I've had a permanent cold for 6 or 7 weeks now. 300 wet hankies and 145 packets of Locketts later and the ball has just dropped after finding my summer sandles in the closet with mould on them - I have classic mould allergy symptoms. Anyway, apart from washing the hard surfaces I don't know what to do about the carpets, curtains and soft furnishings. I'm renting at the moment and don't imagine the landlord would let me chuck out the carpets and underlay padding. I have read that I can vacuum the crap out of them and chuck baking soda on everything.
Anyone got any secret solutions to this? It's driving me nuts and my lease is for another 6 months.
Wow, how awful wish I could help you out with a solution or two. I hope you find answers soon, let us know how you get on.
Try asking on the American Expats board -indoor mould and cleaning things are permanent topics there!
/very glad to have left my indoor mould and slugs behind 8)
I've had a permanent cold for 6 or 7 weeks now. 300 wet hankies and 145 packets of Locketts later and the ball has just dropped after finding my summer sandles in the closet with mould on them - I have classic mould allergy symptoms. Anyway, apart from washing the hard surfaces I don't know what to do about the carpets, curtains and soft furnishings. I'm renting at the moment and don't imagine the landlord would let me chuck out the carpets and underlay padding. I have read that I can vacuum the crap out of them and chuck baking soda on everything.
Anyone got any secret solutions to this? It's driving me nuts and my lease is for another 6 months.
Gavin,
Your landlord has legal obligations to deal with the mould. At the bare minimum you must him/her on notice of the problem - send a recorded delivery letter and call them to give the heads up.
From memory there is a free housing advice center in Bristol, and the City Council's private sector housing department.
One word of warning though, unless things have changed since I left, the English take mould a whole lot less seriously that the Americans.
Rob
Yep, the memory circuit still works...
http//england.shelter.org.uk/advice/advice-1005.cfm/country/1/region/01UU04/nearby/0/pg/1/agency/12586
One of the new troubles that I found was on the increase when I was in the UK. People tend to seal off all vent etc This inturn stops air circulating and there for you get damp and mould. People went crazy in the 80's about saving heat etc and it created this monster.
There was a case in Hackney some years back where a council building was going to be pulled down due to mould and damp. A specialist company went in opening up the vent and creating a proper air flow and problem gone.
Hope it helps
One of the new troubles that I found was on the increase when I was in the UK. People tend to seal off all vent etc This inturn stops air circulating and there for you get damp and mould. People went crazy in the 80's about saving heat etc and it created this monster.
There was a case in Hackney some years back where a council building was going to be pulled down due to mould and damp. A specialist company went in opening up the vent and creating a proper air flow and problem gone.
Hope it helps
There were actually several.... guess where I used to live/work 8)
Thanks everyone - I found the source and thankfully it was on the outside bedroom wall. It came through the wall into the bedroom near a closet and radiator. My wife and I bleached the holy bollocks out of it, vented the room, and chucked baking soda all over the carpet. I called the landlady and said the carpet and wall have mould in them and she seemed pleasant enough to come and have a look later this week. In the meantime I purchased a good dehumidifier as well - £200 well spent I feel.
Thanks everyone - I found the source and thankfully it was on the outside bedroom wall. It came through the wall into the bedroom near a closet and radiator. My wife and I bleached the holy bollocks out of it, vented the room, and chucked baking soda all over the carpet. I called the landlady and said the carpet and wall have mould in them and she seemed pleasant enough to come and have a look later this week. In the meantime I purchased a good dehumidifier as well - £200 well spent I feel.
Gavin, did you deal with the source? If not it will just come back.
If the source is a repair issue (as opposed to a design defect in the building) your landlord has an obligation to ensure it is repaired. It is in her interest to do so as well as in the long run it will be more cost effective to deal with the source that to replace the carpets and repaint every few months.
The good news is she is taking an interest, all too often landlords like to ignore these things.
Yes when she comes round on Friday I'm going to show her where it is and ask her to have it dealt with. My landlord is a bit batty but she's a lovely lady really. As long as she doesn't offer to bless the mould away I should be alright.
If the damp is coming from the outside make sure you have no earth rubble etc above the DPC and another cheap answer is to go to a home depot store etc and you can pick up a couple of gallons of a water repellent you can brush on the brick work and it stops water coming in but allows the bricks to breath.