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By Dana Sullivan, HealthAtoZ contributing writer
You've been in your new home six months now. It was a rainy spring and a humid summer. You go downstairs and open the family room closet to find another box to unpack, and you get an unpleasant, musty whiff of something.
It's probably mold.
There are many kinds of molds, but the ones that grow in homes can release spores that trigger allergic reactions and asthma symptoms, and even irritate the lungs of people who aren't allergic.
Mold can thrive wherever there's moisture - from water or from humid air - and anywhere it can attach itself, such as drywall, concrete blocks, carpet, the back of wallpaper, wood, carpets and carpet backing, cardboard boxes, stored fabrics and papers.
First the bad news
There's no good news about mold:
- It's irritating to healthy people and can be harmful, even lethal, to asthma sufferers or people with allergies or emphysema.
- The smell is unpleasant and persistent.
- It's not easy to clean.
- It damages whatever it attaches to, so you may have to throw away whatever it was growing on.
- It's usually a symptom of a moisture problem inside your home.
- It may be a symptom of a drainage problem outside your home.
Clean first, with caution
Even though it may turn out to be a temporary measure, the first step is to clean away as much of the mold as you can. Before you do that, find a mask or respirator and an eye shield - otherwise you will be getting a heavy dose of the very spores that are causing your health problem.
For surfaces that can be washed, wash the area twice - first with ordinary soap and water, then with a commercial mildew cleaner or with 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach in one gallon of water.
Any affected wallboard will probably have to be replaced, but talk to a contractor first about whether you have a chronic moisture problem that needs to be dealt with. Otherwise, you may end up replacing it again.
If the walls are now clean, you may have to get rid of carpets and carpet backing.
A dehumidifier
You can buy a humidity meter at a drug store or online for less than $15 and test the affected space. If the relative humidity measures more than 50, get a dehumidifier.
A portable dehumidifier costs between $120 and $250, but in the long run it can save you the expense of replacing damaged items.
Do try to allow air to circulate. Avoid storing items against walls, especially exterior walls.
A doctor and a contractor
Talk to your family doctor or your allergist about your level of risk when you're exposed to molds. That information could become a factor in making a decision about how far to go to eliminate mold.
Talk to a building contractor you know and trust. It helps if the contractor is familiar with your neighborhood. If your moisture problem can be cured by cleaning and using a humidifier, perhaps all that still needs to be done is to replace a small section of drywall.
The contractor will look for other signs of moisture problems inside the house, and should look outside the house as well.
Remember that whatever you do to get rid of mold will also prevent other kinds of moisture damage to your house and will help preserve its value as well as your family's health.
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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