Fungus Among Us: Find Out the Causes of Mold and How to Prevent Mold Growth
(Page 2 of 3)
July/August 2003
By Barry Chalofsky
Molds also release mycotoxins when their food source is removed or they dry up. These mycotoxins can lead to severe illness. Some species of molds are also carcinogenic. In a few cases, severe exposure can lead to internal bleeding, kidney and liver failure, pulmonary emphysema, or even death, according to the American Lung Association and the EPA.
RELATED CONTENT
Oh Christmas Tree! November/December 2003 By Jim Minick On Christmas morning when the family is gat...
A Puerto Rican man builds a sustainable tree house using bamboo construction....
Have an eco-friendly holiday by making a reusable Christmas tree trunk....
Packing herbal and homeopathic medicines is key to good health....
Do you have a mold problem?
Because mold occurs in all buildings, it’s difficult to identify the problem. Some individuals react badly to relatively small amounts of mold while others are tolerant of large amounts. The general rule of thumb is that if you can see or smell mold, you should remove it.
While home test kits and professional mold remediation services are available, most government agencies discourage testing as a first step. The California Department of Health Services does not recommend testing because “there are few available standards for judging what is an acceptable quantity of mold. Individual susceptibility varies so greatly that sampling is at best a general guide.”
What can you do?
The conventional method for killing mold on ceramic tiles and other non-porous surfaces is not the most environmentally friendly one. In many cases, spraying a mixture of bleach and water directly on mold and allowing it to sit for a couple of hours will effectively eliminate the organisms. However, bleach fumes are extremely harmful.
A less toxic approach is to spray a mixture of borax and water on the mold. In the shower, wash down the tiles with borax and do not rinse; the borax residue will fight mold growth. Tea tree oil, which has natural microbial properties, is also effective; mix two teaspoons with about two cups of water. White vinegar, poured directly onto mold, is also said to be about 80 percent effective.
In the most severe cases, you may need to remove the underlying sheetrock, studs, ceiling tiles, carpets, or other materials where mold has taken hold.
Once you have removed the mold, take the following measures to ensure that no new mold will grow.
Fix wet basements. Water entering the house through your basement can be corrected by redirecting the flows of stormwater, sloping the land away from the house, repairing and cleaning gutters and downspouts, and fixing cracks in the basement walls and floors, and in severe cases, waterproofing the outside walls of the foundation.