5 Myths About Mold

We’re exposed to mold spores in the air every day, both indoors and out, and most of the time that’s no cause for concern. But given moderate temperatures, a food source (nearly any building material) and moisture, mold can grow on almost any surface inside our homes. Left unchecked, that can mean real trouble. Mold can harm health and destroy the building materials it feasts on. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation about mold and how to handle it. So let’s separate myth from fact and look at solutions that work.

- Brad Holden

Myth #1

MOLD TESTING IS CRITICAL. 

Surprisingly, this isn’t the case. Testing gives you a snapshot of the quantity and type of mold present. But all types of mold (there are more than 100,000!) need to be removed, so it’s not essential to identify the type. Also, there are no health-based safety standards for mold levels, so testing doesn’t necessarily give valuable information, and it’s expensive.

Myth #2

BLACK MOLD IS DEADLY. 

This is a popular misconception; toxicity isn’t related to mold color. Some types of mold, given the right conditions, can produce mycotoxins. It’s not well understood which molds produce these poisonous substances, and even the ones that can produce them don’t always do so. And when they do, it doesn’t amount to much.

Myth #3

YOU MUST CLEAN WITH BLEACH.