the dreaded mould :/

[Haybee]

so a few weeks ago i was tidying the alcove under my desk that is stacked full of books. never noticed any mould in my room before apart from a bit on the windowsill, but when i moved the books i was horrified to find that the whole wall behind my desk is black with mould :O

so i erm, might have googled it (only briefly as i knew i would scare myself stupid) and it said that it can cause issues for people with diabetes- like my partner who was also staying in my room :/ luckily my partner has moved out now so that has eased my worry a bit, at least they will be ok, but im worried about how harmful this mould is to me and anyone else in the house.

my mom came in the room the other day (shes a neat freak and i think she would likely be diagnosed with ocd if she was assessed) and noticed just the tiny bit of mould on my windows and she was absolutely horrified, so i am absolutely dreading what she will say when i own up about the whole wall of mould under the desk. she and my dad are absolutely going to hit the roof- they're always moaning that i dont open the window (...spider fear :blush:) and about my room being full of clutter/untidy, and i know i'm going to get blamed for the mould because of the clutter and keeping the window shut.

practically speaking, i've shoved the books back where they were and got a dehumidifyer thing (think its basically stuff in a tub that soaks up moisture in air). but i could really do with some advice from you guys. i cant google about the mould myself as i will flip out and be unrational about it for a start :weep: so can anyone tell me any more about it and what i should do..?

[K1rsty]

Is there mould any where else in the house ? I know it is difficult but do try to air the room as ventilating will help. Also don't dry wet clothes in the room / house as this can make it worse. Wash the mould off with a weak bleach soloution every day. Watch the soloution does not stain anywhere though!

[Haybee]

never noticed any anywhere else, just seems to be my room. i'll have to move the books and desk and try to wash the mould with the bleach solution without my parents knowing...i'm pretty sure the wallpaper is wrecked for life though, it is really black. do you think disturbing the mould will make it worse/release spores everywhere though..? there is a hell of a lot of it and i'm wondering if it will be safe to sleep in the room afterwards! cheers for the reply :)

[K1rsty]

Maybe instead of bleach (because it may stain etc and not nice!) look at a antifugal soloution your mum might already have one. Wipe it down everyday to keep on top of it. Is there any way there could be a leaking pipe or something behind it that is causing the mould? Things like mould happen in many homes and it is not your fault. I know its hard but you may have to tell your parents. Mould is not your fault! Sorry prob not much help but good luck x

[Haybee]

thanks you have been really helpful, it's nice just to have someone to reply and talk to. theres no leak from what i could see, think it's just because it's under the window and behind a desk on an exterior wall (i'm googling again, just trying to find useful sites and not mould-removal services/product ones as they are clearly scare-mongering so that people will use them :mad:) i'll have a look for some antifungal stuff. thanks again :)

[K1rsty]

Maybe have a look at your local councils website? I have just googled mould advice and a few council sites have come up. Here is one that's has come up for example.

http://www.woking.gov.uk/planning/envhealthservice/housing/condensation

Remember a lot of homes get mould and it is not your fault! Do try to de-clutter the books though (may give your parents less to moan about too!). Good luck and messaqe me any time you are worried.

[Haybee]

thanks, i'm getting ready for a full on stealth mould extraction i think! looking on amazon now for some remover stuff. thanks for the advice :)

[K1rsty]

No worries - you take care. Let me know how it goes xx