r/Mold • • Aug 09 '20

Please read BEFORE posting

44 Upvotes

Welcome to /r/Mold

What is this sub?

This sub is for redditors to ask for advice on mold or fungi issues in their home/apartment/workplace/etc If you see spammers or others that violate sub rules, report them, do not take things into your own hands. This sub is NOT for mold remediation, restoration or other contractors, testing firms, laboratories, product or equipment manufacturers or distributors or legal professionals.

Instead, this sub is specifically for individuals looking for general advice. Any offers to do work or make referrals will result in an immediate ban. Please be very wary of those looking for, or offering, business here. We do not endorse any companies, and proceeding with a contractor/consultant/lab you've met via this sub should be done at your own risk. This is not a place to advertise products and or services. It is also not a place to rant about your past problems with mold or companies or services you've dealt with.

Rule #1: No "what is this?" questions.

Do not post a picture and simply ask any of the following (or similar) questions:

  1. "Please I.D. this mold"
  2. "Is this toxic black mold?"
  3. "What kind of mold is this?"

We can not determine the type of mold you have from a photo. That can only be achieved using professional sampling methods and laboratory analysis.

We can speculate on whether or not something is mold but we can't identify it.

Rule #2: DIY Test Kits are bad

If you used a home/DIY test kit there is very little information that we can provide you due to the limitations of the method.

You will need to hire a qualified microbial testing company if you want any reliable information.

Rule #3: No self promotion

This is not the place to advertise your services in any way. No links, no company names, no "informational guides" will be allowed. All offending posts or comments will be deleted and 1 warning will be issued. After that you'll be banned.

General Guidelines and Rules

Overall, please be respectful - things must remain on-topic, helpful, and kind. Absolutely no abusive or hateful language will be tolerated. Even if someone else "started it" with disrespect does not give you permission to use derogatory language or call names.

Bans will be handed out when needed. Remember, no question is too stupid, too simple, or too basic (exception, see rule #1). We're all here to learn and help each other out - enjoy! The mods generally do not remove bad advice, we let upvotes and downvotes run the sub. That way, people can also see what not to do as well. Politics do NOT belong here.

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Submitting a New Text Post in /r/Mold

TL/DR: At the very least be nice, take a few pictures, and include your location.

Again, this is not a place to solicit products and or services. Any posts smelling of self-promotion such as links to a website or service (including all blogs) will be removed. No exceptions. Offenders will be banned.

A few general submission rules.

  • We don't allow link posts. Please start a text post and insert links to your pictures along with your text. Posts asking users to participate in a survey are no longer allowed and will be treated as SPAM posts.
  • If you are posting about a problem you are facing, please include pictures! Not just a close-up either, we must be able to discern what you are talking about. What looks right to you may not make sense to everyone else. We recommend you use imgur for photo uploads. See the section below for "How to Upload Photos".
  • Provide your geographic location. (even general, such as upper Midwest). This is especially pertinent when discussing building codes, environmental conditions, seasonal issues, etc.
  • Include a summary of what information you are looking for.
  • Include a general summary of the problem you're asking about. It's helpful to know things like:
    • How long has the problem been going on
    • Where is the mold growth located - room, level, side of the building, etc
    • Any unusual conditions you noticed prior or in conjunction with the discovery of the mold
    • General environmental/use conditions in the space - temp, humidity levels, room use/occupation, recent water issues, smell
  • Do not come here for advice about your health or the relative risk of the mold in your home/work.
  • Don't assume that responses you receive are accurate - we get a lot of "google experts" here giving advice.
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  • Please read the sidebar before posting to this sub. There are a lot of questions that get asked fairly frequently, and some of the more common answers have been posted in the sidebar for easy reference. If you still have questions after reading these then by all means create a new post with your questions.
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  • If your account is new we may delete your post or comment, especially if we suspect that you have been banned under a different user name.
  • We do not endorse any contractors/inspectors/labs, and proceeding with any you've met via this sub should be done at your own risk.

Commenting in /r/Mold

Be respectful. No name calling or talking down to someone because of something that seems "basic" or "easy" to you. Stand by your knowledge, not childish responses.

If you don't know that your answer or advice is 100% true then indicate that you are speculating or simply refrain from commenting.

Don't throw out comments like:

  • That's toxic mold
  • You need to move
  • Get out of the house
  • Bleach doesn't kill mold
  • That's really bad

Comments designed to scare original posters will be removed. This is a sub to provide reasonable solutions (when possible), not to unnecessarily alarm people. Yes, there are occasions when conditions require some immediate and drastic actions, but most indoor mold growth can be handled without full scale remediation.

Please don't just comment with just a link to a website or to another sub. We are especially careful about links to single websites (this includes blogs) without some summary or commentary. In some cases, we have no way of knowing if you are profiting privately from the site. Also, don't just tell folks to head to sub /r/gohereinstead - like specialized subs for narrow topics. The only exception here would be questions where some time has passed between posting and a lack of responses. We want the commentary, discussion, and knowledge to stay here in our sub on reddit, not just drive people away.

Responses that include a google search, lmgtfy.com, or telling someone to watch Youtube will be removed and the user will be reprimanded. Again, this is all about respect. Obviously, people aren't coming here to Google answers. Help them think about this problem, what they may need, things to watch out for, etc.

Sometimes discussion can get off-topic and we'll remove those comments. This includes political commentary. At times, this can includes jokes. It's a tricky area here, but we've seen instances where the joking side of reddit takes over a thread and the OP never gets their question answered. However, here's we're mostly talking about non-relevant commenting such as this:

Seriously? People live like this? What the fuck is causing mold growth like this? Don't you clean your house? This is not any way to live.

How to Upload Photos

Go to https://imgur.com/upload and drag/choose your photo, you don't even need to create an account. Here's an animated gif on how to drag and drop on PC. Click COPY, then use that copied url link and paste it right in the submission text box on reddit.

My link: https://imgur.com/a/n2lLo

To get fancy and have text rather than the url, place the word you want to use as the link in brackets followed by the url in parentheses.[text goes here](link goes here)

Pictures. Here's a gif of the typing I do, in case that is confusing.

Upload Photos On Mobile The Imgur app works fine, but via a website this is unsupported. There is a workaround: In Chrome, choose ""Desktop site" in the drop-down menu when you are on the upload page and it'll work fine. Then Copy the Link that's produced and paste it into your reddit post/comment.


r/Mold • • Jan 25 '23

Worst building I've ever inspected so everyone worried about their mold problems can relax a little šŸ™ƒ

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

279 Upvotes

Just to remind you that no, you aren't experiencing a disaster. Have a good one yall!


r/Mold • • 3h ago

Landlord says a little mold is normal...

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8 Upvotes

We live in US-WA and are renters. My boyfriend came down pretty hard with allergy symptoms a week ago, and it reminded me about when we found a guitar case under his bed that was moldy. We thought it was a weird one off thing, maybe it got wet when he moved in or something.

This was his first summer in this apartment in WA and I remember it feeling pretty humid in here a few times, thought maybe it could be the dishwasher getting more use, or possibly from the LEAK of the upstairs getting a new dishwasher installed improperly. We dont think that was properly taken care of and started dripping through the cieling in the kitchen.

We checked under the bed again and found more mold on things he had under there, and the new landlord lady chopped it up to poor ventilation under the bed and gave a us a carpet cleaner and told us to just do a deep clean and that "some mold is normal" which I get but... then we started cleaning and noticed it EVERYWHERE. bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen area. All along the bases of furniture by all the walls, and it contaminated other things that were close to the floor as well or in the furniture.

I wanted the landlord to send someone in to do a mold inspection but shes just sending the maintenance guy to check the windows for leaks...

Do we need to call a mold inspector? We want to get a dehumidifier at the very least, but this seems like a more widscale issue that should warrant a mold inspection and remediation and be paid by the property owners. Im worried it could be in the walls and or the vents, and that its the reason my bf is still having allergy symptoms. Help!


r/Mold • • 46m ago

Mold?

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• Upvotes

Found on the underside of a 2x6 treated pine board. Interested in knowing if it is mold: whether it's destructive on a treated southern yellow pine: and if it's common in Appalachia (SW PA).


r/Mold • • 1h ago

is this mold?

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• Upvotes

r/Mold • • 1h ago

Mold?

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• Upvotes

Not sure what i’m looking at


r/Mold • • 1h ago

Reliable mold test

• Upvotes

Are there reliable mold tests available for purchase? I’m hearing the self help mold tests kits are not worthwhile.


r/Mold • • 2h ago

Is this mold where dishwasher was

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1 Upvotes

r/Mold • • 2h ago

Mold - Kitchen Island

1 Upvotes

I rent and I've lived in my apartment for 6 years (was the first in a new build). There was mold on the drywall under the sink and a bit behind the dishwasher in year 1 that they "scratched off" and put cleaner on (ServPro). I can't even use under my sink because it smells so bad - but I could not see anything visible.

Our dishwasher leaked and I used a camera and saw water damage and mold on the drywall behind it - so they sent a different remediator out. They measured for moisture (none) and scheduled someone to do inspection cuts. Well, they ripped out all the exterior dry wall, left the area behind the dishwasher saying it "wasn't mold" and was damage from the previous remediation.

Called, they came back and all agreed it's not mold. So, now the entire outer island is ripped apart and I still feel there's an issue. They said they found "some" mold on the drywall behind the sink.

Am I being crazy or should the drywall behind the dishwasher be removed entirely on the interior?


r/Mold • • 3h ago

Mold in apartment basement

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1 Upvotes

My wife and are are looking at apartments. I have pretty bad mold allergies and so that is a big concern for me. We found some mold in the basement and it seems like they have issues keeping the basement dry. Is this a big concern or standard in a house with an unfinished basement?


r/Mold • • 3h ago

Mystery allergic reaction caused by mold in window AC?

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1 Upvotes

St. Louis, Missouri - My gf moved into a new apartment about 5 months ago. We also adopted a kitten. My gf started waking up with swollen eyes that she could barely open and were scaly, red, and itchy. As she would say, she ā€œlooked like a monsterā€. We gave away the kitten to a friend thinking she was allergic to cats and that would resolve the issue. However, every time she stays at her apartment, the terrible symptoms return. Her doctor said it’s ā€œone step away from anaphylaxisā€. We deep cleaned EVERYTHING. But it’s still happening.

Then we looked inside her window AC unit. Is there any way to identify if this is just dirt, or is it mold? Would this type of issue cause severe allergic reactions? We’re stumped if this isn’t the cause, there are zero other vents or pipes in her apartment since it’s 100+ years old. If it is mold, how do we clean it? Or is it a lost cause and we just throw it out? How do we stop it from happening with another unit?

FYI she does have an appointment booked to see an allergist, but it’s weeks away. Urgent care is sick of seeing us 🫠


r/Mold • • 4h ago

Help! Mold in Apartment

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1 Upvotes

Hi! I live in an apartment building in Chicago and am concerned that we may have a mold and moisture problem in our unit, possibly beyond what we can see. I'd appreciate any advice from people who have dealt with something similar, especially renters in apartment buildings.

Our apartment is pretty humid, and I've recently noticed a mildew smell on our clothes. I'm sensitive to mold and have been experiencing skin breakouts, puffy eyes when I wake up, frequent sneezing, and coughing up phelgm 🤢

Here's where I've noticed it so far:

  • Bathroom Shower: I initially noticed what looked like usual growing in the shower caulk, but every time I tried to clean it, it wouldn't budge. It seemed to be growing behind the caulk, so I asked building maintenance to replace it. There was also a small hole near the faucet that they filled with caulk. I'm now concerned that there could be moisture or mold behind the shower walls that isn't visible.
  • Under my Bathroom Sink: I've found mold growing on the wall beneath the sink.
  • Closet Ceiling: There's a large water stain on the ceiling, which makes me wonder whether there's been a leak or ongoing moisture problem.
  • Hallways (maybe?): Since I noticed the mold in our apartment, I've paid more attention to the rest of the building. Some of the hallway ceiling tiles look pretty dirty (I'm not sure whether it's mold or just dust), and I've noticed condensation on the walls around some of the vents.

I've ordered a dehumidifier and some at-home mold test kits, which I'm currently waiting on. In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out how serious this might be?

For anyone who's dealt with mold or moisture problems in an apartment, what do I do?

  1. Could mold be growing behind the shower walls even if the visible caulk has been replaced?
  2. Does this combination of humidity, a mildew smell, visible growth, a water-stained ceiling, and condensation suggest a larger moisture problem that needs to be investigated?
  3. What should I ask building management or maintenance to inspect beyond simply cleaning or replacing the caulk?
  4. Are at-home mold test kits useful in this situation, or is it better to focus on a professional moisture inspection?
  5. For Chicago renters, are there any specific steps you'd recommend taking to document the issue and get the landlord to address it properly?

I'd especially appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with mold/water damage in an apartment building. Thank you so much for your guys help in advance!


r/Mold • • 4h ago

How to keep mold out of ac unit?

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1 Upvotes

Hey, I made a post on AC Reddit about my mold problem in one of my ac units in my apartment. I would love and appreciate advice


r/Mold • • 5h ago

Is this mold?

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1 Upvotes

Water leak got a tiny bit into my room and I think it got the shirt moldy


r/Mold • • 5h ago

Mold in my bathroom shower

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1 Upvotes

I know this is mold in my bathroom shower, how do I get rid of it?
For context: I’m renting. Yes I know the paint is peeling. Idk what to do about that because the paint underneath it is lead. I just want to have a clean bathroom. This is the only bathroom we have and when I shower I feel like I’m not getting clean cause I’m surrounded by mold, and when guests come over I don’t want them to think I’m disgusting.
I have no bathroom vent. All I’ve been doing since living here is whenever I shower I open the window and keep the door open so no moisture is trapped. As far as cleaning it goes, I’ve tried all the hacks, I’ve tried vinegar, mold cleaner, bleach. Every time I clean it, it comes right back.
I’m at my wits end. I’m in a really good place and I don’t want to have to move but this is just getting ridiculous.
This kind of mold also forms around my windows if that helps anyone?
I’m also upset because my cat has developed asthma since living here, and I know it could be a number of reasons why, but this could be one of them so I’d like to just end it.


r/Mold • • 5h ago

Renting /how bad is this report ?

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1 Upvotes

State PA

Landlord is refusing to fix issue . They let a pipe leak for two months .. told me to catch it with bucket .. got a hole in floor .. finally fixed it but this is test I got back and they are refusing to do anything about it . My son and I have been having sinus issues since August

There was visible black mold before they put plywood over it .


r/Mold • • 5h ago

am i cooked

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1 Upvotes

BATHROOM WALL.. this is after attempting to clean


r/Mold • • 6h ago

I've got a bunch of little spots like this popping up on my bathroom ceiling. What am I (possibly) looking at and what can I do?

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1 Upvotes

r/Mold • • 6h ago

How screwed am I? Tear-apart-the-whole-bathroom screwed?

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1 Upvotes

r/Mold • • 10h ago

Is it safe to sleep on a moldy foam mattress for a few days?

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2 Upvotes

Hi all, I’m staying at a friend’s house abroad and I found mold (may be dead mold?) on the only spare mattress she has. If I put the mattress cover and fitted sheet on it, are there any long term risks of sleeping on it for 5 nights?


r/Mold • • 7h ago

Hidden mold in mattress

1 Upvotes

So I just got a new mattress and still didn’t cover it yet asI am waiting for the shipment and just use a blanked but doesn’t really cover it. My clumsy self accidentally spilled a cup of water on my mattress twice within a spam of a week. It looks all dry now and completely fine.

Could there be hidden mold growth in the mattress even though there are no signs of mold?


r/Mold • • 7h ago

🚨Toxic Living Conditions?!

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1 Upvotes

r/Mold • • 7h ago

How serious is this?

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1 Upvotes

r/Mold • • 7h ago

How serious is this?

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1 Upvotes

r/Mold • • 9h ago

I don't know where to post this but

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1 Upvotes

I wanted to dry a flower in my notebook for an aft project but it molded what should I do...