Mold and mildew are types of fungi that share common attributes but also differ in many ways. While the two fungi grow in moist and humid locations, they can influence your health and home otherwise. Understanding the differences between mold and mildew can help you know how to approach the issue. Keep Reading to find out what divides mold from mildew:
Where They Grow
Both mold and mildew can grow in damp areas in homes and outdoors. They need an organic food source, such as drywall, wood, plants, or dirt.
Mold can grow on almost any organic surface at a home. Given enough time, mold may cause substances to rust and destroy the structural elements of a home. Mildew grows mostly on plants and can kill them if not eliminated in time. Mildew is also the title of plant diseases caused by parasitic fungi.
Look
Mold is generally fuzzy or slimy, whereas mold appears either powdery or downy. Downy mildew is yellow at first and turns to brownish yellow later on. Powdery mildew is white, and then turns yellow and black when it matures.
Mold appears as irregularly shaped spots that could have distinct colors — blue, yellow, green, brown, gray, black, or white. Mildew usually grows in a level pattern and appears as white, gray, or yellowish stains that turn brown or black with time.
Exposure Symptoms
Mold exposure can cause several health issues such as allergic reactions (sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, coughing, wheezing, irritation of the throat, rashes, etc.), respiratory problems (difficulty breathing, coughing, and asthma attacks), heart issues, migraines, depression, and more. Mildew exposure poses fewer health risks — coughing, headache, sore throat, and respiratory problems.
Benefits
Some molds are beneficial, for instance, Penicillium can be used to create antibiotics and may also be utilized in the production of cheese and kale. Mildew doesn’t have any known benefits.
Prevention and Removal
As mold and mildew thrive in humid environments, it’s very important to maintain your house dry to prevent growth. Repair leaks, use a dehumidifier to keep humidity at 30-50% and ventilate appliances. Find out more mold prevention hints.
Removing mold and mildew yourself can be tough and damaging to your health. For small infected areas — significantly less than 10 square feet — on surfaces like walls, wash the mold with a mixture of household water and detergent. If the affected area is larger than 10 square feet, the most secure and most efficient means to remove the mold would be to telephone a mold remediation business. Discover why DIY mold removal isn’t a fantastic idea.
Mildew on crops can be removed by wiping the leaves gently with a dampened paper towel. After each wipe, freshen the paper towel. Replace the paper towel when all parts have touched on the moldy surfaces and cut off any leaves that still have mold observable on them. Click this link to find out more.
Among the many kinds of molds which can grow indoors, black mold is among the most infamous. Learn about black mold removal. Speak to your local PuroClean office for mold remediation providers, water damage restoration, and other property restoration services. Visit this website for more information.