WEBVTT - What Are the Differences Between Mold and Mildew?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of I Heart Radio, Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff Lauren Vogel bond here. Many people use the

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<v Speaker 1>words mold and mildew interchangeably, but they're not the same thing.

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<v Speaker 1>To be fair, both are types of fungi, that is,

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<v Speaker 1>spore producing organisms in the same kingdom as mushrooms or yeast.

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<v Speaker 1>Fungi are fascinating because they grow pretty much like plants,

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<v Speaker 1>but they acquire nutrients and have kitan in their cell

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<v Speaker 1>walls like animals do. Mold and mildew are both filamentous fungi,

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<v Speaker 1>that is, multicellular fungi that grow in branching, tubular structures

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<v Speaker 1>that form a mass of intertwining strands. They crave especially damp,

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<v Speaker 1>moist conditions, and both can grow on things in your home,

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<v Speaker 1>but mildew is usually easier to get rid of, and

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<v Speaker 1>that goes to the heart of the differences between mold

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<v Speaker 1>and mildew. The spores of are everywhere all around us.

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<v Speaker 1>They're a necessary part of our world because these types

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<v Speaker 1>of fungi are what breakdown dead plant and animal matter

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<v Speaker 1>in our soil. But by the time you see mold

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<v Speaker 1>or mildew growing in your home, you're looking at a

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<v Speaker 1>colony of millions of cells. Mildew is mold and its

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<v Speaker 1>early stages of life, and typically grows fast. The spores

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<v Speaker 1>may arrive in your home via water, air, or insects.

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<v Speaker 1>Both mold and mildew prefer to grow on or in

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<v Speaker 1>a porous organic materials wood, paper, food, and some types

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<v Speaker 1>of insulation, carpet or clothing. They can also grow on

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<v Speaker 1>biofilms on top of less porous materials like plastic, glass

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<v Speaker 1>or tile. The biggest difference between mold and mildew is

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<v Speaker 1>on the surface. That's a little play on words, because

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<v Speaker 1>mildew only grows on the surface of materials like your shower, walls,

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<v Speaker 1>window sills, and other places where moisture tends to be high. Mold, however,

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<v Speaker 1>is penetrating fungi. It grows below the surface of whatever

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<v Speaker 1>it's attached to. So the powdery, fluffy stuff you see

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<v Speaker 1>on books and boxes in your basement, that's mildew. But

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<v Speaker 1>good news, it's only on the surface. If you find mildew,

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<v Speaker 1>you can clean it off so that it won't multiply

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<v Speaker 1>and grow to damage whatever it's on. Then you can

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<v Speaker 1>check the rooms of ventilation and maybe add a dehumidifier

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<v Speaker 1>to the space. Bathrooms should have an exhaust fan to

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<v Speaker 1>vent out warm moist air. Check the seals around windows

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<v Speaker 1>to prevent condensation. Mold is a different matter. It can

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<v Speaker 1>be fuzzy or slimy. As we mentioned before, it grows

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<v Speaker 1>on the surface of organic material and then penetrates it.

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<v Speaker 1>A Mold usually comes in shades of white, blue, green, brown, gray,

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<v Speaker 1>or black, and mold can be a problem when it

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<v Speaker 1>grows indoors. Over time, the material that's covered with mold

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<v Speaker 1>will become rotten, and that's why mold often causes straw

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<v Speaker 1>cctral damage to homes and belongings, a, leading to mold

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<v Speaker 1>remediation strategies and costly repairs. Mold can also cause serious

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<v Speaker 1>health problems. It produces compounds that can cause irritation to

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<v Speaker 1>the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, even in people who

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<v Speaker 1>aren't allergic to it, and mold allergies can cause everything

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<v Speaker 1>from sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash to

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<v Speaker 1>asthma attacks. And unlike mildew, which you can easily clean yourself,

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<v Speaker 1>the CDC says that cleaning up toxic mold is very

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<v Speaker 1>difficult and should be handled by qualified mold remediation professionals

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<v Speaker 1>certified by the National Environmental Health Association or the American

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<v Speaker 1>Industrial Hygiene Association. Though, of course, while it's certainly a menace,

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<v Speaker 1>if it's growing unchecked in your home, and not all

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<v Speaker 1>mold is bad, you might welcome some types and there

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<v Speaker 1>by products into your household. For example, the antibiotic penicillin,

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<v Speaker 1>which is extracted from mold, or cheeses like gorgonzola or brie,

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<v Speaker 1>both of which rely on mold to create their textures

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<v Speaker 1>and flavors. All of these are created thanks to mold

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<v Speaker 1>in the genus penicillium. Today's episode is based on the

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<v Speaker 1>article What's the difference between mold and mildew on how

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<v Speaker 1>stuff works dot com, written by Patty Resmusen. Brain Stuff

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<v Speaker 1>is production of iHeart Radio in partnership with how stuff

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<v Speaker 1>works dot Com, and it's produced by Tyler Clang. Four

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