It can be tough to trust your nose. But your sense of smell is one of your best defenses against a common household issue: mold. So what does mold smell like, and what should you do if you think you smell mold in your home?

Mold usually smells earthy, musty, or like rotten wood. It's an unpleasant smell that will get stronger as the mold in your home releases microbial volatile organic compounds, or MVOCs, as it grows. In particular, you should pay attention to new odors, or odors that get worse over time.

The smell can vary depending on the type of mold and the materials it’s feeding on. For instance:

• Black mold (Stachybotrys) often smells particularly strong and pungent, like rotting organic material.
• Mildew, a type of surface mold, may smell more powdery or stale.
• Hidden mold growing inside walls or ceilings may create a faint smell that gradually intensifies over time.

If you notice new odors or find that an unpleasant smell is getting worse over time, it’s a sign that mold may be present. Mold thrives in damp, poorly ventilated areas like basements, crawl spaces, and bathrooms, so be extra vigilant about smells in those parts of your home.

Mold can be hazardous to your home and your health. Here are some reasons you should be on the lookout for mold.

• Mold can spread quickly and cause property damage. In moist conditions, mold can grow in as little as 24 to 48 hours. Once mold takes hold, it can spread easily, especially because your house is full of things mold loves, like wood, carpet, and drywall. 
• Mold can cause health problems for you and your family. Mold can cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks. It can also irritate your eyes, nose, mouth, throat, and lungs. 

Mold doesn’t just affect your home—it can also affect your family’s well-being. Common health problems caused by mold include:

• Allergic Reactions: Sneezing, itching, runny noses, and skin irritation are all potential signs of mold exposure.
• Respiratory Issues: Mold spores can trigger asthma attacks, irritate the lungs, and make breathing more difficult, especially for those with pre-existing conditions.
• Eye and Throat Irritation: Prolonged exposure to mold spores can cause burning eyes, a scratchy throat, or a persistent cough.
• Chronic Illnesses: Certain molds produce mycotoxins, which can lead to serious health problems over time, including neurological symptoms.

If you smell mold, you should call in the experts. Professionals have tools and training to find hidden mold. This is especially important when you haven't seen mold yet, just smelled it. If they can't find mold, they can even perform other tests, like air quality tests, to find the source of the smell.

Once mold is found, professionals can completely remove the mold. Mold professionals go through a special process called mold remediation to carefully contain and remove all traces of mold from your home. Then, they work with you to fix the cause of the mold, whether it's water damage or high humidity.

At BioClean, we are mold inspection and remediation experts. We can start with a mold inspection. If it doesn't seem mold is present in your home, we can do air quality testing to find the source of the moldy smell. No matter whether you have mold in your home or another air quality issue, we can help you fix it. Contact us today for a free mold inspection.