How to fix mo(u)ld? (pictures enclosed)

[hei]

Just came home to this after two months away. Apparently the monsoon was good this year. Everything is covered in thick grey mould: clothes, bed, books, papers, random plastic items, the doors, the ceiling, the floor. I tried dragging some of the stuff out that was close to the door, I also had to go to the toilet and put away the milk I got on the way back from the airport. I'm sitting outside now with a bit of a rash on my arms and can still smell mould when I'm outside. This is almost too much.

Edit: the rash is probably mostly sunburn + heat rash from the walk home
Even my car is mouldy

 

[Maljam]

Can you stay somewhere else temporarily for now, such as a family member?

I'd personally buy some sort of mask, respirator, the highest filtration level you can get, FFP3. Some goggles, gloves, bleach (or a pre mixed mold spray bottle which is just a bleach mixture) Cover your skin as much as possible and go in, get the windows open, put the heating on. Throw away as much of the moldy things as you can in bags and get rid of them. Spray the surfaces with the mold spray and keep doing it until its gone, then paint over with a mold blocking paint. Even when the mold has gone the walls and ceilings might still be stained from it, which looks very ugly. Maybe invest in a dehumidifier if you can, although these can be expensive.

 

[hei]

Yeah I checked in to a hotel for the weekend. I don't have anywhere else to go. Literally every object in there is mouldy; all I have is the stuff I brought back with me on the plane. I already filled up the bin with just a few things, probably have to rent a skip to get rid of everything. All the furniture belongs to my landlord so I don't know what to do about that

 

[Maljam]

Yeah I checked in to a hotel for the weekend. I don't have anywhere else to go. Literally every object in there is mouldy; all I have is the stuff I brought back with me on the plane. I already filled up the bin with just a few things, probably have to rent a skip to get rid of everything. All the furniture belongs to my landlord so I don't know what to do about that

I assumed you owned the place, in that case I would be getting onto your landlord ASAP about it, they may have dealt with a situation like this before.

 

[hei]

Doubt she cares. Possums bashed holes in the ceiling that I had to tape up, also the ceiling is stained with possum piss and she just kind of gave a big ol' shrug, thinks it's nice having pissums around. She'll probably blame me for it.

 

[Dave Clark]

Things that you can use to kill or clean mold would be ozone, borax, and hydrogen peroxide. These are quite effective, but not as effective as getting out of Dodge !

 

[Maljam]

Doubt she cares. Possums bashed holes in the ceiling that I had to tape up, also the ceiling is stained with possum piss and she just kind of gave a big ol' shrug, thinks it's nice having pissums around. She'll probably blame me for it.

Have you checked the laws where you live around mold in a rented place? Is there any chance for you to just move somewhere else? I mean, most of your stuff looks moldy, it would be easier now more than ever to move place in that respect. I'm sure your landlord would suddenly start caring then.

 

[Maljam]

how bad is mold? i have some mold in my room which I am in majority of day

Can cause long term health problems and is (relatively) easy to treat depending on how much there is.

 

[Phosphor]

I suggest you all go read survivingmold.com. The person with the mold, just get out. You have NO idea how sick that can make you and totally ruin your life. Get rid of everything that is not made of glass or metal, which at least can be cleaned.
Bleach may "kill" mold visually, but it doesn't get to the roots and it will grow back. If you have mold-susceptible genetics, you will get sick whether the mold is alive or dead (people with a peanut allergy get just as sick from dead peanuts, don't they?)
It may not be mold that produces toxins, and it may be. In any case, you need to a) inform the landlady; b) report to the health department with pictures; c) get out of there even if you have to live in your car. (And if your car is moldy, get rid of that too.) You may need to consult a lawyer because the landlady is responsible for the cost of your ruined possessions.

Go to Walmart and get some cheap clothing to live in for a while. Live in a tent for a while if you have to. If you have mold-susceptible genetics (1/4 of the population does, so your chances are one in four) then it can do you harm you simply cannot imagine ahead of time. Been there, done that, life as I knew it gone.

 

[tac a wah]

Atomized essential oils proven to safely-effectively eliminate mold. A Natural Solution for Removing Toxic Mold

 

[Phosphor]

That is not sufficient for those who have the mold-susceptible genetics. Fine for the other 3/4 of the population. If you haven't been there, you simply cannot understand.

 

[Doc Sandoz]

Yeah I checked in to a hotel for the weekend. I don't have anywhere else to go. Literally every object in there is mouldy; all I have is the stuff I brought back with me on the plane. I already filled up the bin with just a few things, probably have to rent a skip to get rid of everything. All the furniture belongs to my landlord so I don't know what to do about that

Break the lease and move immediately. Mold is the LL's problem and her duty to fix.

 

[Phosphor]

Break the lease and move immediately. Mold is the LL's problem and her duty to fix.

Yes. But first report to the health department with pictures, so that when she comes after you for the rent you have proof of why you left. Also get one of those free "talk to a lawyer" things if you can, for advice. And, BTW, that level of mold cannot be fixed. The LL will scrape it off, paint over it, and then claim it is ok. It will not be ok for anyone, ever again, unless she takes it down to the studs and does total professional remediation, which she is not going to do.

 

[Doc Sandoz]

Yes. But first report to the health department with pictures, so that when she comes after you for the rent you have proof of why you left. Also get one of those free "talk to a lawyer" things if you can, for advice. And, BTW, that level of mold cannot be fixed. The LL will scrape it off, paint over it, and then claim it is ok. It will not be ok for anyone, ever again, unless she takes it down to the studs and does total professional remediation, which she is not going to do.

Good advice.

 

[hei]

I don't think it's easy to find another apartment at short notice. The application forms even for the crappiest apartment are like 8 pages long and you have to supply a lot of references. I don't even know how other people manage it.
Is any chance that it will at least wash out of clothes and other fabrics?
What about running an ozone generator in there for a long time, after removing mouldy objects and cleaning the surfaces?

It is a tropical climate and this seems like a common problem here during the rainy season so I am not even sure if moving would fix it. After all, it even happened in the car which the landlord is not responsible for.

 

[MrGilbert]

Airbnb/live in a tent, whatever just get the **** outta there & burn that heckin' car to the ground

 

[Rave re-peat]

Just came home to this after two months away. Apparently the monsoon was good this year. Everything is covered in thick grey mould: clothes, bed, books, papers, random plastic items, the doors, the ceiling, the floor. I tried dragging some of the stuff out that was close to the door, I also had to go to the toilet and put away the milk I got on the way back from the airport. I'm sitting outside now with a bit of a rash on my arms and can still smell mould when I'm outside. This is almost too much.

Edit: the rash is probably mostly sunburn + heat rash from the walk home
Even my car is mouldy

Throw away everything you can and buy new. Wash and clean what you can. Sell the car cheap. Start cleaning with chemicals where you can so you dont destroy and get a construction fan that can blow hot air and to dry areas so walls etc isnt damp. Repaint what you need to once its cleaned and dry. Any future damp will most likely reactivate the mold and it comes back so expect that.

 

[Doc Sandoz]

Black mold will screw your health up but good. I had a hidden patch of it in the closet of my bedroom for months when I lived in wet Seattle. Hadn't had any breathing issues since minor allergies in childhood, still the doctor gave me a scrip for asthma inhalers which I used several times a day. After I finally discovered the mold and tore out the patch of carpet, and sterilized some on the window edges back of the drapes, the "asthma" went away never to return. I was relatively young then, now I hesitate to think what consequences there might be.

 

[hei]

Airbnb/live in a tent, whatever just get the **** outta there & burn that heckin' car to the ground

Lol I can't even stay in a tent because they won't let out campsites in the rainy season.

 

[Rave re-peat]

Black mold will screw your health up but good. I had a hidden patch of it in the closet of my bedroom for months when I lived in wet Seattle. Hadn't had any breathing issues since minor allergies in childhood, still the doctor gave me a scrip for asthma inhalers which I used several times a day. After I finally discovered the mold and tore out the patch of carpet, and sterilized some on the window edges back of the drapes, the "asthma" went away never to return. I was relatively young then, now I hesitate to think what consequences there might be.

This doesnt look as black mold tho Stachybotrys chartarum. Theres many many dark green/ blueish/ blackish molds. They all tend to release mycotoxins. Theres not really alot of evidence that one is alot worse than others. Its more individual sensitivity factor to the toxins. Theres mold spores in the air and on your clothes all the time everywhere. Its just that when you add in mouisture they grow. You can easily kill a mold just by getting rid of the dampness. Get a heat/drying fan like the one below. Proper ventilation. And air conditioners can make mold worse since they blow out moist cold air with spreading active spores.