mold

this creature first appeared on our

planet around a billion years ago it

thrives in damp environments and can

survive pretty much anywhere it might be

in your basement as we speak I think

you've already guessed I'm talking about

mold here

it's a type of fungus that spreads

through tiny particles moving through

the air these spores are like the seeds

of a plant although they're much smaller

sometimes they cling onto clothes or

animal fur and travel long distances

unnoticed they can survive even in some

unfriendly environments and start

growing when they land somewhere with

enough water food and oxygen mold comes

in all colors of the rainbow and each

color stands for a certain type of mold

you can usually find red or orange mold

Outdoors the pink variety likes to

reside in bathrooms on shampoo and soap

residues black and green mold are the

types you're most likely to meet in your

house

unlike plants that use photosynthesis

mold grows on materials it can digest

even one tiny mold Spore is powerful

enough to harm several people but there

are over 100 000 different types of mold

in the world and not all of them are

dangerous to you

just noticed something green on your

sandwich but only a small part of it is

infected so maybe you can just cut it

off nope it won't work out the tiny

greenish spots you see are on the

surface and you can spot them with the

naked eye but there's more hiding inside

the bread

but if it was one second too late and

you've bitten into the bright green

patch of hold don't rush to the bathroom

to scrub your tongue with antibacterial

soap you've probably eaten mold before

without even knowing about it it easily

grows on soft porous foods like bread

fruit and vegetables

so consuming just a bit of it is okay as

long as you have a strong immune system

you'll digest it like any normal food if

you feel sick after consuming it that's

most likely because mold tastes weird

and not because there's some vicious

substance spreading through your body

so the best you can do if you spot mold

on your bread is not to risk your health

and throw away the entire loaf mold

likes to settle in cooked leftovers like

meat poultry casseroles grain pasta

Cottage and cream cheese yogurt and sour

cream it's easier for mold to penetrate

softer food so it also loves fruits and

vegetables like strawberries cucumbers

peaches and tomatoes jams and jellies

are another easy target for mold as it

thrives in sweet and sugary Foods eat

ice

mold isn't always the bad guy ruining

your lunch you gotta thank it for that

Exquisite Taste of blue cheeses like

Gorgonzola Roquefort and blue Canon

Baron Brie wouldn't be so delicious

without the white mold on their surface

cheese is 99.99 milk and its makers grow

mold either inside or outside the cheese

depending on its sort

but if you find mold on a cheese that

shouldn't have it like cheddar parmesan

or swiss it means the molds added to any

cheese to give a taste have come into

contact with oxygen and started

reproducing and breaking down fats and

proteins uncontrollably you should cut

off the affected part carefully with a

knife without touching the mold the rest

of the cheese is still good to eat

it would be impossible to produce soy

sauce without fermenting soybeans and it

happens thanks to a certain type of

fungi salami fans should appreciate mold

for the unique flavor it gives to the

meat and for preventing it from drying

out too quickly

mold has also saved millions of lives

penicillium mold helped achieve a real

breakthrough in medical science as it

naturally produces the well-known

penicillin accidentally discovered by

Scottish researcher Alexander Fleming in

1928.

some types of mold can also help you in

the garden as a great mulch some

gardening fans spend years trying to

grow leaf mold to use for compost they

believe it improves soil quality

to prevent mold from overtaking your

lunch keep the food covered with plastic

wrap in the fridge don't keep leftovers

of perishable foods in their cans put

them in airtight containers instead keep

track of what you store in the fridge

leftovers shouldn't be there for longer

than three to four days keep your fridge

clean only use fresh and clean

dishcloths towels sponges and mops once

you notice a musty smell it means mold

is about to settle in your kitchen and

its plan is to contaminate your food

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but what if mold spreads in The Damp

areas of your house you might not notice

any consequences for your health

immediately but they might resurface in

the long term as mold grows its spores

and fragments can produce irritants in

the air inside your house depending on

how sensitive you are you might notice

it's becoming hard to breathe and since

molds slowly but surely breaks materials

in your house there will be more dust

and other particles in the air

when you try to get rid of the bad mold

in your house you might accidentally

touch it without any protection it won't

take your life but don't let it sit on

your hands first off clean your hands

well with antibacterial soap clean

between your fingers and the back of

each hand thoroughly and also a scrub

underneath the nails if you can't reach

some spores use a toothpick then clean

your hands with a strong sanitizer the

final step will be to wash your hands

with liquid soap under running water

again don't miss the areas between your

fingers and under your nails

don't touch your face until your hands

are perfectly clean you don't want to

accidentally inhale those spores you

should also take off the clothes you

were wearing when you came into contact

with mold and wash it immediately

it's impossible to mold proof your home

but you can make it resistant to that

mean Intruder inspect your house and

find the problem areas it could be a

flood in your basement a water stain on

the ceiling or a window that's always

covered with condensation fix those

problems and install proper ventilation

in the house AC units and dehumidifiers

will help

open a window while cooking or showering

to keep the moisture outside make sure

your roof gutters are regularly cleaned

and fixed invest in a moisture meter and

monitor the humidity inside ideally it

should be between 30 and 60 percent

always remove wet clothes from the

washing machine unless you want to share

your garments with mold the best you can

do is hang them to dry outside in fresh

air and wait while they get completely

dry before putting them in your wardrobe

empty and air out drawers and closets

you rarely open every now and then never

leave the bathroom floor and walls wet

after you take a shower and clean your

house regularly then nasty mold won't

have a chance

the moist soil in your houseplants is

every mold's dream to save them don't

over water them and let fresh air

circulate in the room where your plants

live if you see mold is starting to grow

on your plants mix two tablespoons of

white vinegar and some water in a spray

bottle and apply the mix to your plants

you can also do the same thing using a

tablespoon of baking soda

there's a common myth that bleach can

help you get rid of mold in reality it

will only help you remove the visible

part but the spores Will Survive and

keep spreading

depending on what you do for a living

you may also meet mold in your workplace

poorly ventilated spaces greenhouses

farms and even bookstores and libraries

are in the risk Zone here paper contains

cellulose and it's a perfect food source

for some types of mold old books that

have been stored in a humid room for

many years could be hiding millions of

mold spores the rules to protect

yourself in a workspace are pretty much

the same as for your house clean it

regularly dry damp surfaces and if it's

impossible wear protective gloves when

you have to come into contact with mold.