls, ceilings, or
windows?
- Do bathroom walls stay damp for a long time
after a bath or shower?
- Do basement floor drains ever get clogged
and hold water?
- Does your basement or roof leak when it
rains? (Check the attic floor.)
- Does anyone use a humidifier?
- Does water collect in the drain pan under
the refrigerator or air conditioner?
- Do you use unvented space
heaters?
- Is there a crawl space under the house?
- Do you live in a humid climate?
- Does rainwater drain toward your homes
foundation?
- If your home is raised, does water pool
under it?
- Does the air in your home feel clammy or
humid?
Actions Steps
- Keep surfaces clean and dry-wipe up spills
and overflows right away.
- Store clothes and towels clean and dry-do
not let them stay wet in the laundry basket or washing machine.
- Don't leave water in drip pans, basements,
and air conditioners.
- Check the relative humidity in your home.
You can buy a kit to do this at a home electronics or hardware store. Stop
using your humidifier if the relative humidity is more than 50%.
- If the humidity is high, don't keep a lot
of houseplants.
- Wipe down shower walls with a squeegee or
towel after bathing or showering.
- Cut down on steam in the bathroom while
bathing or showering. Run a fan that is vented to the outside or open a window.
- Run a fan vented to the outside when
cooking.
- If you have a dryer, make sure it is vented
to the outside.
- Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to
dry out damp areas.
- If you use a humidifier, rinse it out with
water every day. Every few days, follow the manufacturers directions for
cleaning it or rinse it out with a mix of 1/2 cup chlorine bleach (Sometimes
called sodium hypochlorite. "Clorox" is one brand.) and one gallon of
water.
- When you use your air conditioner, use the
"auto fan" setting.
- Throw away wet carpeting, cardboard boxes,
insulation, or other things that have been very wet for more than two days.
- Increase airflow in problem areas-open
closet doors and move furniture away from outside walls where mold is growing.
Move your furniture around once in a while.
- Prevent moisture from collecting on windows
by using storm windows. If you live in an apartment, talk to your landlord
about putting on storm windows.
- Keep people with asthma or allergies away
from damp areas of your home.
- Use downspouts to direct rainwater away
from the house. Make sure your gutters are working.
- Slope the dirt away from your house's
foundation. Make sure the dirt is lower six feet away from the house than it is
next to it.
- Repair leaking roofs, walls, doors, or
windows.
- Cover window wells if they leak.
- After cleaning up mold, using a high
efficiency (HEPA) vacuum or air cleaner may help to get rid of mold spores in
the air. You may be able to borrow a HEPA vacuum. Call your local or state
health department to ask.
- If you find an area of mold greater than 15
square feet, it's best to hire a professional to get rid of it. (You can find
them listed in the telephone book under "Fire and Water Damage Restoration.")
Remove small children, people with long-term illnesses, and older people from
the home until it is cleaned up.
- Clean up mold with a mix of laundry
detergent or dishwashing soap and water OR chlorine bleach with soap and water.
Do not mix chlorine bleach with any product that contains ammonia.
- If you think mold may be causing you or
your family health problems, see a doctor.
How do I Clean Up
Mold?
Protect yourself when cleaning up mold. Wear
long sleeves and pants, shoes and socks, rubber gloves, and goggles to protect
your eyes. Open a window to let in fresh air while you're working.
Throw away things like carpet or mattresses,
wallboard (drywall), ceiling tile, insulation, or cardboard boxes that have
been wet for more than two days. Wrap anything you're going to throw away in
plastic to stop mold from spreading. Cleaning up mold puts the spores in the
air so it's a good idea to wear a respirator. Keep small children, elderly and
sick people, and anyone with allergies or asthma away during cleanup.
Clean hard surfaces with a mix of laundry
detergent or dishwashing soap and water. You may have to scrub with a brush.
Rinse the area with clean water and dry quickly by wiping away the water and
using a fan. Chlorine bleach will kill mold growing on surfaces. It does not
kill mold spores in the air and dead mold can still cause allergic reactions.
If you use bleach, follow these steps:
- Scrub the surface first with water and
detergent.
- Water down the chlorine bleach-use about
one cup bleach to ten cups of water.
- Spray or sponge the bleach on the moldy
area. Leave it on about 15 minutes, then rinse the area and dry quickly.
- Never mix chlorine bleach with products
that contain ammonia or acids because you will make a deadly gas.
- Keep chlorine bleach out of the reach of
pets and children.
- Remember, chlorine bleach takes the color
out of most fabrics and rugs. Be careful not to spill or splash.
The Cooperative Extension Service or your local
or state health department can provide more information on mold. Renters should
talk to their landlords. Some home insurance policies will pay to fix mold
damage. Fire and Water Damage Restoration professionals can help you fix the
damage. Cleaning up a big mold problem may cost several hundred dollars or
more.
What About Testing
for Mold?
You may have heard about so-called "toxic"
molds that can cause severe health problems. This may cause worry if you know
that mold is growing in your home. See your doctor if you think mold is causing
health problems for you or your family. Many experts agree that health problems
come more from the length of time you've been in contact with the mold and the
amount of mold in your home than the type of mold in your home.
No matter what kind of mold you have, you need
to get rid of it and fix the moisture problems that made it grow. Most experts
think it's better to spend your time and money on cleaning up the problem than
testing. So act quickly to get rid of the mold and moisture by following the
action steps in this chapter.
When in Doubt,
Check It Out
Your local county Extension
Office
-look in your telephone book
Your local or state health department
-look in your telephone book
The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)
-http://www.epa.gov/iaq/
The Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/mold/
California Indoor Air Quality Program
http://www.cal-iaq.org//iaqsheet.htm
The Health House
http://www.healthhouse.org/
Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes
(406) 994-3451
http://www.montana.edu/wwwcxair/
Next Chapter: Carbon Monoxide >>
This chapter was written by Marilyn
Bode, Extension Specialist, Iowa State University. ©2002 University of
Wisconsin Extension. All Rights Reserved. |
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