• Black mold definitely clashes with the wallpaper.bathroom image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  Molds are happiest in damp, warm areas where there is plenty of material to digest. The ceiling right above your bathroom shower, the wall behind your toilet tank, the edges where your bathroom linoleum meets the walls are all prime real estate for mold habitation. Molds are always present in any household, but when they begin to grow in colonies inside your house, they emit a concentration of spores into the air that can affect your family's health.
  
  

Stachybotrys Chartarum

• Stachybotrys chartarum is household mold that is greenish-black in appearance. It grows on and consumes such surfaces as drywall, ceiling tiles and wood when these materials are moist or water-soaked. Some, but not all, strains of Stachybotrys chartarum emit mycotoxins, those substances which can cause allergic reactions or illness when you and your family breathe them in. The problem is that there are no tests for finding out whether the mold of this type in your bathroom produces mycotoxins or not, so it's best not to play favorites but eradicate this mold whenever you see it. If you are not susceptible to allergies, scrub the mold away with soap and water or a commercial mold/mildew cleaner. If you are susceptible, ask someone who is not to do the dirty work.
  
  

Memnoniella

• You'll be happy, too, when the mold is gone.putzmann image by Ewe Degiampietro from Fotolia.com
  
  A closely-related cohort of Stachybotrys chartarum, memnoniella mold frequently grows nearby, sharing its buddy's preference for moist, woody surfaces. Memnoniella, like stachybotrys, is a mytosporic fungus which can make you ill if you breathe its concentrated spores. Distinctive in appearance microscopically, the memnoniella mold appears as chains of round, black dots. As with stachybotrys, approach the essential clean-up with caution.
  
  

Aspergillus

• Aspergillus is a group of mold that includes over 185 species, 20 of which can cause health problems for you and your family if you breathe a concentration of spores. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus produce aflatoxin, one of the dangerous mycotoxins. Aspergillus is one of the more dangerous household molds, on a par with stachybotrus and memnoniella. Possible effects from exposure include respiratory illness, rashes and brain damage. The aspergillus mold is most likely to show up in moist areas like your bathroom, but it can live in dry conditions, too.
  
  

Cladosporium

• Even if you think the mold is safe, wear protective gear just in case.rubber gloves image by AGphotographer from Fotolia.com
  
  This is one of the most common black molds you are likely to find in your bathroom area. Cladosporium is also the most frequent moldy suspect found by technicians collecting air samples inside and outside your house. The good news is that this strain of mold does not produce mycotoxins and in fact poses little danger to your family in terms of allergic reactions. The bad news is, like all of its friends and family, Cladosporium is ugly and you will want to eradicate it from your bathroom decor.