Mold can be troubling to your family's health

Frequently my company is called to clean a home because the family has headaches, runny noses, eye dryness and irritation, nose bleeds, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and sneezing.

After further investigation, it is determined that they have a tenacious mold problem that has developed in one or more room of their home. In this week's article, I thought I would share with you some baseline information about mold.

Mold invades attic spaces, climbs up bathroom walls, invades carpets, infests and sets up house in drywall. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) indicated there are six different types of mold that live in homes and of those, three produce toxins that are harmful to humans. The CDC has linked one (Stachybotrys atra) in particular that has produced lung disorders in small children. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible for the homeowner to tell between the molds that produce toxins and the ones that don't.

In small quantities, mold can be cleaned up with regular household bleach. Actually, most of us don't realize the mold we just cleaned up produced toxins, primarily because we didn't allow it to get big enough to become a problem. For mold to grow it has to have three things — moisture, heat and a food source. If the conditions are right, mold will start colonization with 24 to 48 hours. Mold likes humidity levels of 40 to 50 percent in the home.

Regardless of the type of mold that has invaded your home, your safety depends on the size of the colony. If the black mass is less than a two-foot square, you can probably take care of it yourself with bleach.

Larger infestations indicate you have a gross colonization and a remediation contractor should be called to assist you with the problem. When mold is touched, it releases mold spores. When taking particle counts, one inch of mold can spew more than 50,000 spores into the home causing further infestation of the home.

If you are allergic to any of the above products, please don't use them. Always test fabrics and paints before using any chemical compound. Please remember to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and eye protection for your eyes.

If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed Madan at Northwest Environmental Services (255-2266) or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed Do?

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified executive housekeeper, Northwest Environmental Services, specializing in commercial, residential and disaster cleaning.