You can find different types of molds in nature. But among them, the orange mold stands out the most due to its distinctive orange color. The presence of this mold in your home can be a real nuisance as it can damage your property and negatively affect your lifestyle. And if you are a homeowner, you may want to learn about orange molds more.
Orange mold thrives in wet and humid conditions. You can usually find it on wooden surfaces, bathrooms, shower areas, foods, and on walls. It is relatively harmless compared to other types of molds. But it can cause damage to your property.
Here, through this homeowner’s guide to orange mold, I will try to explain how dangerous it is and how you can get rid of it. So, keep on reading to learn more on orange molds.
Types of Orange Mold
You can find four major types of orange molds in nature. Although the orange color is a common trait among these mold types, each one of them has a slightly different appearance. These types of orange mold are discussed below:
Acremonium
You can find this type of mold growing inside insulation and drywalls. Although acremonium mold is often orange in color, it can also be pink, white, or gray in appearance. It has a slow growth rate and can take five days to achieve maturity. It has a slimy and moist appearance. But as it ages, it becomes powdery or/and leathery.
Usually, Acremonium poses no threat to a healthy human. But it can cause fungal maxillary sinusitis in people with compromised immune systems. This mold can also cause eye and nail infections in people with weak immune systems.
Fuligo Septica
Fuligo septica is widely known as the “dog vomit slime mold”. You can find this type of mold outdoors on the ground and it has a yellow or orange appearance. That’s why people often think of it as dog vomit.
This mold has been known to trigger asthmatic symptoms in some people. Its spores can be allergies. But other than that, this mold is harmless to healthy individuals.
Aleuria Aurantia
Aleuria aurantia is also called the “Orange peel fungus”. It has a saucer or cup-like appearance that closely resembles a discarded orange peel.
This mold is harmless to healthy individuals and is edible without any negative side effects.
Trichia Varia
This mold is also called the “Orange slime mold” or the “Sludge mold”. This mold has a pure yellow or orange appearance.
You can find this mold in wet and decaying trees. It is harmless to the human body and often considered as just irritating because of its appearance.
Common Places You'll Find Orange Mold In
Down here, I’ve made a list of the common places you will find orange mold in your home. These include:
Bathroom and Shower
Orange molds thrive in wet, humid environments. And you will typically find it in your bathroom and shower. Its occurrence is more common if these areas are constantly exposed to hard water.
You can also find this mold in your toilet’s bowl if you do not flush properly. In that case, you might notice yellow stains developing in your toilet which indicates orange mold growth.
Wooden Surfaces
In the outdoors, orange molds can appear on the wooden surface, wood chip mulch, grass, or compost heap. They have a sludge-like appearance. Because of that, they are often mistaken as animal vomit or feces.
Such molds can also grow on the wooden structures in your house such as wooden floors, foundations, beams, etc.
Food and Dairy Products
Orange mold is commonly found in foods and dairy products such as cheese. In the case of bread or cheese, it can grow both inside and on the outside surface of the food item.
While this mold is usually harmless to a healthy individual, it is recommended to throw away moldy foods rather than eating them (even if you are eating around the affected area).
Walls
If a wall has a moisture or leakage problem, it can become an ideal habitat for orange molds. This mold can also grow behind the wall. As you won’t be able to notice you have a mold problem until the infestation becomes bigger and widespread.
Buildings in flood-prone areas or in someplace where the acidity level of the rain is high can have a frequent orange mold infestation.
Is Orange Mold Dangerous?
Health Hazard
Orange mold is considered harmless to a healthy individual. But for someone who is suffering from pre-existing health complications, this mold can pose a threat. It can also cause damage to your house and negatively affect your way of life.
Molds are in general harmful to humans. They can be highly poisonous and can cause long-term health complications. These are especially harmful to seniors, children, pregnant women, and people who are already suffering from various health issues.
In fact, molds are such a serious danger to human health that organizations like WHO (World Health Organization), CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) conducted scientific studies and found direct links between this poisonous substance and different health issues.
Here are some of the major health problems caused by mold exposure:
Although molds are in general regarded as a major health concern, most orange mold species pose little to almost no threat to a perfectly healthy individual. But for someone with a pre-existing condition, this type of mold can cause health problems. Besides health danger, orange mold also presents a danger to your home.
Cause damage to your home
It will destroy your house and negatively affect the resale value. Orange molds need to eat to live and grow. And your house is on its diet list. When it first appears in your home, it might seem like a small dot and for which you are most likely to ignore it. But with time, it will grow and when that happens, your house might need lots of repairs.
As orange mold eats away your home, if the infestation spreads to your property’s foundation, the damage can be severe. Who wants to live in a house with a damaged foundation? And if you decide to sell it, potential buyers are more likely to pass up a mold-infested house. Even if they decide to make the purchase, they will offer way lower than your asking price.
Overall Quality of Life
Orange mold infestation can also affect the quality of your life inside your home. For starters, orange molds are hideous and they smell really bad. Even if you have the most splendid interiors, this mold will throw away whatever beauty your house’s interior has. And as the disgusting smell from this mold will be lingering inside your home, you will never have a pleasant day.
Orange mold can grow inside the water lines and even in your water filter. And this can change the quality and taste of your home’s tap water.
How To Get Rid Of Orange Mold By Yourself?
On Bathroom, Shower and Walls
To get rid of orange mold from the bathroom, shower area, and walls use vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, or bleach solutions. For wooden surfaces, use vinegar solutions to remove mold.
Depending on where you identified this mold, there are multiple DIY ways to get rid of it. In case the orange mold infestation is in the toilet, you can get rid of it pretty easily. The toilet surface is non-porous. And on such a surface, molds cannot go inside. So, it only stays on the surface.
Use vinegar, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide solution for eliminating your fungus problem. Spray any one of these solutions to the affected areas and wait for 10 to 15 minutes for the solution to settle. After that, scrub the affected area thoroughly. Repeat the steps until you get rid of all the molds in your toilet.
On Water Filter
If you notice orange mold growth in your water filter, changing it is the best course of action. Using oxidizing filters can help with preventing the mold problem. Also, Change your water filters on schedule.
On Food Items
In case, you find any food contaminated by molds, discard it and clean your refrigerators inside surfaces using hydrogen peroxide, bleach, or vinegar solutions using the same methods as before.
On Wood
For removing orange mold from wood, take the wooden piece outside of your house if you can. The reason behind that is it will keep your home safe from mold spores during the cleaning process. Also, keeping the wooden piece outside will allow the moisture to evaporate faster.
Use vinegar solution for removing mold from wood. Mix equal amounts of vinegar and water and spray the solution to the affected area and give it some time to settle. After that, wipe it off with a cloth or towel. Repeat the steps until you get rid of all the mold. Then dry the wood properly before starting to use it again. Otherwise, there is a chance the mold will reappear.
On Walls
To get rid of orange mold infestation from walls, use hydrogen peroxide solution. Mix three-part water with one part hydrogen peroxide and spray it on the affected wall. You can also use vinegar solution in that case. But these solutions will only work in the case of smaller infestations.
For bigger infestations, add borax to the vinegar solution. You can also try to mix bleach with hydrogen peroxide solution to get better results.
One thing to keep in mind, wear a gas mask, gloves, and goggles during the entire orange mold extermination process. This is very important as these protective gears will keep you safe from potential harm.
How To Prevent Orange Mold?
To prevent orange mold infestation, keep your shower and bathroom area as dry as possible, flush properly, and clear your fridge regularly. Use a water softener if your home’s water has higher mineral content. Also, fix any sort of damage to prevent moisture from entering your house.
In this section, I’m going to discuss further on how you can prevent orange mold from occurring on your property.
Keep Your Shower and Bathroom Area Dry
Molds love wet, humid conditions. And that’s why showers and bathrooms are the perfect places for mold infestation. Because of that, you need to clean these areas regularly. Don’t assume these areas are clean just because you take a bath there. Keep in mind, orange molds love shampoo and soap residue.
I know keeping the bathroom and shower area dry all the time is virtually impossible. But ensuring proper ventilation and installing a fan can help you a lot in this matter.
Flush Your Toilet Properly
The toilet is another area where you can find orange molds quite often, especially inside the toilet bowl. Bathroom water is full of bacteria and other microorganisms. If you do not flush your toilet properly, you will notice a yellowish stain developed inside its bowl. This stain indicates the growth of orange mold.
Don’t let bacteria accumulate inside the toilet. Flush properly and fill your toilet with fresher water.
Use a Water Softener
Orange molds are more common in showers and bathrooms that are exposed to hard water i.e, water that has higher mineral content. In that case, use water softeners such as a polyphosphate system to soften it a bit.
You can also make use of an oxidizing filter in that case. This can also help you prevent the orange mold problem.
Clean the Fridge at Regular Intervals
As mentioned before, orange mold loves a wet, moist environment. And a refrigerator is the perfect environment for that. This is why you will notice this mold grow in the food kept inside a refrigerator.
To prevent mold growth inside your fridge, clean it regularly to stop any sort of mold infestation. If you notice any moldy food in your refrigerator, remove all the food items and throw out the contaminated food immediately. Then clean the inside of the fridge thoroughly before putting them back. This will prevent mold from spreading to other food items.
Repair Damages to Your House
And damages to your house serve as an entry point for moisture content. And orange molds love moisture. Although this mold is not regarded as dangerous as some other types of mold, it can still cause damage to your house. That’s why you need to take all the necessary measures to prevent any sort of mold infestation.
When To Contact A Professional?
You should call for a professional mold removal company if the mold affected area is 10 square feet or more. For removing molds from your HVAC system, you should always seek professional help.
You can use DIY methods for mold removal. But there are certain times when you should seek professional help. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) prohibits attempting to remove mold yourself if the infestation is too large.
Almost certainly, no home remedy is going to be effective at removing extreme mold cases. You may try and feel like you did a good job. But if even a few spores somehow survive, your issue will just return. The worse thing is, your attempt may actually spread the mold to your neighbors as well.
Get Quotes From Price Competitive Mold Removal Professionals
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How Much Does Professional Mold Removal Cost?
Professional mold removal and remediation can cost you 500 to 6,000 USD on average. And if the problem is severe, this cost can soar into tens of thousands of dollars.
The whole professional mold removal and remediate process starts with you hiring a professional mold investigator.
$500
As low as
If you find mold growing on trim, drywall, or wooden surfaces, and if the affected area is more than ten square feet, that’s when you should hire a mold investigator to discover the root of the problem and how far the problem has spread.
After completing the inspection, the mold inspector will recommend you to a reliable and reputed professional mold removal company or give you a DIY solution if possible.
Inspection
Hiring such an inspector will cost you around 200 to 500 USD on average. And the entire investigation will take around two to five hours.
Testing
During the inspection, the investigator will take air samples or/and open up walls to find mold if needed and then send the samples to a lab for analysis. Depending on the lab, testing each sample can cost you around 30 to 150 USD.
Removal & Remediation
Next comes the removal and remediation work. Mold remediation professionals will start their work to solve your problem. And this can take from a few days to several weeks depending on the severity of the infestation. If you are sensitive or allergic to mold, you might want to live someplace other than your home during this time.
The cost of mold removal and remediation will vary depending on the severity of the problem. However, removing mold from crawl spaces only will cost you around 500 to 4,000 USD on average. If mold is present in your home’s crawl spaces, ducts, attic, and walls, it might cost you about 2,000 to 6,000 USD.
And if the mold infestation causes widespread structural damage to your home, the cost of removal and repair can be between 10,000 to 30,000 USD or more.
Get no obligation, free estimates from HomeAdvisor top-rated professionals. We find their network of price competitive contractors typically has the best quotes and service.
Conclusion
Although orange molds are not considered as dangerous as some other types of molds, they are still a danger to your house and quality of living. Take all the preventive measures that I’ve mentioned above to make your home’s environment non-ideal for orange molds. Also, if you notice any mold in your property, immediately take action to solve the problem.
Hopefully, through this homeowner’s guide to orange mold, I was of some help to you. Stay safe and thanks for stopping by!
If I clean my walls that have orange mold with the hydrogen peroxide/ vinegar solution, will the mold come right back?
It depends on how bad the mold infestation is. Usually it will kill most of it, but in a few months it will grow back.
Great DIY information , I noticed orange in the toilet & sink at my daughter’s house. When they installed a new toilet there was spots of black mold on the wall behind the tank. She rents her place & they told her to wash it with bleach, I don’t believe she should have done that? Concerned about the health of herself & 2 small sons. She believes the property manager that it’s harmless mold & don’t believe them. Shouldn’t they have a professional check the air quality?
A little like that in a bathroom realistically isn’t going to do any harm. If you push the landlord though they might be obligated to replace the drywall.