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Mildew

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mildew growth by lowering indoor temperatures. For them to be effective, air conditioners must recirculate the existing indoor air and not be exposed to warm, humid outside air. Some energy efficient air conditioners may cool a room so quickly that they do not have an opportunity to also effectively collect and drain significant ambient water vapour.
118:, usually with a flat growth habit. Molds can thrive on many organic materials, including clothing, leather, paper, and the ceilings, walls and floors of homes or offices with poor moisture control. Mildew can be cleaned using specialized mildew remover, or substances such as bleach (though they may discolour the surface). 213:
Air conditioners are one effective tool for removing moisture and heat from otherwise humid warm air. The coils of an air conditioner cause moisture in the air to condense on them, eventually losing this excess moisture through a drain and placing it back into the environment. They can also inhibit
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of 62–93%), and reasonable warmth (77–88 °F or 25–31 °C) is optimal. Still, some growth can occur anywhere between freezing and 95 °F (35 °C). Slightly acidic conditions are also preferred. At warmer temperatures, air can hold a greater volume of water; as air temperatures drop,
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With warmer temperatures, the water holding capacity of the air increases. This means that if the amount of water vapour in the warming air remains the same, the air will become drier (i.e. it has a lower relative humidity). This again inhibits fungal growth. However, warm, growth-favoring
135:. Colour alone is not always a reliable indicator of the species of mold. Proper identification requires a microbiologist or mycologist. Mold growth found on cellulose-based substrates or materials where moisture levels are high (90 per cent or greater) is often 166:
that adheres to these surfaces. Glass, plastic, and concrete provide no food for organic growth and as such cannot support mold or mildew growth alone without biofilm present. In places with stagnant air, such as basements, molds can produce a strong
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filaments) produced especially on living plants or organic matter such as wood, paper or leather. Both mold and mildew produce distinct offensive odours, and both have been identified as the cause of certain human ailments.
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so does the ability of air to hold moisture, which then tends to condense on cool surfaces. This can work to bring moisture onto surfaces where mildew is then likely to grow (such as an exterior wall).
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Mildew requires certain factors to develop. Without any one of these, it cannot reproduce and grow. The requirements are a food source (any organic material), sufficient ambient moisture (a
48:, largely by its colour: molds appear in shades of black, blue, red, and green, whereas mildew is white. It appears as a thin, superficial growth consisting of minute 196:
Preventing the growth of mildew therefore requires a balance between moisture and temperature. This can be achieved by minimizing the moisture available in the air.
146:. This species is commonly found indoors on wet materials containing cellulose, such as wallboard (drywall), jute, wicker, straw baskets, and other paper materials. 321: 274: 129:
There are many species of mold. The black mold which grows in attics, on window sills, and other places where moisture levels are moderate often is
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at or below 70 °F (21 °C) will inhibit growth, but only if the relative humidity is low enough to prevent water condensation (i.e., the
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does not, however, grow on plastic, vinyl, concrete, glass, ceramic tile, or metals. A variety of other mold species, such as
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Unidentified species of mildew growing on a plastic shower curtain (scale gradations = 1p 
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The pink "mildew" often found on plastic shower curtains and bathroom tile is a red yeast,
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temperatures coupled with high relative humidity will support mildew growth.
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Heritage Eaters – Insects & Fungi in Heritage Collections
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on leaves, formerly thought to distill from the air like
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The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
392:. University of Florida IFAS Extension. Archived from 114:
The term mildew is often used generically to refer to
221: 435: 183: 335:"Cleaning Mildew from Retractable Awnings" 94:), and later came to mean mold or fungus. 74:. It is also used more generally to mean 68:, or fungus-like organisms in the family 120: 101: 60:In horticulture, mildews are species of 20: 409: 436: 380: 378: 355: 97: 384: 245:Phase I environmental site assessment 324:, 1969, entry "mecnlit-" in Appendix 375: 309:Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary 13: 387:"How to prevent and remove mildew" 14: 460: 311:(11th ed.). 14 January 2024. 279:Compact Oxford English Dictionary 385:Peart, Virginia (October 2001). 224: 403: 349: 327: 315: 297: 267: 1: 416:. London: James & James. 260: 449:Plant pathogens and diseases 357:"What does mold smell like?" 7: 217: 10: 465: 410:Florian, Mary-Lou (1997). 86:(a substance secreted by 184:Environmental conditions 125:A mildew-infected plant 33:(right) on a grape leaf 138:Stachybotrys chartarum 126: 111: 34: 337:. Shade & Privacy 124: 105: 24: 98:Household varieties 363:. 19 February 2019 127: 112: 35: 29:(left) along with 399:on 19 March 2015. 255:Obligate parasite 206:is not reached). 190:relative humidity 456: 444:Building defects 428: 427: 407: 401: 400: 398: 391: 382: 373: 372: 370: 368: 353: 347: 346: 344: 342: 331: 325: 319: 313: 312: 301: 295: 294: 292: 290: 281:. Archived from 271: 234: 229: 228: 227: 200:Air temperatures 464: 463: 459: 458: 457: 455: 454: 453: 434: 433: 432: 431: 424: 408: 404: 396: 389: 383: 376: 366: 364: 354: 350: 340: 338: 333: 332: 328: 320: 316: 303: 302: 298: 288: 286: 285:on 8 March 2016 273: 272: 268: 263: 230: 225: 223: 220: 186: 100: 82:, mildew meant 71:Peronosporaceae 17: 12: 11: 5: 462: 452: 451: 446: 430: 429: 422: 402: 374: 348: 326: 314: 296: 265: 264: 262: 259: 258: 257: 252: 250:Powdery mildew 247: 242: 236: 235: 219: 216: 185: 182: 99: 96: 31:powdery mildew 16:Form of fungus 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 461: 450: 447: 445: 442: 441: 439: 425: 423:1-873936-49-4 419: 415: 414: 406: 395: 388: 381: 379: 362: 358: 352: 336: 330: 323: 318: 310: 306: 300: 284: 280: 276: 270: 266: 256: 253: 251: 248: 246: 243: 241: 238: 237: 233: 222: 215: 211: 207: 205: 201: 197: 194: 191: 181: 179: 178: 172: 170: 165: 161: 160: 155: 154: 149: 145: 141: 139: 134: 133: 123: 119: 117: 109: 104: 95: 93: 89: 85: 81: 77: 73: 72: 67: 64:in the order 63: 58: 55: 51: 47: 43: 40:is a form of 39: 32: 28: 23: 19: 412: 405: 394:the original 365:. Retrieved 360: 351: 341:15 September 339:. Retrieved 329: 317: 308: 299: 287:. Retrieved 283:the original 278: 269: 240:Downy mildew 232:Fungi portal 212: 208: 198: 195: 187: 175: 173: 157: 151: 148:S. chartarum 147: 144:S. chartarum 143: 136: 132:Cladosporium 130: 128: 113: 69: 59: 37: 36: 27:downy mildew 18: 177:Rhodotorula 169:musty odour 159:Aspergillus 153:Penicillium 116:mold growth 80:Old English 76:mold growth 66:Erysiphales 25:Example of 438:Categories 261:References 204:dew point 305:"Mildew" 289:2 August 275:"Mildew" 218:See also 84:honeydew 164:biofilm 420:  367:11 May 361:US EPA 88:aphids 62:fungus 54:fungal 50:hyphae 42:fungus 38:Mildew 397:(PDF) 390:(PDF) 78:. In 418:ISBN 369:2023 343:2014 291:2013 46:mold 156:or 92:dew 440:: 377:^ 359:. 307:. 277:. 180:. 171:. 108:μm 426:. 371:. 345:. 293:. 140:. 110:) 52:(

Index


downy mildew
powdery mildew
fungus
mold
hyphae
fungal
fungus
Erysiphales
Peronosporaceae
mold growth
Old English
honeydew
aphids
dew

μm
mold growth

Cladosporium
Stachybotrys chartarum
Penicillium
Aspergillus
biofilm
musty odour
Rhodotorula
relative humidity
Air temperatures
dew point
Fungi portal

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