The problem is, once mould takes hold, it's very difficult to get rid of and until you do, everybody's at risk.
Mould is like the unwanted house guest that always outstays its welcome. And wall and ceilings across the country are covered in dangerous spore zones, harbouring mould in homes and even supermarkets.
Kerry Lewis is suffering from nontuberculosis mycobacterium - a rare, debilitating lung disease she blames on household mould.
More stories from Today Tonight“I've seen a couple of doctors and one of them said in 35 years of medicine he's never seen this before, so it is a bit scary for me,” Lewis said.
“They've advised me not to come back to the house at all, so I'm not even supposed to be here now.”
Hundreds of thousands of Australians fall victim to mould related illness, serious allergic reactions, infections, and even toxic responses from the common airborne spores.
Tamara Hadden's home is also infested with mould.
Tips for mould prevention
“It's on me curtains and blinds, and on my furniture, under my kitchen table, and in my bathroom,” Hadden said. “I keep a tidy house, I used to clean for a living, so I know the health standards.
“It just keeps coming. Basically you know I shouldn't have to keep cleaning the mould every week or every couple of days.”
The single mother and her young family have been battling the outbreak in their housing commission property for the last two years.
She believes her and her children's health is at risk, and she's not alone.
Mould expert Leicester Chatfield from Germ Solutions says “if it is not a safe environment it is up to the owner, the employer or the landlord to ensure it is.
“I get a call a day from a property manager to deal with mould in a house, or apartment, or a flat, or a living dwelling,” Chatfield said, warning that “mould outbreaks are threatening healthy households.”
So are we fully aware of the dangers of mould?
Chatfield thinks we’re not. “I think we see mould and we think it is just a bit of dirt, but it is not. It is a living organism, and organisms can infect us and infect our lungs, and makes it a very dangerous place to live if we don't get rid of the mould in our houses.
“It can be from the timber in a new place, where the timber hasn't been dried properly, or it can be brought in, or the fault of poor ventilation - it is not necessarily a reflection of the hygiene standards of the person living there.”
Mould in the workplace can be not only dangerous but expensive for employers.
Employees like Regina Senger sued her employer for adverse health linked to contaminated work places.
In response to our investigation into mould infestation at the IGA Redbank, IGA tells us it is in the process of being removed.
Contact details- Germ Solutions - www.germsolutions.com
