Have you just discovered mold in your apartment? Mold is always an unwelcome intrusion, and can also be very worrying! So, is it safe to be in your apartment if it has mold in it? How do you deal with it? Can you get rid of it? All these questions and more are answered here, by the award-winning professional mold removal company, Cleaner Guys.
Table of Contents
- Is it Safe to Stay in an Apartment with Mold?
- Mold Sickness Symptoms
- When Mold Can Be Dangerous
- How Do I Know If My Apartment Has Mold?
- Is it OK to Sleep in a Room With Mold?
- What Kills Mold in an Apartment?
- What to Do About Mold in an Apartment
Is it Safe to Stay in an Apartment with Mold?
Staying in an apartment infested with mold is generally not advisable. While it may only cause minor health problems for some, it may cause severe and dangerous reactions in others. It’s a fungus that releases spores into the air to colonize whatever area it finds that is moist, dark, and warm, and it spreads quickly. Mold infestation should be taken seriously.
Symptoms of Mold Sickness
Can you get sick from mold? Absolutely. Mold sickness symptoms usually present as a respiratory illness, because mold sickness is usually caused by exposure to and inhalation of mold spores. According to the CDC, the following are common mold sickness symptoms.
- A persistently congested or runny nose
- Unusual amounts of wheezing and coughing
- Red or itchy eyes and/or skin
- Persistent headaches (particularly if you don’t have a history of headaches)
- Trouble sleeping (especially if you don’t have a history of insomnia)
- Severe reactions can escalate to fever, shortness of breath, and even severe allergic reactions
When Mold Can Be Dangerous
Mold can be very dangerous in homes or businesses containing individuals with compromised or weak immune systems, or with respiratory illnesses like asthma. These individuals can experience severe reactions to exposure to mold spores, including severe fatigue, migraines, shortness of breath, and fever, all the way up to an asthmatic reaction.
If you or anyone living in your apartment has a weakened immune system condition or a respiratory illness like asthma, get them out of the apartment immediately, and do not have them return until the mold is completely removed.
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Beyond the more severe reactions, however, you may notice that many of the milder mold sickness symptoms look similar to the common cold. So, how do you tell the difference? How do you know if you’re sick from mold or not? Read this article to find out.
How Do I Know If My Apartment Has Mold?
How do you know if your apartment has mold? The biggest, most common sign of mold is the smell. If an area of your apartment has a musty, pungent, or sewage-like odor, mold is probably present. Another common indication of mold is discolored, stained, bubbling, or peeling drywall and paint. These are signs of both water damage and mold inside your wall. Water damage like a leak or overflow usually goes hand-in-hand with mold growth. Read this article for several more important signs to look for to indicate that there is mold in your apartment.
Is it OK to Sleep in a Room With Mold?
We strongly advise that you do not sleep in a room that has mold in it. Breathing in high levels of mold spores is not healthy, whether you contract mold sickness symptoms or not. Until you can have the mold removed, have everyone in your apartment sleep in a room that’s not infested with mold. Close the door to the room(s) that have mold, and open a window if you can. This will increase ventilation and encourage mold spores to drift out of the apartment.
What Kills Mold in an Apartment?
It depends on the type of mold and how large the infected area is. If the fungus you are seeing is actually mildew, it can be fairly easy to clean yourself. However, if your mold is a variety of common mold that roots deeply, including as aspergillus, alternaria, or aureobasidium, and more, it can be much more difficult to successfully remove.
Mold species other than mildew are hard to clean because they tend to root deeply into whatever organic material they grow on. This means that however much mold you can see, there is probably a lot more under the surface that you can’t see.
Some people on the internet claim that bleach and vinegar can be effective DIY remedies to remove mold. We strongly advise you not to try vinegar on areas of growth larger than 1 square foot. We advise you not to try bleach at all. These are not effective methods of mold removal in our decades of experience as mold experts. Learn why you shouldn’t use bleach here. Learn when and how you can use vinegar here.
What to Do About Mold in an Apartment
The only 100% foolproof way to be sure you’ve gotten rid of the mold in your apartment is to remove it entirely. This means removing whatever drywall, flooring, wood, or other material the mold is growing on, cleaning the area, and replacing the lost materials with new ones. Please do not attempt to do this kind of mold removal yourself; it should only be performed by mold removal specialists.
For a more detailed guide on how to go about mold inspection and mold removal in an apartment with a landlord, read our ultimate guide to dealing with mold in apartments.
If You’re Dealing with Mold in an Apartment in Washington State
If you’ve discovered mold in an apartment in Washington State, we encourage you to call Cleaner Guys to help you figure out what to do next! Navigating mold with your landlord, insurance (if applicable), and a mold removal company can be tricky, and we are happy to walk you through it safely. Cleaner Guys is the only mold removal company in the area that boasts award-winning customer service, so you can trust us to have your best interest in mind. Call (360)757-4300 today from the menu at the top of this page.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. No part of this article is medical or legal advice, and may not be used as such. For all serious medical matters, consult your doctor. For all serious legal matters, consult your legal advisor. This article contains Cleaner Guys’ experience and opinions only.
