Moldy environments can cause or exacerbate allergy and flu-like symptoms and asthma. Mold in the home also increases the risk for infection for people who have immune suppression.
Molds are common in homes, growing in high humidity and places with moisture such as around leaky pipes or roofs. Mold can even grow on paper and cardboard, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
You can also bring outdoor mold spores into your home on your shoes, clothing and even your pets. In the right moisture and humidity conditions, mold spores grow and multiply, affecting the air quality in your home.
Some places where mold can grow are obvious, such as bathrooms and damp basements. But mold can grow in places you never thought to look, too. Read on for hidden places mold can grow in your home.
HVAC system
Mold can thrive in your home’s HVAC system, blowing mold spores and fragments through air ducts throughout the home and into the air you breathe.
Signs of possible mold in the air and other parts of the home include people in the home experiencing coughing, sneezing, eye irritation, sore throat or a runny nose from exposure, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
“There may be musty odors coming from vents and visible signs of mold growth on vents and duct work,” says Brad Roberson, president of Aire Serv, a nationwide heating and air conditioning repair service. “Most organic growth and mold will have black, blue, green, or yellow coloring.”
If you suspect mold growth in the HVAC system, Roberson recommends hiring an indoor air quality or HVAC professional to measure indoor humidity levels and recommend products or services to create safe and comfortable humidity levels.
To keep mold from growing in the HVAC system, have the furnace and air conditioning unit inspected annually and the duct system evaluated by an HVAC professional every three to five years to see if it needs cleaning, Roberson tells Money Talks News.
You can remove small spots of mold growth in the HVAC system with household cleaning products, says the NIEHS. For major areas of mold growth, the NIEHS recommends consulting mold removal professionals.
Behind drywall and baseboards
Mold could be spreading behind the drywall in your home, and you might not even know it.
The paper on both sides of the drywall is a common source for mold growth, says Tim Fagan, a mold remediation expert and president of 1-800 WATER DAMAGE, a national water mitigation and mold remediation company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“If you can see mold growing on its face, it’s usually eight to 10 times larger on the surface area on the other side,” Fagan tells Money Talks News. Mold on drywall needs moisture and warm temperatures to grow. Often, a leaky pipe, condensation dripping from pipes or a roof leak is the cause, he says.
Mold can also be caused when water gets sucked up from a wet floor and absorbed into the wall and behind baseboards, says Fagan. To stop mold growth behind drywall, you must first locate the water source causing moisture.
You can buy meters at the hardware store to detect moisture and the humidity level behind drywall. If you suspect mold growth behind drywall but can’t locate the water source, contact an indoor environmental professional (IEP) who can find the water source and safely remove the mold.
Upholstery
If you live in a hot and humid climate or don’t have proper humidity control in your home, your sofa, chairs and other upholstered furniture could be a breeding ground for hidden mold, says Michael Rubino, a certified mold remediation specialist, air quality expert and founder of HomeCleanse, a national mold remediation and household air quality service company.
“If you have high humidity for days on end, you’ll start to see mold growing on upholstery, says Rubino, who adds that upholstery mold may not be easily spotted because molds that grow in high humidity are typically white, not black. “Unless you have a bright colored fabric where it might not blend in. Once mold takes hold, its roots penetrate deep into the fibers of the surface.”
Disposing of the contaminated furniture is the most effective way to handle the mold situation, since porous items like upholstery are difficult to decontaminate completely, Rubino tells Money Talks News.
If you wish to keep the furniture item, he recommends wearing an N95 face mask and latex gloves. Thoroughly vacuum the surface with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) vacuum, which can capture tiny mold particulates.
Next, spray the upholstery with a botanical cleaning product, letting it soak in per the product’s instructions. Wipe clean and repeat the process two more times, using the clean side of a microfiber towel. Make sure the surface dries completely.
To resolve high humidity levels in your home that led to mold, place a dehumidifier in the room or consult an HVAC technician for adjustments. Inspect regularly to make sure mold on upholstery (and in the entire room) doesn’t return.
Attic
Moisture, high heat and humidity in the attic are the perfect combination for mold growth, says Josh Story, a home inspector and owner of WIN Home Inspection in Destin, Florida.
Water in the attic can come from a few sources, including leaky pipes, roof leaks and HVAC duct work.
“If there’s a leak in your air conditioning duct work that allows cooler air to escape into the hot attic, that creates condensation,” Story tells Money Talks News. “Over time, that condensation can contribute to microbial growth and mold.”
Since a home inspection is noninvasive, Story can’t cut into the walls or ceiling to find the water source, he says. But locating the leak is crucial to preventing future mold growth in the attic.
“In those cases where we can’t see where it’s coming from, we recommend further evaluation from a contractor who can remove whatever needs removed to locate the source of that moisture.”
Clothing
In high humidity climates or homes where the humidity level is above 50%, mold can grow on clothes in your closet or even a hat you might hang beside a door.
When clothes in the closet are packed tight, the lack of air circulation combined with high humidity can grow mold on clothes fast, says Story.
“Mold on clothes usually starts off as a mildew appearance like green speckles or almost a dusty appearance sometimes,” he explains.
Story looks for mold on the closet walls, ceiling, floor and any corners, while spreading clothing apart to look at the fabric and the wall behind it. You can clean mold from closet walls, floors and the ceiling with soap and water or a bleach solution, according to the CDC.
To remove mold spores from clothing — according to AdvantaClean, a mold removal and water damage restoration company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — scrape off the mold with a stiff-bristled brush.
Soak the clothing in 1 cup of white vinegar in a large container or bathtub (not in the washer) for an hour. Then wash them in hot water using a high-efficiency detergent and dry them outside in the sunlight to kill off any remaining mold spores.
Even so, washing may not get rid of all mold spores on clothing, according to the company.
Washing machine
When you toss clothes in the washer, you may not think to look for mold in the tub, door seal and dispensers. But moisture and humidity, along with accumulated residue, make washing machines a “hotbed” for mold growth, according to GE Appliances.
Mold under the rubber seal that goes around the door likely isn’t visible on the surface. When you look under the seal, however, you may be shocked at the mold growth you find.
Front-loading washing machines are the most vulnerable to mold under the seal, says Rubino.
“If you have a front-load washing machine and you open the door, you’ll see a rubber gasket around the door entrance. If you pull the gasket back a little bit, you’ll be crazy surprised at what you find.”
Mold in the washer can get on your clothes, making them smell funky. When you wear the clothes, mold can also get on your skin. You could also be inhaling mold spores on your clothes.
Fortunately, it’s easy to remove mold from your washer with soap and water, using a microfiber towel to capture the particles as you wipe mold away. Or you can use a disinfectant designed for mold removal such as Benefect to seal the wood.
Dishwasher
The inside of your dishwasher and behind it are breeding grounds for mold, Rubino says.
“You should regularly inspect any sort of appliance that connects to water sources. They can get nasty leaks that happen over time and people don’t realize it right away.”
Like with a washing machine, mold can grow under the seal that wraps around the inside of the door. You can slide the dishwasher out and look behind and beneath it for mold growth or call a plumber to check everything out, including leaks.
To clean mold from a dishwasher, use the same 1:1 vinegar/water ratio to soak and wipe all removable parts with a microfiber cloth. Run a normal wash cycle with soap and warm water, then wipe the interior with a microfiber cloth.
Run another cycle to get rid of any remaining vinegar. When finished, leave the dishwasher door open to dry.
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