MOLD...help needed!
I have just found mold growing in our closets after only 5 weeks of living in our Northstar home. From day one we have used Damp Rid and kept closet lights on, what else is there to do? Some one had mentioned heating rods, do they work and can you find them here? Once mold has started growing what is the best way to get rid of it?
Thanks!
Cheryl
Use bleach to get rid of it.
Somehow you have decrease the moisture level either through heat or AC. Ventilation will help also.
I removed all the closet doors in our home and put up canvas curtains. No mold, no mildew, no musty smell anymore!
They sell something at quality electric that provents mildew in closets, I also been told the Bounce dryer sheets help just hang them in your closet...
Bounce sheets help for bugs too - as does putting a bar of original Irish Spring soap in the corner.
Really? Does that work for mosquitos, too? Because if so, I am going to spread a box of dryer sheets and several bars of soap all over my bathroom!
Dryer sheets in your pockets work for mosquitos on hikes so I imagine it would work at the house. Want me to bring a case when I come next month?
Louvered closet doors -- seem to work better because of the ventilation --- although the curtain idea might be even better.
The heat rods also called piano rods work great - draw about 8 watts - my house was built with electric outlets in each closet but maybe a socket that screws into the light fixture would be an alternative.
Call some of the hardware stores - maybe Kmart - maybe Home Despot - or go online - they are light and easily mailed.
Definitely clean the whole closet with bleach water and maybe mold resistant paint too.
Northstar Village can be tough - it is always a problem but air and heat might keep it at bay -- except for leather goods - not much hope there in a closet storage scenario.
one of my former co-workers started a company with her husband called caribbean mold relief, and i saw a testimonial by a user on facebook. disclosure, i think of both people as friends!
http://www.caribbeanmoldrelief.com/
if you are a facebook member, you may go here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Caribbean-Mold-Relief/102289040408?ref=ts
All great ideas which we will try right away! Has anyone actually tried the heat rods (drying rods), do they work? Looked at the site on line and they are relatively inexpensive but wondering if they really do the job.
I have a dehumidifier running in the room now but wondering if it really does make any difference?
As for the post about temperature change, there is none that I can think of especially since we just moved in and that room doesn't have AC, but does have great airflow.
any help would be appreciated!
Cheryl
I have a small ceramic heater on my closet floor. It's set on low and cycles on and off. Seems to do the job.
I have heat rods in my closets for over 25 years - top of Crown Mt.- - - very rainy and cool. They work great except for leather goods - I keep them in a cedar chest.
Dryer sheets in your pockets work for mosquitos on hikes so I imagine it would work at the house. Want me to bring a case when I come next month?
I truly have never heard that before! I am willing to try anything, as we are bombarded up here in the rain forest lately and Tabra and I can't go to bed without dousing ourselves in OFF, even with the fan. And our bathroom is just disgusting with them. I am now seriously considering throwing a bunch of bounce under my sheets and seeing what happens. 🙂
Any luck Beth?
I will post an update after I get some dryer sheets and try it! 🙂
the dryer sheets did not work for me,but then i'm surrounded by jungle and we get alot of rain,in 9 years we've bleached our house twice,it's due for a 3rd time here soon.
I spray the closets once a week with lysol spray. No mold. We are on the dry east end of the island though.
would a humidifier work? I turn the AC on in the bedroom and open up closet doors and drawers. Just another flaw with living here. Mold and Mildew.
If you want something less toxic than bleach, ammonia, or lysol, try cleaning off mold and spraying with Febreeze. It contains antifungals and will keep the mold down for a while (indefinitely if you spray regularly).
Thank you all for the great tips!
Exitzero- did you find the heat rods on island? I looked today at HomeDepot and KMart, but no luck. Maybe East End Hardware or Ace?
Cheryl
Borax helps too. I have bamboo blinds, but they stay up all the time, and I would get mildew between the layers. I didn't want to Clorox them because I didn't want to bleach out the color. A lady in Cost-U-Less told me to wash them with Borax. That was quite a while back. They still get dusty, so need cleaning, but the mildew has not come back.
I bought the heat rods I am using at Woolworths!!! - where the little Kmart is now - long ago and even --- before the internet -- is my guess!
ExitZero~ now you are dating yourself!;) Found an online source but would rather find on island if possible.
AliceMeg~ you mentioned Febreeze; do you mean the Febreeze air freshener or the fabric refresher?
cheryl
In those days Woolworths was the place! Same idea as now though ---- if you see something you want buy it now it may never be there again and maybe buy two.
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