Follow Your Nose: Detecting The Black Mold Smell

The best way to tell if your house has been infiltrated by black mold is simply to use your eyes and nose. That black mold smell will tell you right off that you have a problem.

Have you entered a part of the house where you have detected a musty odor? It might be that you have sneezed or felt a tightening in your nose. This is definitely the old black mold, at work again.

Mold often grows in places that are hard to get into. That’s where it thrives. You may not be able to see where mold is growing, but your nose will give it away.

The black mold smell is caused by little airborne spores that ordinary household mold puts into the air. These nasty little spores are what cause you to suddenly get a stuffy nose or headache when mold is present.

What Does Black Mold Smell Like?

The word most often used to describe black mold smell is “musty.” It has an earthy, wet smell. If you’ve ever poked around an old house or some place that’s been shut up with no air for a while, you’ve probably smelled it.

If you’ve ever been some place that has been waterlogged, you’ve definitely smelled it before. Water that has been sitting for a while may also carry a moldy smell. Mold grows on food as well, so you might have picked up the odor in an old unwashed coffeepot.

This musty, earthy smell is often accompanied by a couple of sneezes. If you can smell this moldy odor and also feel it in your eyes, nose or throat, you definitely have a mold problem.

Use Your Nose To Find The Mold!

If you are looking for black mold, follow the black mold smell. You will find that certain parts of your house smell the mustiest and cause the biggest reaction. Those are the places where mold might be hiding.

Your nose quickly gets used to the smell, so if you are mold hunting for an extended period of time, you might want to take little breaks. Go outside and get some fresh air. Then, come back in and start again. Your nose gets used to the smell of black mold particularly quickly.

Is Black Mold Smell Bad For My Health?

If you can smell the black mold, that means that its spores are in the air. This can definitely be bad for your health. Most people suffer an allergic reaction to mold. It can resemble mild cold-like symptoms. If there is an abundance of mold, the symptoms will be worse.

If you suffer from asthma or respiratory problems, mold is definitely dangerous for you. Additionally, some molds are toxic. Mold can cause problems for you and your family, so if you smell black mold, the best thing to do is clean it up right away.

Use your nose! Follow the smell, and get rid of the black mold.

The Toxic Mold Exposure Cure : Prevention!

The toxic mold exposure treatment cure is identification and prevention. First, you must find the mold and then eliminate it. As a follow up, you must keep the mold from coming back.

Toxic mold grows nearly everywhere. Unfortunately, it is commonly found in our houses, right under our noses! Lots of old buildings also have chronic mold problems. This is called “Sick Building Syndrome.”

About 1 in 5 people experience an adverse reaction to black mold, and for those who are exposed to toxic mold, the health consequences can be very serious.

Symptoms

Do you feel like you have a constant cold or sinus problem, even when you are otherwise healthy? Do you have eye or skin irritation, and you can’t figure out what’s causing it? Do you have trouble breathing but no long-term respiratory problems such as asthma?

Toxic mold allergy symptoms often resemble those of a cold or sinusitis. You might also experience itchiness around the eyes, headaches, fatigue and mood disorders.

How Do I Know It’s Mold?

It is often hard to determine whether your lingering cold or mood swings are related to mold or something else. If you are not sure, you could get a mold inspection done on your home, but this is expensive.

One hint that you may have a mold problem is that you get congested or have trouble breathing in certain parts of the house or building. This means that you are reacting to the mold that might be hidden behind a wall or under a carpet.

Step 1 – Find The Mold

The first thing to do is find the mold. One idea that works well is to keep a diary of your allergic symptoms. Write down when and where you experience a reaction. This will help you determine if certain rooms in the house may have mold.

The most common culprits are kitchens and bathrooms. Basically, any humid place is a breeding ground for mold. Also, look for places that are shut up and have poor ventilation.

Step 2 – Get Rid Of The Mold

Now that you’ve found the black stuff growing on your tiles or in your walls, you must eliminate it. The best cure is simply scrubbing with soap and water. This can be arduous, but it is the best way to go.

If there is a large area covered with mold, you may have to remove tiles and boards. This may be a major construction job, so you might want to pay a professional to take care of it for you.

If you are cleaning mold, be sure to protect your lungs. Wear a protective mask and, in general, keep the mold off anything else (including your body!). If you have a serious reaction to mold, don’t do the cleaning yourself. Make somebody else do it. And make sure there is good ventilation.

Step 3 – Keep The Mold From Coming Back

This is the hardest part. Mold likes to grow in humid, warm environments. If you keep your eye out for mold on a regular basis, and clean it in little bits as it grows here and there, you won’t have to do another major clean up job in the future.

The cure for mold problems is prevention. If you have a serious allergic reaction, you should see a doctor. You will probably always have an allergic reaction to mold, but prescription medicines can help you control your allergies.