Is There A Safe Mold?

Mold is a microscopic fungus that grows in multicellular filaments known as hyphae. They release spores to reproduce. Mold can grow anywhere that is damp or often wet and it does not require much to sustain itself. It is a foul smelling growth and can also be quite detrimental to the health of people and pets. Generally it is not a pleasant addition to a home, but mold is admittedly not all bad. There are some mold that are safe for humans and animals alike.

Ways which mold have been helpful

Mold is not good for anyone when growing on it’s own in the home, but it has it’s redeeming qualities which make it not entirely useless and harmful on earth, just like everything else it also has a few benefits, such as:

1. The creation of tasty foods: While it is probably weird to know that there are some foods that were made with mold, it is not the same mold that grows on your bathroom walls or in the pipes under your sink. In some cheese like the Camembert or Brie, white mold gives the smooth texture and special aroma that cheese lovers find irresistible. Blue cheese also is made with mold, precisely, blue mold. In Stilton blue cheese they can be seen to make obvious blue veins in the cheese, giving a peppery taste and the unique aroma of blue cheese. In other foods, such as all soy based foods, from soy sauce to soy drinks and tempeh and miso all taste great and feel velvety in the mouth, due to fermentation of mold. So mold has been helpful in the creation of tasty food products.
2. Medical advancement and creation of drugs: Many drugs today have roots back to studies on mold, right from Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin in 1928 when mold had grown on a petri dish which was accidentally left open and was observed to have stopped an illness causing bacteria from growing. In 1942 the first life was saved by mold after years of study and tests. Now today many antibiotics have roots tied back to mold growth and bioengineering. While it is annoying in the household, mold has been saving lives for many years now, and there is no end to that in the nearest future.
3. Accelerator in the business of manufacturing: Another good thing that mold has been able to do for us is to help quicken the manufacturing process. Industrially, mold are used to produce the enzymes which are necessary for the production of other goods. An enzyme is a substance which acts as a catalyst to cause a definite biochemical reaction. An example of mold being used in this way is the enzyme rennet which is made out of mold. This enzyme is used to curdle milk which is necessary for the production of cheese. In this way mold can speed up the manufacturing process, making it possible to keep up with market demands.
4. Major part of the environment’s processes: Mold is very important in the processes of the environment. It is an essential part of the decay of dead things, and the breaking down of organic material which then leads to nutrients being recycled back into the ecosystem. This makes mold a very necessary part of our ecosystem.

Can household mold be helpful?

While it has been established that mold is indeed not bad, and can in fact be quite useful to the environment, people, and even the economy, when it comes to the household, mold is in no way helpful at all. In fact mold in the household is just problematic. It can cause severe allergic reactions to both pets and humans, like redness and itch of the eye, tickled throat and nose, sneezing, and itchy, irritated skin.

One might not be allergic and end up living comfortably with mold, but regardless of allergic reaction, a long enough period of exposure and inhaling mold can cause serious mental damages like induced memory loss, anxiety, nerve issues leading to numbness of extremities, and trouble concentrating. Household mold is also very destructive, being able to ruin all the things it grows on. It can destroy drywall and render it unusable, making it necessary for it to be thrown out, it can also destroy clothes that it grows on, totally ruining the design. It is also a terrible eyesore and will make bathrooms look filthy, and there is also the matter of the smell. Overall, mold should be avoided at all costs.

The takeaway

Mold can be helpful to us outside of the home, but if you spot mold in your home, it absolutely has to go. Call Dry Effect as soon as you can to both identify the mold, and get rid of it safely and efficiently for you.