Re: Help!!!!!! Just found mold spots on carpet

[Guest guest]

Can you cut out the spot that molded? If it's under the frig no one will see it.

Also I'm a big believer in bleach for mold (not everyone is though) and people

have had success with ammonia too (I can't use ammonia-too toxic).

But cutting it away is your best bet!

--- In , Michal <michalvictoria@...>

wrote:

>

> I just found 2 small mold spots on the carpet when I pulled out the

refrigerator.  It took an act of God to find the place I live in, it's new

including the carpet, and what with bad credit and on disability (had to move 3

times before because of mold), I CANNOT move from this place now.  Also my

landlord lives next door and will fix basic things but dealing with her outside

of that is an ordeal.  The drawback to this place is it is a fully carpeted

granny unit and the small kitchenette area is carpeted so the refrigerator rests

on carpet.  I've been really careful but I believe a piece of food fell back

there and molded.  There are no leaks from the refrigerator, I checked

carefully.

>  

> Before I ask you for advice, please know I do not have $$ right now to do

anything and no one that can help (I've tapped that fount!).  What can I do that

is effective and cheap?  I read that spraying vinegar on the mold will kill it

and I set up the dehumidifier and opened the windows.  Will this take care if

it???

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Wherever there is humidity or appliances that produce humidity, there

will be mold. Yes, vinegar should kill it.

Barth

www.presenting.net/sbs/sbs.html

SUBMIT YOUR DOCTOR: www.presenting.net/sbs/molddoctors.html

---

MV> I just found 2 small mold spots on the carpet when I pulled out the

refrigerator.  It took an act of God to find the place I live in, it's new

including the carpet, and what with bad credit and

MV> on disability (had to move 3 times before because of mold), I CANNOT move

from this place now.  Also my landlord lives next door and will fix basic things

but dealing with her outside of that is

MV> an ordeal.  The drawback to this place is it is a fully carpeted granny unit

and the small kitchenette area is carpeted so the refrigerator rests on carpet. 

I've been really careful but I

MV> believe a piece of food fell back there and molded.  There are no leaks from

the refrigerator, I checked carefully.

MV>  

MV> Before I ask you for advice, please know I do not have $$ right now to do

anything and no one that can help (I've tapped that fount!).  What can I do that

is effective and cheap?  I read that

MV> spraying vinegar on the mold will kill it and I set up the dehumidifier and

opened the windows.  Will this take care if it???

MV>

[Guest guest]

Running the dehumidifier with the windows open will accomplish nothing other

than wasting a lot of electricity, since outside air will provide plenty of

humidity.

Do your mold spots look like they are isolated to dropped food? If so, simple

clean up might be sufficient. Leave the cleaned spots uncovered long enough to

dry thoroughly. I have a concern about vinegar. While its acidity might kill

apparent mold when it is strong, it might contribute to mold after being mostly

evaporated. All living organisms (including humans and even mold) metabolize

fatty acids two carbons at a time, a process known as beta oxidation. Vinegar's

acid is acetic acid, a simple two carbon fatty acid. It is also possible the

mold spots are not mold, but degradation of the carpet from the heat of the

refrigerator compressor. Were the spots below the compressor?

Also under most refrigerators is a drain pan which collects water from the

refigerator defrost cycle. Almost all modern refrigerators are frost free and

need to do something with that water. The compressor fan under the refrigerator

causes the waste heat to evaporate that water back into the living area. If air

flow is disrupted, such as by too much dust under the refrigerator, the drain

pan might overflow into the carpet and contribute to mold. Mold can also grow in

that drain pan and be a source of irritation whenever the refrigerator runs. It

therefore should be cleaned periodically, since dust is mold nutrient. You might

want to put a little salt in the cleaned drain pan if it is plastic, since salt

inhibits mold growth. However, salt might corrode metal pans and lead to worse

leakage problems.

I suspect that since you are in Florida, you run AC most of the time. That

should sufficiently dehumidify your air.

Gil

Help!!!!!! Just found mold spots on carpet

Posted by: " Michal " michalvictoria@... michalvictoria

Date: Thu Jul 29, 2010 5:23 am ((PDT))

I just found 2 small mold spots on the carpet when I pulled out the

refrigerator. It took an act of God to find the place I live in, it's new

including the carpet, and what with bad credit and on disability (had to move 3

times before because of mold), I CANNOT move from this place now. Also my

landlord lives next door and will fix basic things but dealing with her outside

of that is an ordeal. The drawback to this place is it is a fully carpeted

granny unit and the small kitchenette area is carpeted so the refrigerator rests

on carpet. I've been really careful but I believe a piece of food fell back

there and molded. There are no leaks from the refrigerator, I checked

carefully.

Before I ask you for advice, please know I do not have $$ right now to do

anything and no one that can help (I've tapped that fount!). What can I do that

is effective and cheap? I read that spraying vinegar on the mold will kill it

and I set up the dehumidifier and opened the windows. Will this take care if

it???

[Guest guest]

You have no choice but to cut it away, are you sure it's only on that one spot

of carpet? The next thing I would do is open all the windows.I also heard the

same thing about ammonia.

>

> Can you cut out the spot that molded? If it's under the frig no one will see

it. Also I'm a big believer in bleach for mold (not everyone is though) and

people have had success with ammonia too (I can't use ammonia-too toxic).

> But cutting it away is your best bet!

[Guest guest]

bleach and ammonia are both something you dont want to be breathing . once

diluted, they can both be more tolerable, however

these are both chemicals and when you mix them with other chemicals or

non-chemicals that can also cause a chemical reaction , both of these products

and whatever you are useing them with/for can become

something more toxic, I dont think either are safe to use if you are going to be

useing them in a way that they are not watered down and or are mixed with

anything that may cause a offgassing of something even more dangerous. for

example, never pour bleach in a stool if theres a little pee in it. if your

going to use either of these products it's best to avoid breathing it direct,

full stenght,

get it immeditly watered down and dont mix with other chemicals at all. and make

sure you have some fresh air flowing.

both can be dangerous, neither is better than the other.

>

> Can you cut out the spot that molded? If it's under the frig no one will see

it. Also I'm a big believer in bleach for mold (not everyone is though) and

people have had success with ammonia too (I can't use ammonia-too toxic).

> But cutting it away is your best bet!

>

[Guest guest]

White vinegar will work fine on non-porous material, since it can be rinsed

off or will evaporate. But it will absorb into carpet, which always has dust

trapped inside. In that situation, residual low level acetic acid becomes a

nutrient. Bleach leaves no nutrient, but will bleach the carpet. Similarly,

ammonia might work, but also totally evaporates, leaving no residual protection.

As bleach degrades, the active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, becomes sodium

chloride, table salt, which is weak protection. Lysol and generic spray

disinfectants containing dimethyldialkyl ammonium chloride, bezalkonium

chloride, or similar quaternary ammonium compounds leave lasting anti microbial

protection, as long as you aren't sensitive to them.

In the drain pan, salt will dissolve in the water, spreading to wherever

something might be growing. Diatomaceous earth does not dissolve, and I would

expect it has little if any mold protection capability. Ideally, if the drain

pan is easily accessible (not all are), it should be cleaned 2-3 times per year.

I learned this about 7 years ago when I was sitting at the kitchen table and

started coughing when the refrigerator turned on. I cleaned the pan and my

problem disappeared.

Re: Help!!!!!! Just found mold spots on carpet

Posted by: " Patilla DaHun " glypella@... glypella

Date: Thu Jul 29, 2010 5:48 pm ((PDT))

Gil, what is best to use? Vinegar has always worked great for me. I

thought that bleach left a residue that mold feeds on.

Would diatomacious earth be better for the drain pan? Does that

inhibit mold in any way?

Barth