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Living in a house with smoke damage could be safe on a temporary basis, but it depends on the severity and type of smoke damage. If you have major smoke damage or soot present from a fire, you should relocate to keep you and your family safe. Breathing in soot can cause respiratory issues, and it can contain carcinogens, so move out until you get professional remediation done. Your insurance company may cover the cost for alternative housing while your professional works.

Any unexplained smell in your house should be investigated. However, some home odors are "red flag" worrisome because they pose immediate health and safety risks. Odors should be taken seriously when accompanied by headaches, nausea, or lightheadedness. If you smell an egg-like aroma, this is probably natural gas. You should leave the home immediately, and  contact your gas company.  

Seeing black dots around the air vents is alarming, but don’t worry. It’s probably just a build-up of soot and darkened dust. Soot is just a byproduct of burning organic materials, so it tends to form in the winter months.

The answer to whether it’s safe to use a moldy dishwasher is: It depends. Mold exposure affects people differently. It’s possible that even a small amount of mold in your dishwasher could contribute to respiratory issues and other health problems, especially if you have an underlying health condition. Mold is capable of surviving the high heat and detergent used in a dishwasher cycle, so it’s important to ensure that you act quickly at the first sign of mold, or contact a house cleaner near you to stay on top of any potential mold problems.