What is Mold or indoor Fungus
Whether it is a cold, damp winter or a warm, humid summer, activities at home can result in moisture indoors and the appearance of mold. Specifically, in United Arab Emirates where the life is mostly with prolong use of indoor cooling system; there are always issues of molds which sometimes confused with the issue of termite.
Appearance:
Molds take a variety of forms and textures. They can be dull green to white and blackish with numerous spores. It sometimes look like discoloration and stain over the surfaces mostly on the walls. Their appearance has velvet, fuzzy or rough appearances depending upon the type of mold and the surfaces where it is growing. The main concern is that they are not properly visible with the naked eye.
How the mold Spores enters our homes:
They can enter through open windows, doorways and bathroom ventilation systems. They can attach to object or person may be shoes, clothing and pets. Mold only flourish somewhere that has an ideal conditions for growing, such as presence of moisture, hot and humid conditions and supply of adequate nutrients.
Places where mold often appears include:
- Area where there is leakage spill of ac or sanitary pipes.
- Indoor condition where condensation build up due to temperature difference of inside and outside.
- Windows where moisture build up due to condensation.
- Leaked sink pipes in the kitchen.
- Closet where the air does not circulate properly.
- Inside the bathroom or bedrooms where warm water is being used with create steam and stay on the nearby walls and bathrooms surfaces.
- Wet cellulose material are always an issue for example wall paper, cub boards, kitchen cabinets, old news papers or bread pieces inside the stores.
- Mold growth is usually visible and often produces a musty odor. It can damage household items, and it can also have an impact on health.
Mold and health issues
Mold can pose health issues, especially for people with skin allergy and more specifically reparatory problems.
Breathing problems:The growth of the mold produces spores and unstable organic compounds that can circulate freely in the air. They produce allergens, mycotoxin and irritants. Some of these would be highly toxic for the people with low immune power. Theses spores can irritate the throat, nose and lungs especially in person already has breathing issues.
Allergies :Mold can produce similar symptoms to the other allergies for instance hay fever. The allergies that accompanied the typical symptoms include:
- Runny nose
- Nose itching
- Frequent sneezing
- Water eyes
- People with a mold allergy as well as asthma have a higher chance of having an asthma attack when there is mold in the environment.
Other problems associated to mold problem could be:
- Fatigue
- Severe headache
- Nausea
- Mucous membrane irritation
Protection & Prevention: Controlling moisture is the key to preventing mold from growing indoors. It is also important to keep the home clean and well ventilated.
Reducing humidity: People can reduce the risk of a buildup of moisture and mold by:
- Do the action if there is spillage inside the home.
- Use dehumidifier to reduce excess moisture inside the home.
- Use the exhaust fan to reduce the moisture during the cooking.
- Don’t dry the cloths inside.
- Ensuring that all seasonal cloths are dry before storing them.
- Aerate the cupboards from time to time.
- Avoid keeps rugs inside the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Laundry cleans the curtains at least in every three months.
- Deep cleaning the kitchen and bathroom with disinfectant chemical especially bleach liquids.
- Clean your AC ducts frequently to avoid possible mess caused by these mold.
