What's the difference between mildew and mold?

[democracyindanger]

Seriously. Although snarky responses that kick the thread until I get an answer will be appreciated.

[RebelOne]

1. To my knowledge, mold and mildew are one and the same.

[Heddi]

2. basically the same thing, actually

www.m-w.com

Main Entry: 1mil·dew
Pronunciation: 'mil-"dü, -"dyü
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English meledEaw honeydew; akin to Old High German militou honeydew
1 a : a superficial usually whitish growth produced especially on organic matter or living plants by fungi (as of the families Erysiphaceae and Peronosporaceae) b : a fungus producing mildew
2 : a discoloration caused by fungi

Main Entry: 4mold
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English mowlde, perhaps alteration of mowle, from moulen to grow moldy, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse mygla to grow moldy
1 : a superficial often woolly growth produced especially on damp or decaying organic matter or on living organisms
2 : a fungus (as of the order Mucorales) that produces mold

[Heddi]

3. more info

http://www.aehf.com/articles/molds.html

Mold, mildew, and fungi are all terms generally used to describe a distinct group of organisms that appear as wooly or powdery growth. Although often used interchangeably, these terms, in fact, are not synonymous. Rather, mold and mildew (along with rusts, yeasts, and mushrooms) are different members of the fungus family. Although once considered a part of the plant kingdom, fungi are now regarded as a distinct kingdom of organisms.

Although distinctly different entities, mold and mildew are similar in structure. Mold grows on surfaces in masses of branching threads that resemble dense cobwebs, and individually these fertile threads can produce hundreds of thousands of spores in four to nine days. These spores then move about via air currents or by adhering to insects or animals or water. Although omnipresent and able to form new colonies wherever they land, spores of different mold species seem actually to be quite fussy about where they will and will not grow. The green mold that grows on an orange, for instance, will not grow on an apple or a damp carpet or in a human lung. Active mold can be any color, depending on its species and the substance on which it is growing.

[democracyindanger]

4. Interesting

Probably as unsafe to sleep in a bedroom with mildew as it is with mold, huh? Thanks.

[Heddi]

5. we have a horrid mold/mildew problem in our rental house

I suppose one of the great things about our house is that it's a 3 bedroom with a HUGE yard and only costs $535 a month (apartment rents start at $700 for a 1br).

The bad thing about the house is that it's been peicemealed together over the last 40 years and has no discernable insulation at all. During the winter, when it's wet and cold outside (and dry and warm inside), we have to demold the walls at least once a month, if not sooner. Our bedroom is COVERED. We try to keep it at bay, but the shit is inSIDE the walls...nothing we can do about that.

we *could* bring it up to our landlord (and force the whole black-mold thing), but we're on a month-to-month, and I'm afraid that rocking the boat would not be great for our living situation. Hopefully we're going to move into a better place next fall when I'm out of school and can afford the higher (read: normal) rent. Until then, it's bleach water and rags every few weeks.

Have you tried that MoistureRid stuff? You can get it at Target (it's with the cleaning supplies) and at Lowes. It's also called Painter's Dessicant, I think. They're little pellets you put in a bowl and they suck all the moisture out of the air. We've got TONS of them in the house, especially in the more mold-prone areas, and they've helped a bit (in the way that a finger in a dam can stop a deluge).

Good luck! I feel yer pain!

[democracyindanger]

6. yeah

I use the DampRid stuff in my bathroom (old building, no exhaust fan), but the mildew showed up in my bedroom after the heavy rains round these parts. Tilex mold/mildew remover made it disappear, but since it came from inside the walls I think it'll eventually be back.

I gotta move.