How urgently should we treat mold and relocate?« Back to Previous Page

That is a situation that requires immediate and serious attention. Given the hidden growth and the symptoms your children are experiencing, you should treat this as urgent.

The combination of hidden growth, the size of the infestation, and the presence of respiratory symptoms means you should arrange for professional remediation within days, not weeks. For the health of your family, especially children, it is strongly recommended to relocate them—to another room if the mold is completely isolated, or out of the apartment entirely during the remediation process—until the issue is resolved. The process of removing such a large colony will disturb millions of spores, significantly degrading indoor air quality.

In the UAE's climate, this is a common but serious issue. The high humidity, especially in coastal areas like Sharjah, condenses on cooler surfaces like exterior walls hidden behind furniture. Year-round AC use can create cold spots that further promote condensation and mold growth if insulation or ventilation is inadequate. Do not attempt to clean this yourself with bleach or consumer sprays, as this will aerosolize the spores without addressing the root moisture problem and can make the situation worse.

A proper remediation involves identifying and correcting the source of moisture, physically removing the contaminated materials under containment, and verifying the air quality post-cleanup with testing. Any reputable provider should be able to explain their containment procedures, removal protocols, and how they will provide documented verification that the space is safe for reoccupancy.