{"id":3726,"date":"2021-08-30T09:04:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T09:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/blog\/what-is-white-mold-and-is-it-dangerous\/"},"modified":"2021-08-30T09:04:00","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T09:04:00","slug":"white-mold-2","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/blog\/white-mold-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is White Mold and Is It Dangerous? Expert Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#what-is-white-mold\">What is White Mold?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#white-mold-vs-mildew-and-efflorescence\">White Mold vs Mildew and Efflorescence<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#is-white-mold-dangerous\">Is the Mold Dangerous?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White mold is a term that applies to many species of mold which can grow in homes. And, like any other mold, it may compromise your property and health if you don\u2019t deal with it. Read on to learn what the mold is and how it can affect your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-white-mold\"><strong>What is White Mold?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"259\" height=\"194\" src=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1014\/2024\/02\/white-mold.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19269\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White mold is not a specific type of mold \u2013 many species of mold may appear white. The species commonly found in homes are aspergillus, Cladosporium, and penicillium. All these molds may also appear gray, green, black, or other tints. Moreover, all molds thrive in moist areas where a food source like wood is present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Generally, it\u2019s not necessary to determine the type of mold you have in your home \u2013 all molds have the same negative effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some molds may appear white in their early stages of development. Later, these molds may change color after producing spores. Yet, many molds appear white regardless of age because their spores are not pigmented. The type of material causes the lack of spore pigmentation it\u2019s growing on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, the mold appears powdery and may blend in with the materials it\u2019s growing on, making it hard to tell that it\u2019s actually mold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"white-mold-vs-mildew-and-efflorescence\"><strong>White Mold vs Mildew and Efflorescence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes, people confuse the mold with mildew, which may also have a white appearance. However, mildew rarely grows on surfaces other than plants and doesn\u2019t destroy materials. On the other hand, the mold penetrates the surface of porous materials like wood or drywall and can ruin them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s also common for people to confuse white mold with a substance called <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Efflorescence\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Efflorescence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">efflorescence<\/a>. It\u2019s a salt deposit caused by salty water that seeps through concrete, brick, or stone. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind a white crystalline substance similar to this type of mold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, unlike white mold, efflorescence does not pose health risks and won\u2019t grow or spread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To tell whether a substance is a white mold or efflorescence, look at the affected surface. If it\u2019s masonry, it\u2019s efflorescence. Also, put some of it into a drop of water, and if it dissolves, it\u2019s not mold. Lastly, squeeze some of the substance between your fingers, and if it breaks into a fine powder, it\u2019s efflorescence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"is-white-mold-dangerous\"><strong>Is the Mold Dangerous?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All types of mold, including white mold, can cause&nbsp;health problems. You should remove it as soon as possible to avoid health risks and structural damage. Even milder forms can endanger your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since some people don\u2019t realize that white mold is mold, it may put them at risk for extended periods. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/blog\/what-are-the-symptoms-of-mold-exposure\/\">symptoms<\/a> induced by the mold include allergic reactions, respiratory infections, eye irritations, dizziness, nausea, headaches, and even depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you suspect you or a family member has been affected by mold exposure, consult a doctor and have the mold removed immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White mold is just one type of mold that can invade your home. Check out information about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/blog\/what-is-black-mold\/\">black mold<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/blog\/black-mold-removal-and-remediation\/\">how to remove mold<\/a> from your home. For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/miami-restoration\/\">mold removal<\/a> and water damage repair services, contact your local PuroClean office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1014\/2024\/05\/water-damage-and-mold-growth.jpeg\" alt=\"white mold\" class=\"wp-image-19516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1014\/2024\/05\/water-damage-and-mold-growth.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1014\/2024\/05\/water-damage-and-mold-growth-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1014\/2024\/05\/water-damage-and-mold-growth-768x512.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>White mold is a term that applies to many species of mold which can grow in homes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19518,"template":"","blog-category":[12],"class_list":["post-3726","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog-category-mold-restoration"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/3726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/3726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blog-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/miami-fl-puroclean-coral-gables\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog-category?post=3726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}