by Jen Harley

Created on: August 29, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2011

Nobody wants to hear that they have mold in their home. The thought of mold brings sudden images of expensive cleanings, health problems and embarrassment of thinking that you don't keep your home clean enough. While most of us picture the typical nasty black mold we see on health reports and even home repair TV shows, mold can grow discreetly in your home and you may not even be aware.

While you may not have the black mold growing all over your basement and attic walls, you may have a mold problem if you notice the following in your home:

• Stale, musty odors in the bathroom, laundry, basement, attic, walls.
• Stale, musty odors in air conditioners or furnace air
• Speckles or splotches on the home water filter or water softener tanks.
• White/gray substances on basement walls.

On top of the visual clues to a mold problem in the home, there are numerous health problems that may indicate mold. Certain people, including the elderly, young children and those with respiratory ailments, often suffer adverse affects from excessive exposure to increased levels of molds. Common symptoms are eye, nose and throat irritation, excessive colds, nausea, damaged immune systems and respiratory problems such as lung infections or asthma. You may notice that these health problems seem to happen more over the weekend. This makes sense since you're home longer during the weekends than during a work week.

There are ways to prevent mold from contaminating your home and family. Cleaning up any mold you see is a good start. Giving mold a good scrubbing with bleach and water can help to quickly eliminate mold and the spores it produces. This greatly reduces the chance of spores flying out into the air you breathe. Eliminate moisture from your home and be on the lookout for signs of possible growth, such as musty smells or watermarks on walls and ceilings. Make sure damp clothing, towels and linens are properly dried and put away. Make sure the excess water from flower pots is emptied. Don't put carpeting down in basements and attics that are prone to flooding.

Mold can be an expensive, nasty health problem if it gets out of hand, but taking the proper measures to keep it in check can save time and money for cleaning, not to mention keeping your family healthy.

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