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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Mouldy House

15 replies

Bodear · 03/09/2019 13:41

Hi All
I live in a rented house and have discovered a grey/ blue ish mould on clothes and furniture. What can I do and how do I get rid of it? What causes it and most importantly how do I stop it coming back? I’m tied in here for another 10 months and don’t want to take it with me when I go.
Thanks.

OP posts:

LIZS · 03/09/2019 20:31

Usually caused by damp or condensation. Do you ventilate the house, use extractor fans, open windows? Hoover furniture thoroughly to remove spores.

Original poster

Bodear · 03/09/2019 21:02

Thanks for reply @LIZS we do use extractor fans and open windows but will be doing more so. We have a dehumidifier so using that too.
How do I get it out of shoes? And off wooden furniture?
What will stop it returning?

OP posts:

LIZS · 03/09/2019 21:06

Can't you just wipe it off? How often does it reappear?

NigellaAwesome · 03/09/2019 21:12

What is causing it in the first place? Is damp getting in somewhere? Are there patches of mould on the walls / ceilings?

Original poster

Bodear · 03/09/2019 21:15

I haven’t touched it yet. The landlord is coming to see it so I didn’t want to remove it before he’s been. It just seems to be spreading so do I need to do a thorough clean of everything at the same time to stop things getting re-infected (probably not the right word)?

OP posts:

Original poster

Bodear · 03/09/2019 21:16

Nothing on walls or ceilings and no obvious signs of where the damp is coming from although it does feel damp iykwim.

OP posts:

BooseysMom · 03/09/2019 21:25

We had exactly this issue with a house we rented and the landlord tried to place the blame with us but we ventilated all day and night when it wasn't too cold. We also had dehumidifiers. We discovered fungi growing thru the ceiling and in the attic water was literally dripping thru the ceiling! The landlord refused to get the roof replaced. Also he refused to change an old extractor fan in the window-less bathroom and that was another contributor. We had a baby and were lucky in that we eventually got our own house but when DH became v ill with pleurisy whilst we were there we suspected it was the damp in that house. My advice is to keep pestering the landlord and get out asap. Good luck

Original poster

Bodear · 03/09/2019 21:30

Thanks @BooseysMom that sounds awful.
How did you stop the mould going with you when you moved?

OP posts:

BooseysMom · 04/09/2019 09:08

@Bodear.. We were there 7 years and we were charged for cleaning even though we tried our best to clean and replaced mouldy curtains etc. I think i recall we never were completely able to rid the house of mould. It was in its fabric and as the roof was never sorted the issue continued. If the mould isn't your fault which it isn't then it shouldn't be your responsibility. What a nightmare. I hope it turns out ok for you

Original poster

Bodear · 04/09/2019 14:28

@BooseysMom thanks for replying. Did you manage to get the mould out of your stuff when you moved out or did you transfer it to your new house?
I’ve got it into my head that I need to do some kind of surgical deep clean of EVERYTHING at the same time to rid the house and our contents but the idea is stressing me out.

OP posts:

BooseysMom · 04/09/2019 21:03

@Bodear...we've rented so many damp places and as a result all our stuff had a mouldy smell wherever we went! Clothes we were able to wash but i had some suede boots that were so bad they had to be thrown out. I tried everything to get the smell out too. I was gutted as i loved them. So yeah i think it's down to where you store the stuff. One place had in-built wardrobes and we discovered black mould all down the back of the wall. It was a leaky roof again. Our clothes and shoes were in there. Also papers in another cupboard all were mouldy. Def store as much as you can in plastic boxes with lids

NigellaAwesome · 05/09/2019 10:55

You could try spraying items with vinegar if to won't damage them. I think the acidity kills the spores. My Dsis' house is riddled with damp. Unfortunately everything she owns stinks of mould, including papers, books, stuffed toys. Both DC have had to have tonsils removed at a very early age, and she has developed a chronic autoimmune disease. I think they are all linked to the mould.

BooseysMom · 05/09/2019 19:46

@NigellaAwesome ..I'm not OP but wanted to say your DSis's experiences sound terrible. There really needs to be more stricter regulations on landlords like regular inspections of privately rented properties by local authorities. They get away with too much

NigellaAwesome · 05/09/2019 20:30

Thanks - it's not even privately rented, it's a housing association. They seem to be really rubbish. I've finally got my local MP onto the case for her, so hopefully things will improve.

BooseysMom · 05/09/2019 21:01

Well done! Good luck to you & your DSis

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