In the business of mold, there’s a lot of deception. We get calls every day from concerned customers that have tried “proven” mold removal remedies, but their mold problem just won’t go away. Other times, customers call and ask that every last mold spore be removed from their home (this is impossible, by the way, unless you live in a vacuum). It seems like we hear a new myth about mold every single day here at ProCare Restoration. Here are some of our favorites.
1. Bleach can kill anything.
No. It can’t. This has never been true, and it never will be. Bleach is a great disinfectant for bacteria, but mold is not a bacteria. A recent study showed that bleach has been known to kill just a small percentage of mold, and only on some surfaces. What does kill mold is the commercial products that professional remediation companies have licenses to use. These products aren’t available to the public. If you have a mold problem, you really do need to get help.
2. Mold removal companies should kill every last mold spore in my home
What most people don’t understand is that mold is everywhere. Not just on old bread or an animal carcass on the street, but quite literally everywhere. Unless your home has an airtight seal, mold spores are bound to get in — and this is just fine. In fact, it’s natural. When mold spores colonize your home in a high concentration, that’s when it becomes dangerous. So, no, mold companies will not get rid of every mold spore in your home. That’s simply impossible.
3. Only black mold is dangerous
Black mold is certainly the type of toxic mold that people speak the most about. However, there are actually quite a few types of toxic mold that can colonize your home — and many of them are not black in color. Furthermore, just because mold isn’t considered toxic doesn’t meant that it’s safe to be around. A substantial chunk of the population has allergies, even to mold that is generally considered harmless.
4. All mold is bad.
We hear this one a lot. Many people think any type of mold, anywhere, is a bad thing. However, here at ProCare Restoration, we feel very differently. We will agree that all mold is bad when it’s in your home. No one wants that. However, we will also argue that almost all mold outside the home is a good thing. Mold is a decomposer, and it helps recycle crucial nutrients from dead animals and plants back into all ecosystems. Mold is a very important component for nutrient recycling.
5. If there’s only a little mold in my home, I shouldn’t be worried.
As our wonderful mold remediation customers, you’re probably smart enough to know that this is wrong. But, just in case you thought it was true — it’s not. A tiny area with toxic mold can have a much more detrimental effect on your health than a huge area of harmless mold can. Until you know what kind of mold has colonized your home, assume it is all dangerous, and stay away.
Well, there you have it. We hear many of these myths every single day, and we thought we’d clear the air a bit and just let everyone know how false they are. Mold is dangerous, and you should be scared of it — but you should also be educated about it. If you think you may have a mold problem, please call us. Fixing the problem on your own usually only makes things worse. We’ve seen it hundreds of times.
Here at ProCare Restoration, we’ll start you off with a free mold inspection, and then we’ll send in our IICRC certified technicians to remedy your mold problem down to the last spore — almost. You know better now, right?
