Surprising Places Mold Can Be Hiding

After headlines about a popular children's teether being recalled when some parents found mold inside, it make us wonder. Where else can mold be hiding in your home?

To find out, a reporter on NBC's “Today" show invited a mold expert into his home. Although the house looked fine at first glance, the expert found these nasty spores in many places. For example: under the sink, where leaks combined with the dark quarters provide the perfect environment.The bathroom was another prime place, where the expert found mold on the bottom of shampoo bottles and even (ugh!) under the cap. Basically any moist place is at risk, which is why mold also flourishes around laundry machines and dishwashers.And there's good reason to root out this silent scourge: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mold can cause coughing, wheezing, and other respiratory problems. Some studies associate mold with the pervasive problem of asthma among kids.Only how do you know if the gunk you're seeing is actually mold? According to the "Today" show's housing expert, Lou Manfredini, you can buy a mold testing kit for $34, swab the questionable area, and then send the samples to a lab to get results. But experts also say that you don't need a test: If you can see mold or smell a musty odor, it's there!