In most cases, the bedroom is the room in our home where we spend the most time (unless we work at home) - we spend around a third of the day sleeping in this room. Of course, this also means that the indoor climate is particularly important there. It is not without reason that it is repeatedly pointed out that you should (of course not only) ventilate the bedroom well before going to bed. Accordingly, any pollutants in this room also affect our health and one of the most common problems is the dreaded mold. Permanent inhalation of mold sporesleads to allergiesand other serious illnesses, which is why it is important to act immediately if you discover or suspect mold in your bedroom. Invisible mold (for example, if it is hidden behind the cupboard or on the underside of the mattress) becomes noticeable when it starts to smell or has an impact on your health. What are the symptoms of mold in the bedroom? How can you identify mold? We summarize!
What causes mold in the bedroom? Due to excessive humidity and/or lack of ventilation. As already mentioned, mold is not always visible because it can spread in a variety of corners and on a variety of surfaces. The area between the cupboard and the wall, for example, is difficult to ventilate and the moisture that accumulates causes wall mold. The same applies to the bed - a moldy mattress is the result if it remains permanently damp. Hidden mold infestation is often noticeable through its smell. What does mold smell like? If the air in the room is musty and damp, even though the room has just been ventilated, it is probably mold in the bedroom. The most common variants are:
- Alternaria
- Aspergillus
- Cladosporium
- The playhouse
- Mucor
- Penicillium
Black mold, green mold… Are there more?
The different types of mushrooms develop different colors and pose different levels of danger. Accordingly, every kind of callsMold in the bedroom symptomsof different kinds. Black mold on the wall (shortness of breath, red eyes, allergies) or other areas poses a particularly high risk. Yellow mold is also anything but to be underestimated (although it rarely occurs, it releases metabolic toxins and can even lead to heart failure and liver cancer). Green mold is also often found on the wall,mostly in the bathroom. Although this is significantly less dangerous, it can still lead to illnesses (asthma, headaches, allergies, has a weakening effect on the immune system). Red mold occurs less frequently (diseases that usually affect the lungs,like asthmaor breathing problems), while white has the risk of being detected late due to its neutral color (sinusitis, skin irritation, joint pain, scratchy throat, bronchitis, cough).
If you don't act now, you will be damaging your health and sooner or later this will become noticeable through various symptoms. What are the symptoms of mold in the bedroom that the body gives?
Symptoms of mold in the bedroom – what signs does the body give?
Some people believe that the mold has only settled on one surface and is “only” spreading on that surface. But the dangerous thing is that the spores fly through the air and spread further in this way - and the mold also gets into the lungs. It's just this airborne mold that you breathe in for hours while you sleep. The higher the concentration, i.e. the amount of spores, and the longer you are exposed to it, the more serious the consequences of mold in the bedroom.
Mold infestation symptoms:
- Rash caused by mold
- general allergic reactions
- Respiratory diseases (cough, accompanied, among other things, by hoarseness; bronchitis; asthma and even pneumonia)
- Headaches and migraines
- Abdominal pain and nausea
- Sleep disorders that lead to problems concentrating and exhaustion
- burning eyes
- other infectious diseases and getting sick more often than usual
The side effects of mold in the bedroom are particularly serious for babies and young children, as well as immunocompromised or sick people in general. Mold spores in the air and any kind of symptoms as a result should therefore not be taken lightly!
What to do about mold on the wall and other areas
You should act at the latest when the mold in the bedroom causes symptoms of this type! But what can you do about mold? You can try to remove mold on the wall yourself in the early stages. You can find a few tips on thisin this article. Wallpaper and mattresses or other infected textiles must be disposed of. However, it is also important to find and eliminate the causes of mold in the bedroom beforehand. An expert can also help you with this. As long as the cause is not defects in the masonry or windows, make sure that:
- Sheregularly ventilate.
- the room temperature is appropriate and you heat sufficiently. A constant temperature of around 19 degrees is ideal.
- Do not place large furniture such as cupboards on outside walls. If there is no other option, leave a distance of 10 to 15 cm from the wall so that air can circulate well.
- Ventilate the mattress and bedding well every day. When you sleep, you produce about a liter of water through sweat and breathing. Before making the bed, ventilate the room so that the moisture that has arisen can evaporate and does not accumulate between the blanket and the mattress.
- Do not dry laundry in the bedroom.
- avoid or at least reduce the number of plants in the room.
- Check regularlythe humidity(between 40 and 60 percent in the bedroom).
If you live in a rented apartment and have determined that the cause of the mold infestation is not your fault, contact the landlord. If you have mold, you are required to report it to the health department if you are concerned about your health and the landlord does not take any action.
