Mold vs Mildew: What's The Difference and Why It Matters in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Brentwood, Franklin, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, TN, and the Surrounding Areas

Fungi in nature is a good thing as they help to break down organic material which provides nutrients for future generations of plants. However, fungi in your home in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Brentwood, Franklin, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, TN, and the surrounding areas is not a good thing, which is why when you see mold or mildew it is important to take action. At T.A.C.T. of Middle Tennessee we deal with a lot of mold issues because it is much harder to clean and can grow undetected for a while until, upon discovery, our team needs to come in to do the proper remediation. But what is the difference between mold and mildew, especially since they are both fungi? Generally, mildew only grows on the surface of the material that it is digesting, while mold can penetrate into the material. Mildew is also always flat, where mold can be raised above the surface of the material and often is fuzzy looking and feeling. Contact us to learn more about mold, mildew, and what to do for both.

What To Do About Mildew

Mildew can be found anywhere that is warm and moist, whether that is inside your home or outside the home. While the usual places in a home include bathrooms, floors, crawl spaces, and more, mildew can also grow in sheds, boats, and even on plants in your garden like tomatoes and squash. They will usually present as white or gray and will also be flat and never raised above the surface of what they are on. And there is good news about mildew.

Unlike mold which can penetrate the material it is eating, mildew only resides on the surface. This means that it is much easier to clean up with baking soda or white vinegar, and mildew doesn't typically cause lasting damage. However, when it comes to cleaning up mold, this is when you need to call in our professional team to properly remove and clean mold.

Mold Hides Where You Don't Think to Look

Under cabinets, in crawl spaces, and other areas where you typically will have no reason to look is where mold likes to hang out. Because of the invasive nature of mold compared to mildew, cleaning many materials isn't enough, those materials must be fully removed and replaced in order to prevent mold from coming back. Steps will also need to be taken to ensure that the conditions don't get recreated to allow mold to once again grow in the same area.

Knowing if you are dealing with mold or mildew in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Brentwood, Franklin, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, TN, and the surrounding areas can mean the difference in taking a few minutes to clean it yourself or calling in the heavy guns with T.A.C.T. of Middle Tennessee. When in doubt, call our team and we can help determine what you have on your property. Contact us any time and we'll be there to get things back to normal.