A lot of people have asked me what mold smells like. That’s not the easiest question to answer since everything smells a little different to each party concerned. Musty wet dog smell comes to mind but I have heard it described in many ways. Some examples are sweet lavender on wet newspaper, wet dirty socks, a wet mop, detergent mixed with weeds, stagnant rosewater (whatever that is), cilantro, and sweet with an undertone of smoke just to name a few. Whatever mold smells like to you, if it is in your home be cautious of the health hazards associated with mold.

Microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOC’s) are compounds that are produced by mold and rapidly released into the air. The fact that these mVOC’s have a very potent and rather unpleasant odor is usually how someone can tell there is a mold problem in the area. When exposed to these compounds, health issues like dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and nausea can crop up in otherwise healthy human beings.

Allergic reactions to mold are a common occurrence and can happen over a long extension of time or almost immediately. Symptoms like a rash, coughing, sneezing, running nose and bloodshot eyes have been known to occur.

Of course mold exposure can always be worse for the more sensitive but it has also been discovered that repeated exposures can cause almost anyone to become sensitive. Those who can be more severely affected are typically the elderly, infants, people with respiratory issues such as asthma, the already allergic, and those who have a weakened immune system such a transplant or chemotherapy patient. Mold can actually start to grow in the lungs of persons with a weakened immune system after inhalation of the spores.

Molds are also known to cause skin irritations such as athlete’s foot and dermatitis. Yeast infections can be another result of mold exposure.

If there are mold smells in your home and you suffer from any of the above, it is best to leave and have someone else investigate the odor. Even though not all molds produce toxins it is always in your better interest to have any indoor mold removed at the first indication that it may exist. If you smell it, it’s there somewhere. Find it and be prepared to eradicate it.