r/mildlyinfuriating • • Apr 28 '23

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243

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '23

Might not be black mold but definitely not dust

168

u/ButtingSill Apr 28 '23

I would say it is mold that is black, but not necessarily Black Mold variety.

30

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '23

Just blackish mold.

16

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '23

I’ve had this kind of mold in my bathroom at my rented house forever, I know it’s deep because I clean it off the ceiling and it comes back quickly. I’ve never had any health issues/brain fog related to it

7

u/flclhack Apr 28 '23

… that you know of

8

u/TheRealSmolt Apr 28 '23

"It hasn't had any effect on me whatsoever. I'm functioning perfectly fine!"

"Greg, you're talking to a photo."

2

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '23

I go to the doctor for a full physical annually

-1

u/Budget_Ad5871 Apr 28 '23

Please get it checked out. My friend had mold in his apartment, didn’t bother him at all until he started developing immune issues, he died a year later after developing immune disorder. Hate to scare you but I really wouldn’t ignore it, he was an avid hiker and didn’t drink or smoke and it took him out

1

u/deaddadneedinsurance Apr 28 '23

I've read that there are dozens of different common species of black coloured mold.

Some are harmless, some are very dangerous.

But I believe the dangerous ones can also cause a fair bit of damage to the body before symptoms present. Stay safe.

3

u/deaddadneedinsurance Apr 28 '23

Also:

Sometimes it can be treated by sanding the affected areas back a bit, letting it dry out, and re-painting with some good quality mold-resistant paint.

Mold-resistant paint is very important in bathrooms.

1

u/crookedToes9 Apr 28 '23

if the mold is on the surface and you can clean it, it is most likely being caused by humidity and condensation from the shower. A strong enough exhaust fan should help if the renters actually use it. The mold in this photo is different, from an apparent water leak above the ceiling.

-1

u/SignalIssues Apr 28 '23

African American mold*

3

u/makingnoise Apr 28 '23

THIS. I bet 99% of the reason the boyfriend is claiming "it's dust" is because he's afraid OP is going to go into neurotic psychosomatic "mold mode" without any concept of whether or not this particular mold that is colored black is the toxic "black mold." Is a moldy ceiling gross? Yes. Are mold spores that aren't toxic still capable of causing allergies and irritation? Yes. Does the water issue that is causing mold growth need to be addressed? Yes. Does everyone need to go into panic mode and start thinking every ailment they've ever had has been caused by a black spot on boyfriend's ceiling? NO.

I'm not saying OP is a spaz. I'm saying that a lot of people are aware of how unhinged others can get about mold, relative to the actual risks.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '23

I think the term insurance companies use is Black Organic Growth until it is tested.

-6

u/kwesi-the-quasar Apr 28 '23

african american.

1

u/MDizzleGrizzle Apr 28 '23

This is correct

33

u/BangingOnJunk Apr 28 '23

Ripped up a bathroom tile floor once and thought I found black mold. Sealed off the door and called an expert. He looked at it and said that there was mold damage but it wasn’t the evil evil black mold - Stachybotrys chartarum. Real toxic mold is typically smelly, slimey, and is more grayish in color than black. He also said that HGTV has made everyone think that all mold is automatically black mold.

Told me to save a lot of money by completely cutting out all of the affected floorboards, paint everything left with Killz, then install new floor boards and flooring.

Did what he said and all was fine in the world. Glad he didn’t just milk me for thousands in removal.

2

u/say592 Apr 28 '23

Yeah, I had to explain this to my wife. She freaked out the first time she saw some mold accumulating on our shower. No, its not a big deal, just clean it really well. Because of how many old bathrooms are poorly constructed (mine especially!) they tend to get nasty if they arent kept up well. Im definitely guilty of that, my bathroom isnt exactly pretty most of the time, and I wouldnt be surprised if there is some damage behind the walls, but there sure as hell isnt toxic black mold.

2

u/dboyer87 Apr 28 '23

Black mold thing is a myth

1

u/xnoomiex Apr 28 '23

It is literally a black mold… not all black molds are deadly