No, not mold!

[reanna-mator]

UGH.

So yesterday, to my horror, I was organizing the walk in closet that doubles as my pony room, and on the wall opposite where my ponies are displayed, down near the floor, was thick marbling of mold on the wall! I was able to get it all off with a bleach cleaner, but now I'm worried about my ponies. I took a quick look over them, but didn't spot anything alarming.

Do you think I should worry? I'm wondering what I can do to keep the mold at bay other than not pile so much stuff against that outside-facing wall, and clean it periodically. We normally keep that door to the closet closed, so I might try keeping it open more often to let it air out.

[Leave a Whisper]

Eww. Mold scares and grosses me out. I'm sure there's gotta be some kinda mold killer stuff somewhere

[reanna-mator]

Eww. Mold scares and grosses me out. I'm sure there's gotta be some kinda mold killer stuff somewhere

Yeah, I called the home office and they said that any cleaner with bleach should do the trick. I cleaned off all the mold that I could get to, but I'm worried about it spreading to the ponies. I'll have to keep a close eye on it.

[banditpony]

I would remove the items for now and get a professional to identify the problem. Cleaning the walls cleans up the mold for a moment but doesn't stop it from reoccurring.

Mold is very dangerous to your health, so have it looked at.

[Mirnyj]

I agree with banditpony, I would be more worried about your health living in a moldy apartment than the ponies.  Ponies don't tend to catch mold that actively, nor does the plastic seem to get harmed by external mold.

[reanna-mator]

I agree with banditpony, I would be more worried about your health living in a moldy apartment than the ponies.  Ponies don't tend to catch mold that actively, nor does the plastic seem to get harmed by external mold.

That's good.

When I was at the store, I found a gizmo called DampRid. It's a refillable plastic container that contains stuff that absorbs moisture, and among other thing is suggested for closets. I'm going to give that a shot, and also keep the door open more so air can circulate better.

[Leave a Whisper]

Best of luck

[Aflame]

 there are  things you can get and the pound shop / dollar store that have water absorbing stuff in them put a few of them in the corner were the damp was

[Baby Sugarberry]

I agree with banditpony, I would be more worried about your health living in a moldy apartment than the ponies.  Ponies don't tend to catch mold that actively, nor does the plastic seem to get harmed by external mold.

That's good.

When I was at the store, I found a gizmo called DampRid. It's a refillable plastic container that contains stuff that absorbs moisture, and among other thing is suggested for closets. I'm going to give that a shot, and also keep the door open more so air can circulate better.

It's probably just a fancy container with silica gel inside - you can get the same thing cheaper by just buying silica gel.  It's the same stuff you find in new shoes, those little packets that say DO NOT EAT.

A dehumidifier is another option.  Agree with everyone else, it's more important to address why you have mould than just the obvious signs of it.

[reanna-mator]

I agree with banditpony, I would be more worried about your health living in a moldy apartment than the ponies.  Ponies don't tend to catch mold that actively, nor does the plastic seem to get harmed by external mold.

That's good.

When I was at the store, I found a gizmo called DampRid. It's a refillable plastic container that contains stuff that absorbs moisture, and among other thing is suggested for closets. I'm going to give that a shot, and also keep the door open more so air can circulate better.

It's probably just a fancy container with silica gel inside - you can get the same thing cheaper by just buying silica gel.  It's the same stuff you find in new shoes, those little packets that say DO NOT EAT.

A dehumidifier is another option.  Agree with everyone else, it's more important to address why you have mould than just the obvious signs of it.

It was pretty cheap actually, less than $3. But yeah, I know our dollar store does have silica gel too. Maybe once the first bit runs out, I'll try to refill it with stuff from the dollar store.

As for why there's mold, I think it's just poor storage choices on our part. The only other place I've seen mold is next to the fan in the bathroom. In that closet, it was an outside-facing wall and I had piles of bags of stuffed animals up against it, probably not a lot of room for dry air to circulate. So I'm thinking about switching to totes, or perhaps plastic baskets with holes, and keeping them a little ways away from the wall.

Either way, I'm going to keep an eye on it, and if comes back, I'll see if maintenance can send someone by.

[lostpony]

Mold doesnt just happen from bags piled up unless you live in an extremely humid area. It usually indicates some kind of leak and if you live in a rental you must immediately report it to your landlord as a duty of care. The structure may be getting damaged and the mold is an indicator. Also it can be extremely toxic and can cause severe long term respiratory problems even if you dont notice anything at first.

If there is carpet in there its a big concern.

Silica gel isnt going to cut it. Mold indicates an ongoing source of moisture. Opening th e door and not having anything in contact are a good start.

If there is mold at the bathroom vent fan near there, it is possible there is a failure in the weather seal there on the exterior or other seemingly subtle issue that can cause all sorts of problems if not investigated. Definitely have maintenance look at it.

Meanwhile, what will really control that humidity is a simple incandescent light bulb in a safe permanent fixture (not a portable lamp which can be a fire hazard) of 60 to 100 watts left on all the time. This is how you keep a fiberglass sailboat tied to a dock in the ocean from becoming moldy inside. Im using one right now in my small steel shed where i keep my clothes and ponies...without it, and no leaks, condensation made mold form on the back of my rubber-backed rug that sits on the elevated wood floor. Since adding the light bulb, its nice and fresh in there all the time now.

If you dont have a permanent light fixture in there get a "drop light" like you use to work on cars (a metal one not plastic) that has the bulb inside a wire cage so it cannot touch a surface and just hang that out in the open air space in there. The cage keeps the bulb from being a hazard. The gentle but effective drying of a light bulb will also help the storage conditions for your ponies!

Ive done a lot of mold mitigation in shabby housing. Once "maintenance" has their inspection and either repairs something or blames your habits (which is often incorrect) you can prevent mold at that location by using a primer called "kilz" with a mold-suppressing ingredient. Bleach doesnt really work for mold after the initial cleanup and you're not really supposed to use it cuz it can really hurt your respiratory though i do use it only with Very active ventilation (not just an open window or mask but strong air current by fan and 2 windows which you likely cant do in a closet).

Do try the light bulb and always take well lit before and after pics of mold mitigation and date them to help solve the underlying problem or if health problems happen later.

Good luck and stay safe!

[Shaz]

As a long-time collector and carer of antiquarian books (which are more susceptible to damp than ponies), I know quite a bit about mold, so thought I would throw in my pennysworth.

Mold is not as frightening as it seems! Really! Everyone comes into contact with some mold spores during their day-to-day life, and very few people suffer from mold allergies.

If your mold is an exciting shade of green, blue, orange or pink, then you have a bona fide mold infestation and should probably seek professional assistance in dealing with it. If the mold is black (like the sort you get on damp windowsills) or white/pale yellow (mildew), then it is caused by damp air not being able to circulate properly. This damp air is generally produced by cooking, showering, drying clothes indoors, or even just breathing. To prevent damp: avoid storing things directly against the affected wall; leave the closet door ajar to allow air to circulate; invest in a dehumidifier f some description as others have suggested. The mold/mildew is unlikely to affect ponies unless they are stored pressed directly against it; mold is quite easy to clean off ponies anyway.

mold/mildew can be removed from walls with nothing more than warm soapy water and a cloth (make sure to dry the wall afterwards). You can also get mold-killing paint etc., but preventing the build-up of damp is the main thing.

Hope this helps!