Mold removal seems easy enough. A little bit of cleaning solution, some scrubbing, and you should be good to go, right? This is not typically the case. If you see black mold, you should take a calculated approach and not dismiss the potential hazards. Here are five reasons to take black mold removal seriously.

  1. Black Mold Can Be Toxic

Black mold is usually a greenish-black or grey color. It is often slimy and smells like mildew. Exposure to black mold can cause people to be sick. Symptoms can include dizziness, skin irritation, shortness of breath, and even vision impairment. The longer you are exposed, the more serious risks you will have. If you discover black mold in your home, you may consider an appointment with the doctor to get a checkup and call a mold removal service to repair your home.

  1. Black Mold Spreads Quickly

Once you find black mold on a surface, be cautious of it spreading elsewhere via cross-contamination in the air. Mold is a living organism that likes to grow in a warm, damp, and dark place. It is often started in unreachable places and grows until you see a patch on your wall or elsewhere. So, by the time you catch it, mold has contaminated a larger portion of your home. Because of the toxicity of the mold, it’s cause for real concern even if you can only see a small portion of it.

  1. Black Mold Removal Is Maintained by Health Codes

In many cities, there are municipal health codes for black mold remediation. In public places such as a medical facility, restaurant, or apartment building, the presence of black mold can be cause to shut down the establishment until the mold is taken care of. This is because of the great health concerns that come with black mold. If the mold is in your home, even though there are no health codes to follow, you may want to follow suit and live elsewhere while it is being treated.

  1. When in Doubt About Mold, Get Testing

There are different types of mold. Some common household types are Aspergillus, Fusarium, chaetomium, Penicillium, aureobasidium, and Stachybotrys. Stachybotrys is the mold most commonly recognized as “black mold.” Without proper testing, it is impossible to confirm what types of mold exist in your property. A professional black mold testing company will help identify and quantify the problem so a proper mold remediation scope can be developed.

  1. Black Mold Removal is Tricky

Like we said before, mold grows in damp and dark places. For this reason, it’s often found beneath floorboards, in basements, and by drains. It can be hard to remove because of where it spreads. And black mold doesn’t respond as well to bleach as other molds and mildews. Mold removal should be left to professionals because they have the right cleaning tools and protective gear to make sure all of the mold is removed. If even one spore is left behind, more mold will grow.

Without the proper protective gear, the right cleaning solutions, or the knowledge of black mold that professionals have, you put yourself in a dangerous situation if you try to clean black mold yourself. Instead, hire a professional mold removal service to examine the damage, remediate the mold, and let you know when your home is safe again.

If you see mold damage in your home, don’t panic, but please act quickly. At Soil-Away, we are here to keep your home damage-free and clean. Give us a call today at (603) 641-6555.