April 11, 2002
If you've been feeling sick or your allergies have been kicking up, the culprit might be mold growing in your house!
Mold is becoming a huge problem all across the country.
Keith McCord reports a lot of Utah homes have it, and it needs to be cleaned up!
Workers from Utah Disaster Kleenup are used to cleaning up messes caused by fires, or broken pipes.
Today, they're trying to rid this home of mold! It showed up in the downstairs bathroom.
Michael Duke/Microbial Remediation Supervisor: "WHAT CAUSED THIS WAS A CHRONIC LEAK IN THE SHOWER. AND THEN WE HAD THE MATERIALS REMAINING WET FOR AN AMOUNT OF TIME, AND THE MOLD WAS ABLE TO GET A FOOTHOLD AND WAS ABLE TO PROPAGATE."
Mold grows as a result of moisture. We often see it in showers or around bathtubs.
But in extreme cases, like this one, the stuff can get out of control. So these workers are tearing out portions of the drywall, studs and tiles.
The problem with mold are the microscopic spores it produces. These spores float through the air and at times, can make people sick!
They can stir up allergies, make your eyes itch, and even cause infections.
There have been rare instances of serious health problems. Most recently, this week's lawsuit filed by entertainer Ed McMahon.
He's suing for 20-million dollars, because of mold in his Beverly Hills manison. He claims the mold made he and his wife seriously ill, and caused the death of their dog.
Utah Disaster Kleenup has noticed an increase in mold problems during the past couple of years. High profile cases like the McHahon's have increased awareness, though most cases of household mold are not nearly as dangerous.
What's the solution? Keep things dry!
Michael Duke/Microbial Remediation Supervisor: "LOOK AROUND THE TOILET. DO YOU HAVE ANY DRIPPINGS, ANY LEAKING? IS THERE DISCOLORATION IN THE LINOLEUM? AROUND A SHOWER AS WELL. ARE THE WALLS GOOD? ARE THEY SOFT AT THE BOTTOM? PAY SOME ATTENTION TO IT. DO REGULAR MAINTENENTCE IN THE HOME, AND IT WON'T BE A PROBLEM."
And, if you do that, you won't have to go through anything like this!
Keith McCord, Eyewitness News, Salt Lake City.
