MOLDS and MILDEWS

*are fungi, neither plant nor animals. They are part of the natural environment.

*are digesting decaying matter and feed on them to be able to grow.

*help in the breakdown of the decaying matter and recycle nutrients in the environment.

*are travelling through air. They can be found in the floating air or settled in the dust, but growing matters do not happen if no moist or damp or water is present.

*can be found anywhere, they grow on any surface that has even a smallest amount of water, moist or damp.

*are capable of growing indoors and outdoors with of course moist present.

*areas of high exposures are antique shops, saunas, farms, mills, greenhouses, flower shops, summer cottages and construction areas.

*can grow on wood, paper, cloth, drywall, celing, bathroom tiles, roofs, areas near a fountain, near the sink, leaked windows, carpets, laundry room, basement, even on food and many more as long exposed to moist.. These I mentioned are just the common ones..

*sources of water or moisture for mold growth includes roof leaks, cold spots in a building, slow leaks in plumbing fixtures, humidification systems, sprinkler systems, and floods.

*do not mind temperature for growing, they can grow on warm areas and cool areas also.

*current issues involve house molds and the other one health issues.

*shouldn't be allowed to grow inside the home and should be stopped.

*causes structural damage to buildings since they can rot wood and damage drywall.

*causes cosmetic damage -- leaving stains to furnitures and fabrics.

*causes mold hypersensitivity, making a non-sensitive person be sensitive due to repeated or frequent exposure.

*causes allergic reactions that maybe immediate or delayed. It does not need to be alive to cause one, dead molds or alive one still causes allergic reactions for some people.

*allergic responses include but are not limited to: headache, sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash, respiratory problems such as wheezing and difficulty breathing, having cough and throat irritation.

*can be fatal and life threatening to immune-suppressed individuals.

*high risk individuals include those who have respiratory sensitivities and disorders.

*can be prevented in the homes by controlling the moist. Controlling of moist includes: fixing the leaking pipes, fixing the roof and windows, making sure that the area is well ventilated, and if undergone flooding, make sure you have cleaned and dried the area.

*exposure can be decreased. Avoid areas that are likely having molds such as cut grass and wooded areas.

*problems can be seen or smelled.

*Growth should be treated as a potential health concern and should promptly be removed.

*Growth can be removed by using a mold remover.

*can be prevented from coming back by using still a mold cleaner but making sure that the site is now free from moist, if it so happens that the molds came back, then the moist problem isn't treated yet.

*prevention also include, drying all wet materials thoroughly, keeping the moist controlled, fix the areas that cause moist, and cleaning thoroughly the are infected.