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Post by papermoon on Aug 20, 2014 20:02:33 GMT -5
gottaproblem, if you have asthma, I don't think Glade or other chemical fresheners would be healthy for your condition. As misssue says, you have to find the source of the dampness that is causing the mold. The musty odor won't go away until you find and fix the source of dampness. That's the only way to help your asthma from getting worse.
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Post by dayeanu on Aug 20, 2014 20:46:16 GMT -5
gottaproblem, if you have asthma, I don't think Glade or other chemical fresheners would be healthy for your condition. As misssue says, you have to find the source of the dampness that is causing the mold. The musty odor won't go away until you find and fix the source of dampness. That's the only way to help your asthma from getting worse. Glade and other such "air fresheners" can kill pet birds. I think they are not so great for people, either. I searched. The following products kill mold: (not in any order of effectiveness) White vinegar Bleach Borax Ammonia Hydrogen peroxide Baking soda Tea tree oil Grapefruit seed extract
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Post by lostchild on Aug 20, 2014 20:49:57 GMT -5
Tea tree oil is great and simmering apple slices and cinnamon sicks in a pot of water on stove is nice freshener for air.
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Post by Unswamping on Aug 20, 2014 22:51:22 GMT -5
gottaproblem i think everyone saying that you need to find the cause of the mold is really good advice. I know that this is hard for you. I am wondering, in trying to pinpoint the source, is the smell just from things youve washed or is it wide spread. Of course, if your clothes seem musty the smell will spread to any room you put them in. I understand youre not comfortable having someone in the house. Do you have some one you trust that you could bring a few items to to see if they smell? Maybe one item from each room? To help pinpoint the source. If it is just your clothes, i wonder if it is your washer. I had a really bad problem like you described. My washer was in my basement and i used to keep the lid closed. Between the high humidity in the basement and the lack of air circulation inside the washer, i developed mold in the washer. Every time i rewashed something, it just made the smell worse. I dont know if this is a possibility for you. I ran the washer empty a few times with just bleach, letting it soak and then run through the cycle. Now i always leave the washer lid open when its not in use. That helps too with not forgetting to take clothes out of the washer. If the lid is down and the washer isnt running, i must have left clothes in there. Air circulation is important for drying clothes. I think the fan is a good idea. Since the window looks out onto the driveway, is it possible for you to open it from the top. It know sometimes windows have a fixed top pane. Ive found when privacy is an issue, that opening the top pane a few inches helps with air circulation while maintaining privacy, im a big fan of privacy film and frosted glass for bathroom windows. Ive also put louvered shutters inside on the bottom pane only. This way i could open the window, close the shutters and adjust the louvers for air circulation. I am hoping that this is something as simple for you as just the washer is musty.
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Post by gottaproblem on Aug 21, 2014 12:07:40 GMT -5
Thank you everyone for all of the wonderful suggestions. It is the whole condo. When I went on my trips I could smell it on my luggage and clothes once I was in the hotel. Swampedbystuff: I do not have any windows in my bathroom. It is aa that has a window that overlooks her driveway. I have set up a fan in the bathroom, as the one in the ceiling does not work. I bought borax and vinegar last night. When I am home I am opening the windows. Last night was the first night that I did not cough during the night, but here at work as I was starting to write this I had a coughing fit. I appreciate all of your suggestions and I am continuing to work on this when I am at home. It will take awhile as I have slipped into a little bit of squalor recently. It is a continuous battle.
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Post by papermoon on Aug 21, 2014 15:52:07 GMT -5
gottaproblem ~ In the hardware store yesterday, I noticed that they sell mold detection kits for $12. Maybe something like that would help you find the hidden source of dampness.
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Post by shrewprincess on Aug 21, 2014 17:00:24 GMT -5
One of my first nasty surprises when I moved to a more humid climate was that in the winter the difference in temperature between inside and outside made a lot of condensation on my exterior walls. That caused visible mold to grow behind any furniture I had against those walls. It was a mess. I used an enzyme cleaner called Nature's Miracle, which seemed to take care of it pretty thoroughly. It grows back every winter though, I think a dehumidifier may be in my future too.
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Post by lostchild on Aug 21, 2014 18:07:10 GMT -5
Try drying your house out. Seek out all sources of water and dry them up. Run fans constantly because that will help water evaporate. I had mold problem with leak in roof and when it got 92 degrees and no humididty no more mold. You may have the mold behind your drywall so get the detector and go searching. It will be okay.
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Post by gottaproblem on Aug 26, 2014 15:03:16 GMT -5
Thank you everyone. I have been opening the windows and running fans. I bought white vinegar and borax for cleaning. I put those containers out that draw moisture. In cleaning out my room I found a piece of flattened cardboard that looks like it is one of the causes. I have been removing bags of stuff. Throwing out many items. I will check behind the furniture as in the past I have found some walls at my other house would grow mold. The clothes washer is a front loader and I have been leaving the door open between loads to give it an airing out.
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Post by sunshineshouse on Aug 26, 2014 16:57:48 GMT -5
Hi gottaproblem,
Yay for finding some possible sources of the issue : ) You found cardboard that is musty or moldy but can you determine why it got that way? Normally cardboard would stay as it is (not like a piece of fruit where it would readily mold), so I am wondering if it was exposed to moisture that you are aware of, such as a bottle of water leaking onto it or something. Or was it against a wall or on the floor, something that you can use to further pinpoint a source. You don't say what floor you are on. Did you say if you have carpet? Well, just thinking that if you have carpet on a slab foundation and you are in a shady area, any moisture under the carpet can definitely cause that musty moldy smell. Also check out the back wall (well all of them really) and floor of your closets.
Yes, fans are the way to go and as much circulation as you can get. Just think of the conditions mold spores like: dark, still, moist, warm and go the opposite way.
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Post by moonglow on Aug 27, 2014 5:01:29 GMT -5
EXCELLENT work gottaproblem!! Another thing to consider, I don't remember if anyone else has mentioned it. You can wear a mask while cleaning and that will help your asthma immensely. They cost a little more but I really like the N-95 face masks, I think they fit your face better and they have a finer filter so they filter out smaller particles. You can find them at W-mart, K-Mart, Target, any of those stores I think. Often in the hardware or painting departments. They have been a great help to me (and my asthma) when cleaning, doing kitty litter, etc. Again, great job and keep that forward movement going!
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Post by lucie on Aug 27, 2014 5:53:20 GMT -5
I second the dehumidifier, It worked wonders in my basement. Also I just read a way of removing the musty odor from books - you are supposed to put them in a plastic bag with some cat litter. So you could try to put a bowl of a clean cat litter in your wardrobe and see what happens.
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Post by ohblondie on Aug 27, 2014 8:32:34 GMT -5
DEHUMIDIFIER!!!!! Also, there is some kind of charcoal you can purchase (not the charcoal used in cookouts)that helps absorb the nusty odor. I have heard peoplke talk about putting the charcoal and a musty book in a bin and the charcoal absorbed the odor and make the book better. I think it is activated charcoal? Used in fish filters?
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Aug 27, 2014 10:18:46 GMT -5
Thank you everyone for all of the wonderful suggestions. It is the whole condo. It is quite possibly *inside* the walls. Really, this happens. Moisture gets trapped between the inner and outer wall of a room ... or even inside the wall between two rooms, and then mold grows on that hidden side of the sheetrock. Removing the sheetrock from one wall at a time ... may reveal hidden mold. Messy, expensive, but worth it.
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Aug 27, 2014 10:23:34 GMT -5
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