Are you sensitive to mold or other allergans? DID YOU KNOW that even the healthiest of individuals can still feel negative effects in the presence of some common things around the house?

 
It’s not something that necessarily has to start growing in the basement of your house after a flood. It’s something that can “just happen” and it’s not good news. But it can be easily fixed.
 
First of all, what are we talking about?
 
Old stuff brought in
 
There are some items that can come into your home that can trigger your allergies or other sensitivities. These can include cardboard boxes, packages and other items sent or brought to you. The worse of these would be old stuff, things that have been around a while, gathering allergens.
 
Old ‘normal’ stuff
 
We’ve all been to a library and sniffed old books. OK, maybe not all of us, but those that remember books and libraries can relate. These old books and documents can be allergen triggers, so be sure to remember this before checking them out or taking them into your home.
 
Old decorations
 
Sure, the holidays are a time when you use ornaments and stuff, and this is just a few times a year… but you have to store them, right? Remember that they can bring in allergens. It might be best to give them at least a wipe-down, if not a complete cleaning, before putting them into the attic.
 
Old mattresses
 
I'ck. This is a tough one, and sometimes a sensitive issue. Sure, it’s OK to pass on mattresses from one generation to another (what is family for?), but what are you getting when you inherit an old mattress or other bedding from someone not close to you? And don’t be tempted by that new-looking mattress at your neighbor’s garage sale. You just don’t know what you are getting into. Did you know that every mattress has dust mites?
 
Old rugs and carpet
 
Rugs and carpet are very important to you, but be sure to have them inspected by your carpet cleaning pro before bringing them into your home. These are items that can collect all types of allergens and other contaminants that can affect you and your family.
 
Don’t be afraid to throw old stuff out. Remember, it’s your home and your family’s health. Protect it!
 
Just make sure that what you bring into your home is safe and sound — and safe for any allergy or asthma issues you or your family may have.
If you need your house to be tested for mold Call the professionals at Mold & Mildew Solutions, LLC 205-252-9506

 ​How Dangerous is Mold in Your Home?

Everyone wants the safest, healthiest home environment for their families. You would do anything to protect your loved ones from exposure to any substance that could cause them harm.
 
One of those feared substances is “mold” and with what you have seen in the news in recent years, exposure to harmful or “toxic” mold has affected the health of countless people — folks just like you.
 
This brings up the all-important question: Just exactly how dangerous is mold in homes?
 
That’s a tricky question, because there are many types of mold and mold is virtually everywhere. There is probably a little bit in your basement right now. Your shoes when you came home yesterday no doubt brought in a few mold spores. Mold spores can be in breathable space and travel in the air.
 
When you step outside, you are surrounded by mold. There’s nothing you can do about that. The main concern is usually what’s in the home, not outside, although if you are sensitive to mold you should avoid all damp areas that could promote mold growth, inside and out.
 
Some people are affected by even the smallest amounts of mold. They may have nasal issues, watery eyes, coughing and other physical reactions. A smaller segment of the population are very sensitive to exposure to mold, having severe reactions that can be life threatening. Others aren’t affected at all, and can be around and/or exposure to all types of molds with no apparent sensitivities.
 
The CDC has plenty of information for those concerned with mold in homes. One of the issues they raise is keeping moisture out of homes. “Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding,” according to the CDC government website.
 
The issue is twofold if mold is growing in your home. You must clean it up or have it cleaned up, and you must fix the moisture problem. You can do your research on how to fix the problem, but the best solution is, no doubt, getting expert advice from your professional water damage restoration contractor or mold removal or remediation company. Keep your family safe. Call the experts. 205-252-9506 Mold & Mildew Solutions 

HOW TO DETECT BLACK MOLD SMELL EARLY IN YOUR HOME
Black molds love hiding in dark places, away from natural light. This may also be a preservative habit because, not only do they thrive in dark places, they thrive especially more because they are hidden from us. If we can’t see them, can we at least smell them?
Yes, we can!
The first thing to note about the smell is its musty and somewhat earthy tone. It can be a bit choking, as you will feel a level of tightening in your nose when you move near it and accidentally inhale the smell. Sometimes, it may lead to difficulty in breathing, especially when you are exposed to it for a long period of time.
To describe this smell better, it is the smell that greets you when you enter a building that has been waterlogged for a long while. It is also the odor you perceive when you enter an old building that has been long exposed to the rain.
Taking it back into your home, it will be the dank smell you get when furniture upholstery has been wet for a while. It is an indication that mold may have started growing from the inside, feeding on the moldy material. It is anything but fresh.
Speaking about freshness, do you remember the experience you have when you inhale that somewhat earthy smell when you opened your grandma’s old trunk suddenly?
One more example would be the smell you inhale when some food have been left uneaten for a while, exposed to the elements. When you see it, you’ll see mold already growing on it. All these are pointers to the growth of mold in your home.
Because of how black mold loves to grow in dark and hidden places, it can be hard to the pinpoint where exactly in the house the black mold is, just by looking around. A lot of people therefore try following their nose wherever it leads them.
This can be really dangerous, though. When you try searching for the areas where black mold has affected in your home, you are exposing yourself to the risk of breathing too much of it, or worse, even inhaling the dangerous mold spores that are airborne, since they are too small to be seen by just the naked eyes.
Beyond inhaling the mold spores, you also risk getting irritations of the eyes and skin as you scout for the black mold smell. This is due largely to the fact that, since you can smell it, it is because there are a good amount of the mold spores in the air. The longer you expose yourself to them, the more the effect you experience.
It gets worse if you are asthmatic or have a high sensitivity to allergies like this. The safest thing to do is to leave the detection to the professionals who can bring in their equipment to conduct a thorough scanning, which will help you find out the cause of the mold growth, fix it, and prevent it from returning.
At Mold and Mildew Solutions LLC, we believe we are in part what we inhale. That is why we are dedicated to keeping your home safe from black mold and its spores. We will love to work with you in keeping your home mold-free.
 
Contact us today at:
 
Mold and Mildew Solutions LLC
205-252-9506
www.alabamamold.com