Got Mold?

So I got this very dear, concerned email from my mom about my last post. It seems that I kept her up all night with visions of moldy spores dancing in her head. In this email she warned of the serious respitory infections that we all could get from having black mold growing on our walls. In addition to my lungs, she was worried about my books and my yarn (she is a knitter and a reader as well as being my mom).

Isn't it funny that the lung thing wasn't what prompted me into action but rather the thought of SPORES reproducing on my books and yarn? Funny.

Not that I didn't believe my dear mom, of course I did. The lady is smart, BA chemistry, MA biology, plus, well, she's my mom. I asked Jeeves any way.

I found this helpful website "Got Mold? Frequently Asked Questions about Mold" from the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

Reading right along on this helpful site I got to the frequently asked question: "When is mold a problem?"

Excuse me, but when in mold NOT a problem?! I guess in cheese it isn't, anyway....

The office of environmental health and safelty said this: "You know you have mold when you smell the "musty" odor or see small black or white specks along your damp bathroom or basement walls."

Do you think they mean something like this?



or maybe this?



I think it's safe to say mold is a problem here.

Then I got to this FAQ: "Can I control mold growth in my home?"

Answer: "Yes you can. Dry out the House and fix any moisture problems in your home"

Obviously no one from the Office of Environmental Health and Safety has been to number 29 Regione Maberga. HA! "Dry out the house." HA. That's a good one.

Then I got to this part

FAQ: "What can I use to clean up mold?"

Answer: "Act fast! Mold damages your home as it grows. Clean it up as soon as possible."

Unfortunately, by this point I felt the urgency of the warning from the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (and of course you, too, mom). I filled a bucket with beach grabbed a rag and started wiping away all the "little black spots" I saw. For places that I couldn't reach, I soaked the rag and threw it at the spot, figuring that the beach would splatter the wall/ceiling in my targeted area. After having my studio no longer with the "musty" ordor but rather smelling like an indoor swimming pool, I came back down stairs.

That's when I read the rest of "What can I use to clean up mold?"


"Use protection -- Wear goggles, gloves, and breathing protection while working in the area. For large consolidated areas of mold growth, you should wear an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved particle mask.

Seal the area --Seal off area from the rest of your home. Cover heat registers or ventilation ducts/grills. Open a window before you start to clean up.

Remove items -- Remove all your furnishings to a mold-free area. Clean the surrounding moldy area then follow cleaning directions below for the items you removed and the new space.

Bag moldy trash -- Bag all moldy materials and tie off the top of the bag. Bring them outdoors and place in your garbage container right away.

Scrub surfaces -- First wash with a mild detergent solution, such as laundry detergent and warm water. Allow to dry. Last apply a borate-based detergent solution and don’t rinse. "


Ooops.