Wherever there are the right conditions, including warm air, moisture and something on which to cling, mold will continue to grow and grow. If it is not stopped it can quickly destroy an entire house. Mold is very dangerous.
Mold is a fungus. A fungus is in many ways like a plant, but is really an organism all to itself. Instead of producing seeds, it produces spores, which are generally sent through the air to surrounding fertile habitations.
The expressions of mold - mold odors - can contain some very dangerous components that can and will cause respiratory infections that require horribly invasive treatment. Mold smells are light a 'check engine light' a warning sign that must be heeded.
Mildew is within the same class of organism as mold, but has a shallower root system. Where mold has a veracious appetite, growing directly on its food-source (breads, rotting vegetables, soaked surfaces full of yummy bacteria), mildew can survive with less. It will grow and begin showing its black dots (instead of spots) on surfaces like lightly dampened paper, ceramic tile grout, clothing materials, etc.
The very fact that you can see mildew is indicative that there is trouble a-lurking. The surfaces on which mildew grows are not generally perceived to be vigorous food sources for even the tiniest of fungus, and may not emit any noticeable mildew smells or odors; however, what it should be telling you is that there is, behind the mildew, colonies of bacteria that are growing and feeding the fungus. Get rid of the mildew, be rid of the bacteria.
'MUST' and must odors or must smells are the earliest indicators of trouble ahead. When a space in your home, business or institution is beginning to give off a mildew smell or mold smell, but you see no signs of it on any surface, this is the time to take action.
Imagine if you would how fast word might spread around a university campus of a frat-house throwing a keg party. If one were in the path from the campus to the house, and not moving with the flow of traffic, he or she might get trampled, right?
What this moldy smell, or mildew odor (that has not yet produced any visible signs of colonies) is telling you is that the spores are making their way towards fresh feeding grounds. The immediate course of action to take is to make the area uninhabitable for mildew to settle and eliminate the moist conditions that are drawing in the hoards of mold spores.
Crawl spaces are notorious for housing mold, delivering odors to the entire house. The odor is generally faint, but with humid conditions, the smell is escalated.
Did you know that mold actually lives off of your building timbers? That's right, it is more than just an odor issue, it can affect the integrity of your entire structure.
These microorganisms produce Volatile Organic Compounds which can create that awful odor smell. Add if its progress is not checked, and the mold and its odor removed, it will just grow worse and worse.
Mold can grow at temperatures unfit for other microbes. The rot you may find on produce in your crisper drawer is usually an indication of mold spores run rampant throughout your refrigerator. What is not spoiled by the mold will be attacked by bacteria - it all gets worse and worse - and over the year can cost you hundreds of dollars in wasted food.
You local OdorPros affiliate has a simple 2-step process that can restore your refrigerator to pristine storage condition when it comes to reducing the presence of mold and removing its odor. Set an appointment today.
All mildew is mold, even though all mold is not mildew. Try repeating that 3 times fast!
Mildew is referred to by FEMA as mold in its early stages, small microbes clinging to flat spaces and embedding itself into grouted tiles and acrylic caulk lines. It is most often found in areas that are regularly and consistently damp. like kitchen counters and shower stalls, and is worse when these areas are not regularly dried off after use.
Your local OdorPros affiliate can be looked to as your resident expert, prescribing solutions to help you out.
With decades of experience in the cleaning industry, Great Plains Odor Pros, understand the role that consistent and careful cleaning plays in the control of odors. The removal of organic material that can decompose and become a food source for bacteria is key to odor control.
We eliminate the odors that fragrances can't cover, and ozone can't destroy: pet odors, tobacco, musty, stale air, odors from mold, mildew, hard workouts or bad living - we guarantee to rid them from your world, and then support you with the products necessary to keep them away!
Not all disinfectants are alike.
Many are sold by their fragrance, rather than by their performance. Fragrance has nothing to do with protecting your world.
We only use those that will rid germs quickly and leave no toxic residue behind. We insist on offering safer solutions.
Disinfectants only work when their wet - for about 10 minutes out of the day. Germs are deposited 1440 minutes of the day (24 hours), so we offer the application of non-toxic, completely sustainable coatings that keep bugs at bay. Surface protectants are your very best defense.
Like many other odor removal processes, we employ an 'oxidizer', a molecule that is able to eliminate bacteria, denature allergens and destroy odors at the molecular level.
There are those that swear by ozone, but our system is far less corrosive and, molecule for molecule, 250% more effective. The light greenish-yellow gas we temporarily generate in your home penetrates surfaces more deeply, destroys odors faster, and is remarkably similar to what is contained within each of our own white blood cells.
In short, you can trust the science.