Mold & Dust Mite Health Facts

1. Dust Mites & Mold Eat Organic Materials: That means any organic material at all. Dust, fabric, fiberglass resins and dyes, drywall, wallpaper, glue, paint, wood, or anything else is enough to keep it growing. As for dust mites, 1,000 of these critters can live in a single gram of dust, each one creating 20 waste pellets per day.
2. Mold Can Live In The Cold: Ever see mold in a refrigerator? Research shows that as long as the temperature is above 40 °F (4 °C), mold can grow and spread.
3. Mold & Dust Mites Grow Fast: Mold can begin to grow in a home in as little as 24-48 hours, with a billion mold spores growing on a single foot of drywall. A single female dust mite can lay upwards of 250 eggs in its three-month life span.
4. Mold Leads To Insurance Woes: Due to tens of thousands of mold-related lawsuits being filed, most general liability and property insurance companies now exclude mold insurance from their policies.
5. Mold Destroys Your Home: Professional Builder Magazine warns that mold will dramatically lower the value of your home. A home worth $250,000 can have $100,000 in mold problems. Mold can even lead to structural damage to your home!
6. Mold Spores Can Damage Your Health: Mold spore exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. Mold and dust mite waste is connected to allergies, asthma, and other breathing issues. Even dead mold spores can be damaging to your health.
7. Dust Mite Waste Is Highly Allergenic: 90% of patients show dermal reactivity to dust mite waste and 10% of the general population is also sensitive. Dust mite waste makes up 80-90% of the allergic component of house dust, containing 15 potent allergens that sensitize and trigger allergic reactions. In fact, American Family Physician states that "controlling dust mites is the most important thing you can do in your house to make your asthma and allergies better."
8. Mold & Dust Mites Are Sneaky: Mold can grow in fiberglass insulation, behind drywall panels, and behind wallpaper. Dust mites can live in furniture, cloth, and pillows. Just because you don't see a problem does not mean that one does not exist.

To Sum It Up: As Glenn Fellman, executive director of the Indoor Air Quality Association states, "If you are reacting to a problem because somebody's been sick, you've waited way too long to address indoor air quality." The best way to protect yourself is to prevent the mold or dust mite problem before it begins!