Question about mold

[Tastee]

Recently I had a milk spill in my dorm room refridgerator. I cleaned it up after a week later of finding out it was there (was on spring break) and it still smelt to this day. I cleaned underneath the fridge as well.

But the smell still lingered. So my questions are: can the smell still be there but not necessarily the mold? I can't help but to think there is still mold where I can't get too and it's affecting my health. I am starting to believe it was damaged my lungs or something because I'm always short of breath..

It has been a month, could that be enough time for mold to damage my health???

[lofwyr]

Dangerous molds are relatively rare. And assuming you are not in your dorm room all that often, even if it were bad mold, I doubt very highly you have had enough exposure to do any damage what so ever.

Most molds are absolutely harmless, unless you have mild allergies to them.

Interestingly, my first symptom of anxiety was a shortness of breath. Drove me into a panic, ended up in the ER and in a spiral that lasted a month. That was 22 years ago, still here and doing well.

I am sure you are fine. Clean it with some Lysol, that stuff wipes mold out badly, if you are feeling risky doing it, wear a filter mask, and then poof, worry gone. =)

[eastofeden]

Recently I had a milk spill in my dorm room refridgerator. I cleaned it up after a week later of finding out it was there (was on spring break) and it still smelt to this day. I cleaned underneath the fridge as well.

But the smell still lingered. So my questions are: can the smell still be there but not necessarily the mold? I can't help but to think there is still mold where I can't get too and it's affecting my health. I am starting to believe it was damaged my lungs or something because I'm always short of breath..

It has been a month, could that be enough time for mold to damage my health???

Like the above said, the more dangerous molds are often from derelict buildings, rotten vegetation etc. it is very unlikely you have come into contact with such spores. also, the type of mold that grows on food, while not exactly beneficial, is nowhere near as dangerous the same kind of mold as say, aspergillus/black mold. also, the people who are at risk of getting sick from mold either have a deficiency in their immune system such as AIDS, or those taking the drugs that lower the immune system i.e. after organ transplants. and even then, their risk from fungal infections is still pretty low compared to the risk or viral/bacterial infections. so unless you have recently received a kidney, or have HIV, which I'm assuming you don't, you aren't at risk of the dangerous molds, let alone food derived molds.