According to a study, 1 in every 4 Australian homes have visible mould and mildew issues.

But what exactly is mould and mildew?

Essentially, mould and mildew are microscopic organisms that exist naturally to help break down organic matter and to help regenerate the environment. This is fine for the outdoors but it's not so good inside our homes.

Mould comes in a variety of colours - black, brown, white or green and after a while gets thick and furry.

Mildew is simply mould in its early stages and is usually black, brown, orange, white or pink and may appear like dust. It is generally not as harmful to our health and is easier to deal with.

Inside our homes, mould grows in moist environments and will start to form on damp surfaces like ceilings, tiles, wood products, cardboard, kitchen surfaces, wallpaper, carpets, walls, fabrics, gyprock walls, and other organic materials.

Mould takes about 24-48 hours to grow on damp surfaces.  Unlike mildew, they create mould spores which are airborne and can land and start to colonise on other damp or moist surfaces, spreading like wildfire. Whilst this is bad news, the worst is that you might not even be able to see the mould with your own eyes.  One of the giveaways that mould is present is by smelling it. The odour can be described as earthly, rotten or stale cheese like.

The seriousness of mould is due to the heath issues it can create in our homes. Those mould spores that have settled are considered allergens and that can cause runny noses, sneezing, red eyes, rashes and in severe cases, lead to asthma attacks.

In the best case scenario, mould may be an irritant. In the worst case, it is toxic and harmful especially to those with compromised immune systems such as children or the elderly.

Mould can also destroy any surface that it settles on so it is imperative that mould be removed as soon as possible or else run the risk of having to throw out items that have been contaminated. That can end up as an expensive emergency.

This is why at the first sign or mould, it's best to call a Sydney mould removal company to have a mould inspection. Mould removal experts use protective gear, use specialty products, they can test for mould spores in the air and will know exactly how to eliminate the entire problem and not just what meets the eye.

Dead mould spores are just as infectious as the visible 'live' spores you can see in your bathroom or elsewhere in your home.

Hidden or invisible mould spores can cause real problems. Here are some lesser known facts about hidden spores:

• If there are visible spores then it means there are invisible ones that are being airborne.

• Airborne mould spores can be the cause of a number of mysterious health problems from sleeping difficulty to allergies.

• Wiping surfaces is only one step to removing serious mould problems in the home.  In fact spores can spread very fast from one room to another.

• Unfortunately bleach and other house hold products are not affective in removing mould as the membrane beneath the surface is still alive. Using the wrong cleaning agent can actually spread the mould even more.

• Whilst you may be able to remove some smaller mould problems yourself,  mould removal specialists like Mould Defense will not only leave your home mould free, they will so identify the cause of the outbreak and advise on future mould prevention.

We would definitely recommend that for any area of mould greater than 1 square meter, you should utilise a professional sydney mould removal service to stop the rapid spread.

If you need mould remediation then use a trusted Sydney mould removal company that will assess your problem, identify the seriousness of the affected area and comprehensively treat your home and restore it as a safe environment for you and your family.

Send an enquiry with our Sydney mould removal team or call us today on (02) 50161415 to schedule your next appointment.