What is Mold?

By:
in Healthy Home, Indoor Allergies
Published: August 26, 2010

Molds are microscopic fungi that grow all around us, both indoors and out.

Inside, mold thrives in humid areas like the shower or the basement. Outside, you’ll find it growing in shady areas where there is dampness or where vegetation is decomposing.

Mold reproduces by sending out tiny spores that float through the air, looking for a friendly environment to make a home. These spores are resilient and can survive in even the driest conditions.

When the spores do find dampness, mold is extremely fast-growing, and so plentiful that we don’t even know how many species there are.

Estimates suggest there are between 10,000 and 300,000 different kinds. And not all are bad for humans. We use mold in food production to make cheese and soy sauce. But unless you’re making your own Danish blue, you will want to banish mold from your home.

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