Have you ever gotten found a surprising, discolored fuzzy spot in the corner of a room? You might have mold growing in your walls.
“What do I do about mold in my apartment,” you ask?
Before you freak out, mold in the apartment is quite common. Of course, you should still take it seriously and deal with right away as people are 40% more likely to have asthma when living in a moldy home.
If you’re not sure what to do, follow these 5 tips on how to handle mold in your apartment:
Differentiating Mold From Mildew
Both are fungi, but mold is the much more dangerous one of the two. Mildew will come in colors like white, grey, and yellow. It should be easy to get rid of using any household cleaner. Mold, on the other hand, is either black or green.
Mold requires a deeper cleaning of the infected areas from where it’s growing. This will often be on organic surfaces when there’s enough moisture. Black mold can cause respiratory issues and sometimes be toxic.
Although its rare, reporting black mold to a health department is the safest option.
If It’s Small Enough, Remove It
When the patch of mold is something you can handle, go ahead and remove it. Using white vinegar after wiping off the surface fungi will help kill most of the mold. Leave it on the infected surface for about an hour to prevent the mold from coming back.
Find the Source
An important strategy for avoiding mold is to cut it off from the source. This means finding out why the mold is growing and where it’s coming from.
If the mold is being caused by steam from your long showers and humidifiers or drying your wet clothes inside. You can disinfect the area and lessen these habits.
However, if the mold is being caused by plumbing issues. Like leaky pipes or cracks in the roof, you’ll need to involve your landlord.
Talk to Your Landlord About It
If you find out the cause of the mold is from problems within the apartment, notify your landlord. You should hold your landlord responsible and should have the mass of mold removed at their own expense.
If the mold poses a health risk, your landlord should relocate you to a safer place to stay while professionals remove the mold.
Keep in mind that if you’ve caused the mold, you are the liable one.
Should I Visit a Doctor if There’s Mold in My Apartment
When you start showing symptoms like chronic coughing, sneezing, fatigue, and continuous headaches. This could mean you’re exposed to black mold poisoning. Mold and mildew can impose serious health issues.
Visit your doctor right away because this could be a serious health concern. Study shows that 93% of chronic sinus infections come from mold exposure.
If the mold has been growing in your apartment for a while, you might be asking yourself, is it safe to sleep in a room with mold?
Breathing in spores from mold can cause some respiratory problems especially if you’re prone to them. Even if you’re not showing symptoms, the safest bet will always be to go to your doctor.
Handling Mold in the Apartment
“I have mold in my apartment!” — now you don’t need to panic.
Yes, finding mold in the apartment is always a cause for concern. Hopefully, we helped you have a better grasp of what to do.
If you have any more concerns about mold remediation or other water and fire damage repairs. Feel free to contact us here!