Mould? :(

[starangelk]

DD has had a stuffy nose and congestion so we've been using the humidifier for about 4 or 5 nights over the last week. Every morning I've been wiping down her windows and leaving them both open for the whole day but the roof has been getting mould looking marks. DH wiped them and they cleaned off really easily and he's going to scrub it with sugar soap and paint with microbacterial (?) paint. So that's fine. But I also noticed a couple of other things:

1. The curtains had tiny black spots which I assume are mould. They are just cotton light curtains so I took them off and washed them with canestan and disinfectant and dried them in the sun all day. Now they are slightly faded but no big deal BUT the black spots are still there. They aren't noticeable unless you are up really close and looking but still...........does this mean they still aren't clean?

2. I changed DD's sheets and mattress protector this morning (I've been doing this every couple of days since she's been sick) and noticed about 5 or 6 tiny black dots on the mattress too. OMG! What do you think I can do about this? Just put the mattress out in the sun for a little while? They are really small, probably about the size of a pinhead or smaller but still.............

If anyone has solved these issues or has any ideas, that would be awesome.

Thanks in advance.

[kylieb77]

No answers here but subscribing as have also had mouldy mattress under my son's sweaty head and am after solutions also.

[MummyDuck]

Humidifiers arent recommended any more for that reason, although we still use ours until this week I discovered toddler nasal decongestant drops!!! How old is your dd?? 2+ can used these and they are great!! My dd won't open her mouth to breath and just chokes because she stops breathing..... Only when her nose is blocked though so it's not apnoea

For the mattress get it dry cleaned by a carpet company or steam clean and dry well in the sun. Watch for teddies- the stuffing will go moldy!!!

I put an column heater in her room and leave the door open to try to dry things up.

Hth


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[misty]

You need to be sure of where the mould is coming from. If it is just from the humidifier then you should be fine just doing as you are doing (if you have a steam cleaner go over the mold on the matress with it and then air it in the sun - it will also kill any bedbugs ). But if the mould actually exists because of another reason, unless you deal with that reason, then the mould is going to be a reoccuring problem. You can get special anti-mould stuff to put on the wals etc before you repaint.

[Pandora]

You need to be sure of where the mould is coming from. If it is just from the humidifier then you should be fine just doing as you are doing (if you have a steam cleaner go over the mold on the matress with it and then air it in the sun - it will also kill any bedbugs ). But if the mould actually exists because of another reason, unless you deal with that reason, then the mould is going to be a reoccuring problem. You can get special anti-mould stuff to put on the wals etc before you repaint.

I agree.

As for the black spots - its possible for the mould to be dead, but the staining to not come off.
The other thing you can do to kill the mould is soak the fabric in vinegar.

[starangelk]

Thanks ladies. I am pretty sure the mould is coming from the humidifier as it only occurs when we use that. We've stopped using it now and it's clearing up too but I'll def bs implementing your suggestions.

[Saffi]

Have you looked inside the wardrobe to see if any clothes (especially those not worn recently) are covered with mould? A few years ago now we lived in a poorly ventilated flat and had mould growing on the ceiling, clothes etc. We bought one of those closet camel things to put in the wardrobe and it is amazing how much moisture it absorbed.

Does the house have cross ventilation?

[starangelk]

Hi Saffi, thanks for your response. Yep, I have checked all the clothes and soft toys and they are totally fine, it's just the room and the curtains - phew. I will get one of those things and put it in the room when we use the humidifier again - thanks for the tip.