Beware the 'Black Mold' Sales Pitch, 1-800-GOT-MOLD? Founder Advises

PRINCETON, N.J., April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Homeowners who have a mold problem don't need to know what kind of mold it is, but should focus their energy and money on discovering why the mold growth occurred, correcting the underlying cause and cleaning up the mold, says Jason Earle, CEO and founder of 1-800-GOT-MOLD? LLC.

It's common for mold inspectors and mold remediators to tout the dangers of "black mold" or "toxic mold," and often place great emphasis on identifying the type of mold involved in a customer's home, said Earle.

"Beware the black mold hype," Earle said. "It's a sales pitch based on fear, often accompanied by inferior abilities and practices on the part of the seller. Treat these hucksters the same as you would the character who knocks on your door and offers to seal your driveway or patch your roof."

The most important truth is: Indoor mold is unhealthy. Mold growth left unchecked will often get worse over time, and can make virtually anyone sick. How sick depends on the individual, and sometimes extent of the mold growth. Indoors, there is no good mold, except in the making of beer, wine, bread and some cheeses.

"Perhaps the most profane use of the 'black mold' term to generate sales is in the realm of cheap home mold test kits," Earle said. "One such kit in particular, which uses 'settling plates' to collect airborne mold, claims it can detect 'black mold.' The statement is utterly false, for several reasons." Those reasons are detailed in a comprehensive article posted at www.1800gotmold.com.

Millions of people in moldy environments suffer a broad spectrum of ailments, ranging from asthma, allergies and chronic sinusitis to brain fog, memory loss, chronic fatigue and other more serious conditions. In many cases, these symptoms disappear when mold is removed from their environment, or when they leave a mold-infested place.

Indoor air pollution is responsible for 50 percent of all illnesses worldwide, according to the Global Indoor Health Network, which attributed the statement to a US Environmental Protection Agency spokesman. Indoor mold growth is one of the most prevalent sources of indoor air pollution.

For more information, read the complete article at  http://www.1800gotmold.com/what_we_do/article.php?id=5 .

1-800-GOT-MOLD? provides residential mold inspections, mold testing and mold remediation consulting as a consumer service and in cooperation with health-care providers.

1-800-GOT-MOLD? is a subsidiary of Mycelium Holdings LLC.

Websites: http://www.myceliumholdings.com ; http://www.1800gotmold.com

Contact: Jason Earle, 800-468-6653 ext 102, [email protected]

SOURCE 1-800-GOT-MOLD?