Mold

In the Pacific Northwest, we have a lot of mold. And often mold is our friend: helping the environment, giving us cheese, you know mostly good stuff. The damp environment that constant rain provides makes for ample breeding grounds for mold. Most mold growing in corners of basements can be seen and cleaned easily with bleach-based cleaners and prevented with dehumidifiers or desiccants (drying agents) placed in strategic areas of the home. Mold should be removed because, just like pollens, it can cause nasal and respiratory allergies. So if I have a kiddo with consistently runny itchy nose and eyes, I’ll ask families to do a quick home mold check around and clean any they see just in case that is the cause. 

However, the dreaded black mold that makes its way into news stories when found in schools and such is rarer than the news makes it out to be. Oftentimes if it is found in homes, it is within the walls, meaning you don’t see it, and pollens can’t magically get through the walls. The problem occurs when you need to renovate your 100-year-old home, and you start demolition day and boom! You smash through a wall where the new breakfast nook is going, and there is lots of black gross stuff. That is when you need to get the experts in to check for possible toxic mold and see if they can safely get rid of it.