Is there a such thing as "good mold?"

8/6/2018 (Permalink)

Good mold can be found in numerous places, even in the kitchen!

This is a question that as a marketing representative I find many people ask when I am out and about, and the answer is YES! When you think of mold, most people automatically think of that gross fuzzy stuff no one wants to see on their ham sandwich, but what about dunking a finger licking good buffalo wing into a big bowl of blue cheese? Although you might not want to think about it that way, blue cheese is a mold, and in my opinion a pretty delicious example!

There are three different versions of mold. Good, Normal, and bad. It is important to be able to know the difference between the three in order to know if professional services to remediate it are necessary.

GOOD MOLDS: Good molds are like we discussed above in the yummy blue cheese, or pretty much any fancy cheese. Typically when it comes to picking out a fancy cheese, the ones with the stronger smelly are the better ones. And what makes that smell you might ask? Mold!

NORMAL MOLDS: Normal molds can be a little more tricky then good molds. They aren’t all that pretty to look at, but they also are not harmful. The two types of normal molds are airborne mold spores, and mold growth. Airborne mold spores are just about everywhere, casually floating around your home without any signs of their presence. These mold spores can enter your home through just about any opening such as doors, windows, any small cracks, or even on the clothing of someone as they walk inside. As long as they did not originate within your home, they are normal. Mold growth is a little more noticeable, this is things such as that “mildew” you find in the corner of your shower, or that black stuff in the window track. This is classified as normal as long as it is growing on a non-sustainable food source, the surface is non-porous, and can be cleaned away with normal household cleaning methods.

BAD MOLDS: These are the ones to keep an eye for, bad molds can be very dangerous if not treated correctly. Bad mold is when it is growing on a sustainable food source, and is potentially affecting the air with what would be considered “evlevated” mold spores. Food sources for mold can be numerous amounts of things such as drywall, wood, framing, wood subflooring, debris, contents, and other related materials. When this happens, removing the mold is a little trickier then just wiping it down like you can with a normal mold because the mold is effecting not just what the eye can see, but airborne spores in association with the effected area as well. When you come across bad mold, contact SERVPRO of Biddeford-Saco so that we can get out there ASAP to take a look at it, and work on removing it with the proper equipment. Bad mold can cause several health effects including respiratory issues, cough/sore throat, asthma, headache, and other serious health issues.

Some molds can be easy to tell the difference between, like a fun game time snack, or an unfortunate realization during a lunch break. Others can be a little tougher to tell, and that is why SERVPRO of Biddeford-Saco is here to help you identify the problem, find a solution, and make it “Like it never even happened.”

For any questions about mold, call our office today at 207-283-4428