To think our house is making DC sick

We had mould in a property we owned and lived in. Scrubbing and spraying so much ruined the wallpaper so we decided to strip everything and replace. What we found under the wallpaper was horrifying. What we saw above the paper was just literally scratching the surface. Everything was black, like in a movie where the house is possessed by a demon.

Humidifier and sprays etc. only tackle what is above the paper. You have no idea what is underneath until you strip it.

My kids suffered greatly with health problems - dd particularly with her breathing and hearing. Will never really know if that was the cause. We also lived on a busy road, so could have been the pollution.

Can you go to the local Council and tell them where you live is not suitable, show them photos of the mould.

Do your relatives own it or is it a Council house/housing association property OP?

Councils take damp and mould much more seriously now than they used to since a little boy died in a housing association home due to mould.

Looking at that photo I'm really quite alarmed, honestly.

If there isn't a landlord you can call and the family are not taking care of it, I would read everything I could about how to treat mould myself and keep on top of it as much as I could.

I imagine damp works are needed but I do think this needs to be addressed and will be affecting health.

I'd run this 24/7
Never turn it off and perhaps even get two depending on the size of the property
It's a decent size dehumidifier with a filter on the back that will filter out mould spores.
The mould in your house is not ok - it does happen in lots of places, which is why these are available.

Meaco Arete One Dehumidifier & Air Purifier, 20L

Get rid of the mould first, as other posters have suggested, and buy a couple of dehumidifiers. They are a game changer. We have a very old house, single glazed with leaded windows in some parts, hugely thick walls, no damp-proof course, no central heating, just woodburners, an Aga, and a few electric heaters if rooms get too cold. So unless there's a dehumidifier in the room, we get condensation on the windows, ice when it's cold, and mould starting in the corners. Unless you keep on top of the situation, mould will spoil your clothes, ruin books and other items, and generally be bad for your health.

Unfortunately this is true.

This house is uninhabitable and needs proper renovation. You shouldn't be living there with 2 small kids. Get the hell out of there. And next time put the heating on and air your property on a daily basis. We live in a 100-year old house and we've never had mould. It's often self-inflicted.

Buy Echinacea for children from e.g. Holland and Barrett. Drops to put in her food e.g. cereal.

Also get a carbon monoxide alarm. Worth checking if a slow leak.

THIS!

And yet, OP seems pissed off that the family isn’t solving the mould problem.

I assume she means lactose intolerance. There is a test for it, a hydrogen breath test.

@Concernedmum23 are you on the list for social housing?

Has anyone ever tried to do anything about the damp? Ie washing it of and then using damp paint? Also wardrobes/drawers /beds slightly away from the walls so air can circulate.

Highly likely it is the mould OP - I’m so sorry. Mould is (quite literally) a scourge in our society and the cause of a lot of health issues in children - respiratory, allergy etc - all the symptoms you describe are likely to be down to it if she was a previously healthy child before moving in and the GP isn’t finding anything else wrong. We’re just starting to wake up to the impact mouldy housing is having on the health of our population and it’s catastrophic - 45% of all rented properties in the UK have a mould issue - that is 2 million households (around 5 million people). For me, it’s genuinely the number one public health issue we face given it’s often not a choice and you’re losing before you even start with anything else if your home is mouldy. Sorry, huge rant. I realise you’re in a difficult position and incredibly vulnerable, but I would do everything possible to get out.

The mould needs to be cleaned at first sight- bleach and vinegar.

Pretty sure you didn't mean it like this but - DO NOT mix bleach and vinegar together.

You need to get out of that house. Yes this is making your child sick.

We’ve struggled with little bits of black mould in the past and it makes me so ill very quickly. I’m asthmatic but I wonder if I have MCAS.

Lots of resources here linked below from Alexx Stuart based in Australia, the East Coast of Australia apparently can be susceptible to mould and absolutely can be a health hazard and certain people can be affected badly especially children.

www.lowtoxlife.com/so-you-think-youve-got-mould/

A house with 4 adults and a child plus lots of animals though no number mentioned will need windows open more than just an hour a day. But that is at such a bad level there could be an issue with the fabric of the building. I have lived in various older houses, one was built in 1840 and never had a mould problem, one had a leaky roof as well.

It's really unfortunate that you're having another baby in a mouldy house rather than working more so you can live somewhere better. Between the 2 of you can you really not afford a flat? Even if you have a move a short way away? If a 4yo is struggling, how will a newborn cope?
But clean the walls regularly, keep the house warm, buy a big dehumidifier and leave it on, don't dry laundry in the house.

Is the house being aired every day? You could also buy a dehumidifier for her room.

I think there are enough details to see that it’s an absolute disgrace to be there with one child, never mind two.

Also look at a broad spectrum probiotic for your daughter- this supposedly helps with exposure to mould and improves gut health which helps with allergies

That's because there isn't a test for dairy intolerance 🙄

Also, if there is a physical damp proof course on the house (you can see the black membrane or slates on the bricks in the mortar near the ground) check that there is nothing obstructing it round the house. Especially in the rooms where there is mould around the skirting. Two bricks below it should be clear. This can cause rising damp. The bricks above it should not look damp outside.

Sometimes it's not condensation and you need to sort the root problems.

Just to mention, we had a real mouldy smell in one room in our new house, and a good dehumidifier and heating above 20 degrees only did so much. Paid someone to check and clean the gutters (about £90) and it's gone. We had a partially blocked gutter and it was causing issues.

A hygrometer is about £5 on Amazon and measures humidity levels. A decent dehumidifier will bring it right down- you can watch the humidity levels dropping. Since cleaning out the guttering, the levels sit at about 42%, without having to use a dehumidifier

I’m so sorry OP it’s really hard to deal with mould issues especially where it’s not your house.

First things first is document the mould with photos and dates. Videos would be good too.

secondly use the videos as evidence to go to the landlord. Be firm. Send a link to the little boy who died and explain the issues with your child. Insist he gets a survey and don’t take no for an answer. Ask your landlord for a dehumidifier and air purifier and put this in your child’s room.

In the mean time you need to protect your kids.

• Empty your ill child’s room completely.
• Spray the walls with white vinegar and mould killer spray.
• Clean off the visible signs of mould.
• Paint the room in mould resistant paint (Zinzer do a good one) and you could also send your LL the receipt for this too and ask them to pay.
• Clean the carpets and furniture with white vinegar- spray and leave to soak. Wipe off and spray again.
• Return the clean furniture to the room, placing the furniture strategically away from key mould areas and a few inches away from the walls to help with air circulation.
• Clean clothes with a laundry disinfectant such as dettol, dry thoroughly and replace (maybe do this at a laundrette so you’re not putting more moisture into the air in the house)
• Wash all toys etc with white vinegar.
• declutter the room and throw as many things away as possible
• Air the room every morning and every evening with windows wide open for as long as possible. - minimum 15 mins. Yes I know it’s cold- make sure your child is in another warm area of the house whilst you’re doing this.
• run the dehumidifier/ air purifier as much as is needed (always for now perhaps?)
• you can get a humidity monitor from Amazon to keep an eye on humidity levels in the room - aim for 60%. At lower humidity levels mould won’t grow.
• check the room once per week for mould and note any new growth. Photograph the evidence and clean off as needed.
• document everything you’re doing and send regular updates to the LL- you want to build a case documenting everything you’re doing to prevent the issue and convince them there’s a deeper structural issue that needs to be looked at.

Good luck!