TOXIC Black Mould ?

[rattlesnake]

Hi. Having recently moved back into my property after letting (2 years) , I'm in midst of cleaning! House itself is clean, no signs of damp patches etc. BUT..the UPVC windows have lots of black dirt in them...inside the window frame when I open it. Its just like black mud!
Nothing growing on the frames, they are white.. just inside. Is this just muck thats accumulated and blown in etc. Or could it be toxic mould? worried.

Nah. It is either dirt or bits of rubber from the seals. A horrible death is not on prospect.

Just clean up.

a half inch paintbrush, dry, with a hoover snout will shift a lot of it. Then the same brush, and a jar of hot water with Flash or GP cleaner.

I rinse off with a garden sprayer. Plastic windowframes are designed to make water drain to the outside.

Nothing toxic, just not been cleaned for two years. You can also use an old toothbrush to clean it. Do not use washing up liquid, it can promote mold.

Black mould is one of those odd cultural fears, we have American and Canadian friends who are terrified of the stuff - when one couple bought a house near us they came round in mad panic as they found some in the bathroom and were terrified thinking they needed to move out whilst the whole house was treated. We gave them a beer and wandered back armed witth a brush and some flash and they couldn't believe it was that easy to sort. There's a big industry in N.America according to them that has convinced many people it's a huge health threat (hence calling it Toxic Black Mold - rather than just mould like we always did).

See also Korean Fan Death for another example of localised fear of something that's mostly harmless.