Cleaning

Though these two potentially harmful household fungi are often talked about in the same breath, they each have unique traits that can help you tell them apart.

Mold and mildew are types of fungus that thrive in moist, warm areas both inside and outside your home. Although most of these annoying fungi aren’t directly harmful to humans, mold allergies are fairly common. Those afflicted tend to suffer with headaches, runny or stuffy nose, wheezing or coughing, itchy eyes, and even skin rashes when exposed to large colonies of mold. Some types of mold—black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) in particular—can trigger asthma and serious lung conditions. But health consequences aside, mold and mildew are undesirable visitors to your home. They create discolored blotches on walls, floors, and ceilings, and can damage wallpaper, carpet, drywall, and insulation. And, of course, the musty smell of mold or mildew is far from the fresh, clean fragrance most people want in their homes. Because mold spores are almost everywhere in the environment and multiply very quickly when conditions suit them, it’s important to make your home as inhospitable as possible to these fungi. Unfortunately, many homeowners make simple mistakes that encourage mold to grow. Here are 12 ways you may be unwittingly promoting the growth of mold in and around your home.