Mold is a fungus, but it is often hard to spot in homes and businesses until it develops a more pronounced fuzzy growth and color pattern. From white to black and a few colors in between, fungal spores begin to grow more rapidly in about twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Some customers do not call early enough because they believe they have a mildew problem instead. As mildew is also a fungus that is white, brown, or black, it can be quite confusing. So, here is what the different colors mean as well as when you should contact our experts at Restore Pro for mold remediation service.
What Is the Difference Between Mildew and Mold?
Both mildew and mold thrive in warmer, humid climates. Here are a few more differences between mildew and mold that you should know, including when mold remediation should be used.
- Mildew
Mildew fungus tends to be found on surface areas such as moist walls, floors, ceilings, carpet, fabric, and paper products. It is often also found in the refrigerator as food begins to spoil within three to ten days. Mildew also starts as a whitish powder, but it soon starts to change to a brown or black coloring. It is why we highly recommend paying attention to surface areas in your kitchen, bathroom, basement, or crawl space that may be wet or moist. These are the areas that are more prone to mildew, but bleach, baking soda, or vinegar will clean it.
- Mold
Mold is also found in the same moist or humid areas, and sources of light and food can cause it to grow quickly. Unlike mildew, mold is quite dangerous to humans and pets. It looks velvety or fuzzy rather than powdery. It tends to often be black, white, or gray. It can come in a variety of other colors, including white, green, purple, red, yellow, orange, or a combination of them. Regardless of its color, you will need mold remediation to stop the spread of the mold spores as well as eradicate them from the air and on surface areas.
What Does The Color Of Mold Mean?
The color of the mold does not indicate anything because the fungus has many forms and characteristics. Our experts use factors like growth patterns, composition, and features to tell the difference between mildew and mold. The same mold growth spores could be multiple colors even though they are in the same area. Some that grow later than others may also be in a different growth pattern.
What we advise our customers is that it is incredibly difficult to tell the difference between mold and mildew based solely on the color. Color also does not confirm toxicity levels. Black mold, which you probably hear the most about, also does not confirm it is toxic in nature as it may not produce mycotoxins, which is what causes symptoms such as wheezing, rashes, watery eyes, a runny nose, or sinusitis. We strongly recommend having a mold remediation consultation so that our experts can evaluate it first-hand. It also allows us to check for other characteristics that tell them apart.
Our mold remediation process finds and eliminates the source of moisture before containing and removing the spores. We’ll also clean any affected household property and sanitize the air to ensure your family is safe and secure. If you notice mold, give us a call at 1-800-847-0114 or send us a direct message on our Facebook page by visiting us at www.facebook.com/RestorePro911/.
