Removing mold from furniture, clothes, everywhere

[seamyb]

Does anybody have any good experiences with removing mold from the house? Any tips, pitfalls or stories?

I've just looked at some old coats that were hanging in my bedroom wardrobe and they are covered in mold. I have to treat everything as if it's contaminated - anything with obvious mold growing on it is getting thrown out but I want to wash the rest with something that will kill any mold, I just don't know what best to use.

I'm planning on using something like concrobium to spray my furniture and carpet - actually I'll probably buy about 5 bottles and then spray it everywhere.

I can't believe I've actually found mold. It's both horrifying and exciting to think I may have a new way to better my health.

 

[andyguitar]

Does anybody have any good experiences with removing mold from the house?

Getting rid of it is only half the battle. You need to stop it coming back. Good ventilation can help.

I'm planning on using something like concrobium to spray my furniture and carpet

Could you get rid of the carpets and do without having any?

 

[Woof!]

I'd strongly vote to get rid of all carpeting - you'll be amazed at the gross stuff that lives beneath it! Thoroughly wash your curtains (or treat yourself to new ones), and get a good dehumidifier and portable HEPA filter, too. (No filters with ozone - they're toxic and shouldn't be on the market; just check the FDA warnings on them)

Myself, I'd look into UV treatment of the house (note: everyone, including pets & fish must leave for UV to be used), before I'd spray toxic chemicals in my home. I'd be far too concerned about exposing myself and my critters to harmful chemicals.

 

[Judee]

I haven't tried this yet but I heard it recommended recently on YT. https://www.amazon.com/Vital-Oxide-...r=RZ4H1F3SEBKNBE519W14&qid=1629754636&sr=8-23

It's not supposed to have any fragrance in it but I'm guessing from the ingredients that it probably smells a bit like swimming pool.

I know they are also using hypochorite (not this product) in a lot of buildings now to help with disinfecting and that also has a swimming pool odor which I don't like.

The other recommendation on the YT video was this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009AN7Y2...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

That one I don't know as much about. I think for both of these you have to spray them on and leave them to dry in order for it to work.

I also use an oxyboost type cleaning in my laundry. You can find them fragrance free. However, I don't know if they will kill mold. They do definitely neutralize odors. I will do a bleach load where I put maybe two tablespoons of bleach and then an 1/8 cup of the oxy cleaner and that totally neutralizes the bleach smell for me. It's the only way I can run a bleach load. https://www.amazon.com/OxiClean-Ver...oxiclean+fragrance+free&qid=1629755091&sr=8-1

I would also try to run a dehumdifier if you can.

Hope you can find something.

 

[seamyb]

Some good advice folks, cheers.

I'll be getting rid of a lot of things. I suspect my contamination is from an old house and bringing clothes etc across. However, when I bought my house, the previous owner left us a lot of stuff for a small enough fee. Some of these things are mattresses, a sofa and other things. As this is the house I got sick in (but not the one with a very obvious and severe mold growth and water damage), I think I'll be getting all new everything. Just have to try and keep my job long enough to afford it!

Unfortunately a lot of stuff I was looking for is only available in the U.S. However, I looked at the ingredients of concrobium and I've bought them - sodium carbonate (washing soda), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and trisodium phosphate. I'm gonna try spraying carpets with this before I get them lifted. The carpets are upstairs and the dog isn't allowed up.

 

[Woof!]

@seamyb, the more you get rid of, the better you'll feel (just MHO). There is nothing like clearing out old stuff and replacing it with clean space, and hey, a good yard sale can bring in lots of extra cash.

Three decades ago, I had a brand new custom-build home with everything I ever dreamed of inside, a 30-acre horse farm, professional practice, and more, and in just two weeks' time I went from having a handle on all of it to not being able to walk up my driveway, not being able to brush my teeth and not being able to eat without assistance. All of a sudden, all of the things that were making me happy came together to become a huge anchor around my neck. At that point I couldn't sell everything off fast enough.

Only when I began living lightly, could I begin to heal, and my mantra became, "if it doesn't perform 3 functions, I don't need to own it, maintain it or store it." So many years later, this mantra still serves me well.

 

[lenora]

Hi @Dr. Lynne.....what do you think the cause of the mold is? We have our air ducts cleaned out, but to be honest, nothing is really collected (according to the men) and I can't say we feel better or worse because of it.

Making certain that the house is totally dust free brings about the biggest difference, also clean bed linens. Apart from that a lot of it comes from the weather (leaves & such) and what can you do about that?

I'm very much on guard against things like mold/mildew but I think a lot of the new products used in homes today (weather sealers and certain insulation) cause more problems than they help. A leaking roof is always going to cause problems, as you must know.....but it's very hard to pinpoint the reason in a relatively new home.

I must do more with my closet so I should adopt your mantra. Yours, Lenora.

 

[Woof!]

Hi @Dr. Lynne.....what do you think the cause of the mold is? We have our air ducts cleaned out, but to be honest, nothing is really collected (according to the men) and I can't say we feel better or worse because of it. Making certain that the house is totally dust free brings about the biggest difference, also clean bed linens. Apart from that a lot of it comes from the weather (leaves & such) and what can you do about that? I'm very much on guard against things like mold/mildew but I think a lot of the new products used in homes today (weather sealers and certain insulation) cause more problems than they help. A leaking roof is always going to cause problems, as you must know.....but it's very hard to pinpoint the reason in a relatively new home.

Hi @lenora! Is your new D-Core pillow helping at all?

Mold loves damp things. It also likes areas where cold and heat meet (like wooden window casings, which caused a huge problem in my new and probably-over-insulated home in NY), and it thrives in carpets, carpet padding, fabrics, couch cushion material, old shoes, leather goods, unused clothing...

To get rid of it requires "surgical" precision (complete with surgical masks or better, when you're cleaning out musty closets!). Cut out all the problem stuff and let air circulate to the area to keep mold from coming back. Good dehumidifiers and true HEPA filters are most helpful.

Since you mention air ducts... they can be a source of recurrent mold spores, and asking local HVAC companies about adding a UV filter to your HVAC system is worth doing if you're fighting a mold problem (and therefore, fighting for your health).

 

[lenora]

HI Lynne.....I'm still having mattress quandaries here. I swear it's the adjustable bed that makes everything more difficult. So I haven't bought the pillow until I get the mattress problem straightened out. The company was out of the pillow on the site you noted, so here I sit and wonder exactly what to do. I don't expect perfection....is there such a thing? However, some bit of comfort would be nice, though.

We do have and use a HEPA air filter (downstairs....two actually) and and a HEPA air filter on the heating and air conditioning units. (Upstairs and downstairs....the upstairs is generally off.)

That's a good thought about the furniture though and a good many of our carpets have been removed. I never thought of leather goods rotting, but of course they do. I do need to do a major cleaning of my closet....if my body ever decides what size it would like to be, but maybe I'd better not wait for that day.

I do know that old Christmas decorations make everything much worse, so they're a source of irritation. I think those days are now behind us as even our youngest grandchildren are now teens. Perhaps Rod & I are just allergic to each other. Thinking about it, I'm sure that mattresses themselves attract mold, don't they? All these sources of irritation. I hope your new pet site is coming along....it should be welcomed. Yours, Lenora.

 

[seamyb]

Perhaps Rod & I are just allergic to each othe

Is your SO sick with an ME-like illness too?

My fiance is! It's not exactly ME because she can go for a run and not experience PEM. But she's tired all the time, has terrible anxiety attacks, brain fog, muscle pain etc etc... But she has been putting this down to adenomyosis (a disease of the uterus).

Hope I'm not overstepping the mark here, but have any of the women here found that their illness has made their periods terrible or caused issues with the reproductive organs generally?

I'm really hoping I can sort the two of us out in one go lol

 

[Woof!]

Thinking about it, I'm sure that mattresses themselves attract mold, don't they?

One of the many good things about having a mattress covered with an anti-dustmite cover that is changed every 6-8 months is: my mattress is pristine. It looks brand new even tho' it is many years old. No chance of mold development.

 

[lenora]

HI @seamyb.....I'm long past the age of your girlfriend, but would be happy to answer your question. It's odd that your SO is able to run and not have PEM. It's possible for fatigue to be caused by other conditions including the one she has. Perhaps she should try walking.

No, it's not wrong to ask at all about female matters (so to speak). ME is often made worse by a period or, I'm sure any limitation of the reproductive organs. Endometriosis (which could be part of your girlfriend's condition) is especially painful for women even at the best of times. Does she recover from her running or is she generally run down all of the time? Exercise won't make her condition go away if that's the intent. Bloating accompanies periods and a lot of women hate that feeling (I'm not fond of it myself, although mine is now another reason).

Women (us) seem to be especially hard to diagnose b/c everything is put down to female problems. While it's true that we can/do suffer from them, that's hardly the only reason.

If she's working, is too much expected of her? Trying to find a specific pattern helps tremendously. Running may be jarring her body too much if she has structural problems (and many of us don't even know it).

I have a problem with anxiety myself and it goes back for at least 35 years. It finally reached a point where my neurologist placed me on the strongest of medication....at least he believed me, thankfully. We did try successful less potent drugs for a long time....an understanding Dr. is always good.

I hope she has a good GYN, and she should share that she is having anxiety. It's nasty in and of itself. Best wishes to both of you....Yours, Lenora.

 

[lenora]

One of the many good things about having a mattress covered with an anti-dustmite cover that is changed every 6-8 months is: my mattress is pristine. It looks brand new even tho' it is many years old. No chance of mold development.

Hi Lynne.....Were you able to get an anti-dustmite cover that didn't some form of plastic in the making of it? I'm having trouble in that regard...and am most definitely not a plastic user. (Although I can see that many hospitals are going to all plastic materials and yes, they make life easier and probably cleaner). Buy for home use, I'd rather remove a cover and wash it in hot, soapy water. Don't worry if you don't have a ready answer....I don't expect you do look anything up. Thanks! Yours, Lenora.