Removing mods is not the drama it sounds. just add an A to the end of the folder name, then make a new mods folder. After all is sorted and no more errors appear, reverse the folder names again, the empty mods folder becomes modsz and the modsa gets that A dropped.
As to losing the world, that won't happen with game updates. You do however lose any mods or CC that might be in all the worlds temporarily. To avoid this I also use several similarly named save folders. I do the same when "plundering" the gallery, using customised mods, saves and tray folders, all completely empty so I get no dramas when using the gallery or when updating the game. Which, I only do After all the foolishness is over with.
I also never actually play the game online and never let it auto update, change those settings in the EA App when you go online before starting the game.
I hope this is clear enough to help you along to a smoother experience with this sometimes crusty game and its updates.