Question: mold in basement.

[crim son]

I've been wondering why I've felt so crappy the last few weeks and now I know... my dehumidifier stopped working. There was GREEN MOLD on my leather sandals down there. I can't imagine what's happened to the halloween and christmas decorations. Fuck. Anyhow, there is standing water down there. Will drying it up by dehumidifier be enough? Do I need to do something more drastic like spray it down with chlorine? Or should I leave it to the professionals (i.e. do nothing because I can't afford the professionals). Any thoughts?

[TK421]

1. I wouldn't mess around with it....talk to a professional, and see if it's something

you can take care of on your own. That stuff is most definitely not healthy to have around for extended periods of time...I'm not even sure if chlorine would do the trick. :hi:

[crim son]

2. Thank you my dear.

I'm from the west coast and I know about how bad mold can be. I'm also allergic to mold in any case... I'm thinking if I take care of this I'm going to feel like a million bucks! :hi:

[NMDemDist2]

3. dry it up for sure, then get a good mask and TSP and start scubbing n/t

[crim son]

4. Thanks. That was going to be my approach.

It's a small house and a small basement, and I think it's something I can take care of. :hi:

[krispos42]

5. Suck the water up with a shop-vac

Throw out everything green and fuzzy. Scrub the floor with diluted bleach (ventilation, please) and a scrub brush on a long handle (like a scrub mop, I guess) to kill the mold.


Spray down anything non-porous you want to keep with Lysol.


Fix the dehumidifier! Or get a new one. Or check out CraigsList to find a used one.


Hope this helps... :-)

[suninvited]

6. I worked at an independent insurance agency

for about four years back in the early 80's. I was sick continiously. I missed at least two to three days every single month. I had pneumonia twice and was getting constant colds, bronchitis and ear infections. I used up all of my sick days by February of every year and after that absences werent paid. I needed my whole check to make ends meet, so I would go to work barely able to breath or talk.

After I left that job and moved to Texas for about a year and a half, I suddenly no longer got sick. When I moved back to Florida, I went to visit my old boss at the insurance agency. She mentioned that they had just had to do major renovations on the building. All the wood in the attic had to be replaced and the air conditioner ducts and wood had been filled with mold.

It wasnt until years later that I put two and two together. The weird thing is that out of the two of us at the office and one part timer, I was the only one that got sick like that. As far as I know I have no allergies.