Servalan again with another mouldy crisis

[Servalan]

Some of you have encountered me and my ways before. I have OCD. Unfortunately my OCD doesn't cause me to be a wonderful housekeeper because the state I get into makes me much too scared to tackle anything so everything kind of goes to shit around me.

Anyway - I've been working hard to try and rectify things - the last couple of days in my bedroom. I hadn't vacuumed the floor in there for ages cos I'd convinced myself that the carpet had nasty things in it (don't ask) and if I hoovered in there I would contaminate the vacuum cleaner.

Anyway, I made myself hoover in there on Friday, and in doing so found a patch of mould by the window on the carpet (some rusty-black spots). There was also mould on the hem of the floor length curtains that reach the carpet.

I went on the internet to find out how to get mould out of carpets and am confronted by all of this stuff about how dangerous it is to clean mould out of stuff, how I need to remove all my personal things out of the room, wear a mask/protective clothes etc etc.

Now I'm panicking but DH (who gives my OCD very short shrift) told me not to be ridiculous as the patch of mould on the carpet isn't huge (about 50cm x 10cm). As it was, I was searching the internet last night to give myself some ideas how to tackle it.

Anyway, have just got back from church to find that DH has removed the curtains and taken them to the laundrette. He says that he washed them at a hot wash with this: www.amazon.co.uk/HALO-PROACTIVE-SPORTS-LIQUID-LITRE/dp/B003WGL0C6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1306068763&sr=8-1 but I'm worried in case the washing machine and dryer at the laundrette have now been contaminated.

Because I said last night that I was going to buy some white vinegar (i.e. real white vinegar) and clean the mould from it, he has sprayed the carpet with this stuff: www.biggreensmile.com/products/white-vinegar/dpwhitevin.aspx?productid=dpwhitevin (I can't work out if it is just white vinegar or a product containing white vinegar) and has also sprayed on this stuff from B&Q called "Extreme Green Mould & Mildew Cleaner (I can't find a link to this,and it doesn't actually list the ingredients on the bottle other than to say that it is an "active blend of 100% biodegradable and sustainable ingreadients") so I'm now panicking about DH mixing cleaners, which I know can be dangerous.

Also I am panicking because I don't know if cleaning the mould from the carpet will stir up harmful spores that will go over everything in the bedroom - it is full of clutter and personal items certainly haven't been removed. The door to the wardrobe wasn't closed properly and I'm wondering if I need to wash the entire contents of the wardrobe etc. I was going to scrub the carpet with the curtains drawn & blocking the rest of the room and windows open - but obviously I can't do that now since DD has taken the curtains away to be cleaned - also don't know if he's done any scrubbing yet and what he's unleashed in the room.

Also there is mould on the window sealant that I'm worried about cleaning because of what it will unleash into the room and I'm wondering if I need to empty out and clean everything in the room.

There's other stuff, but I just need some sense talking into me. I'm used to my DH being dismissive about my worries and he tends to go into things gungho without thinking out the consequences, so need to talk to someone else about it.

Thanks if you're still reading

doh! Obviously DH took the curtains to be cleaned - not DD...

You poor thing- it sounds like your OCD makes life very stressful.

Remember, lots of people have mould in their bathrooms- anywhere its warm and damp will lead to mould- and the vast majority of people don't have problems. It's easily removed with a mould removing product. I use one regularly and never wear a mask/ worry about contaminating the rest of the room etc. From the small mould patch you have described, I really wouldn't worry about the rest of the room and clothes in the wardrobe having been contaminated. I wouldn't worry about the launderette washing machine being affected either- any spores will have gone out of the pipes and anyway, the hot water and detergent will render them harmless.

And don't forget- mould isn't always bad. The antibiotic penicillin is actually derived from mould and think of all the benefits that has brought the human race!

Thanks so much

I've been brave this afternoon and cleaned the mould off the window sealant and actually scrubbed the mould out of the carpet without covering everything in the room up (though I am washing the bedding).

Windows wide open and hoping that noone will get ill!

Very grateful for God and Mumsnet x

Try to remember that all of your worries about the mould etc. are just thoughts.

If anything bad was going to happen with the mould and the mixing of cleaners it would have happened by now. And launderette washers are washed several times a day with hot water so they will be ok.

Good for you for tackling the patch you found and for doing the job today.

Mould gets everywhere and grows wherever it can -- it's like weeds outdoors. It won't hurt you, just looks unsightly, sort of like dandelions being flowers out of place.