Mold issue? ...from the bed?

[aldriglikvid]

All right, here it is guys - the weirdest Q for this year: 

 

I'm renting a condo and overall I'm very satisfied and I try to keep it as clean and tidy as I can. I left the condo for 3 months this time, and my two pillows were drenched in mold (cover & cushion). I've never seen anything like this. 

The bedding had no colors on it (it's in the cleaner now, however) so it seemed isolated to the pillows. Anyhow, we have a issue here. The bed frame seem to be made of something that resembles suede / leather - could this be "bad" and infecting the other stuff? The rest of the apartment, to my knowledge (just landed a couple of hours ago..) is just fine. 
 

 

 

[Airalee]

Mold is toxic.  I’d move.  It’s not just on the outside of things.  If leaving for extended periods, I recommend hiring a house sitter (condo maid) to cycle the air conditioner daily so that it stays dry.

[tgw]

check the rest of the bed, thoroughly.

 

there might be a simple explanation for the pillows being moldy, such as if there had been a cleaning after your last departure and the pillows were placed there while still being wet after washing.

 

if there are no traces of mold anywhere else (under the bed, under the mattress, behind the bed, on the walls, etc.) then I'd suggest going to Tesco or Big C and buy a couple of new pillows.

[aldriglikvid]

What I did now was to trash the pillows and cases (of course) and then checked under the bedding: no issues whatsoever. The madrasses look and smell clean. I'll see what the owner says tomorrow, he's been very forthcoming with all issues thus far. 

[Don Chance]

Mold is not (usually) toxic.  People eat mold - blue cheese.   That looks like some fungus. It i just an old pillow.  Put in the washing machine or get a new one.  Mold is only a problem if you are allergic to it.  There is tons of mold in Thailand building, almost all of them.  I know i am allergic and it is problem.

Did you check out the whole mattress? Does it look like that?

There are two parts here: fungus and mold spores.  The fungus grows in the dark and wet places such as under your floor tiles then the mold spores float around the cause allergies or land on places like a pillow and start to grow again.  So in the monsoon the sub floor gets wet in Thailand, especially if it is one the ground.

You can be sure that billions of people on the planet live in moldy places and are just fine. Unless you are immune compromised.

[BritManToo]

Damp + no air circulation = mold.

[Lacessit]

It's quite possible the mold originates from night time sweating into the pillow through the cover. Under normal occupation, no problem. When the condo is left for an extended period with no air circulation, the mold starts.

I am not sure how much sweat comes from individual regions of the body. However, IMO the head would be at the top of the list.

[Furioso]

If you have a mini-split A/C I would check the gravity drain(not just the air filters), it might be full of moldy goo that's just sitting there not draining into the hose that snakes out of your condo. 

 

Mold grows easily here, I have had huge problems because I'm highly allergic and I've had to track down mold in my sink drain, shower drain, and what I found in my mini-split was unbelievable. I had to call a professional to come clean my A/C and I still have mold/dust spores so I've just recently purchased a Xiaomi Air Purifier 4. 

 

Air Quality inside is often much worse than outside air quality, even in a place like Thailand. Indoor AQI might be as high as 100-125 while it's only something like 20-30 outside.  

 

Wow, those pillows. My first thought when I saw the pics was that mold spores grew on them because they were slightly damp when the OP left 3 months ago. If you have mold in your A/C the spores are sprayed all over the condo but you'll only see the mold after it grows on something wet/damp, usually in a very stagnant area like very moderately damp clothes in a closet, or behind some furniture.  

 

If you get your A/C cleaned and open your condo up for at least 30 minutes a day you should be able to keep the Air Quality ok..

 

..but for people like me who have savage mold/dust allergies we have to go the extra step of buying an Air Purifier. AQI of 100 inside my condo is INSANE. 

[Tropicalevo]

38 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

IMO the head would be at the top of the list.

A 'sweaty' pillow in an unaired apartment will grow mold.

My pillow is usually very wet with sweat in the morning. I even have to turn it over during the night. I sleep under a ceiling fan as I do not us a/c (it affects my breathing - COPD.)

I then air the pillow in the sun the next day. (On my window sill.)

If there is a strong wind, the pillow always falls inside the bedroom.

I have no problem with mold.

Every couple of months or so, I send the pillow to the laundry.

I agree with the OP. The only thing to do with those pillows is to chuck them.

Next time that you go away put your pillows in the laundry and pick them up when you return?

 

 

[aldriglikvid]

All very helpful takes, I'm a little bit less worried now. I'll report back with my findings! 

 

Again, thanks. ????

[Daffy D]

I always sleep with a towel over my pillow.

 

That way the pillow stays dry and only need to air dry the towel.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

6 hours ago, Don Chance said:

Mold is not (usually) toxic.

A rather dangerous statement, as what is “toxic”?

 

From the CDC

Quote

Many types of indoor mold may cause health problems in some individuals.

The more sever reactions include; body aches and pains, changes in mood, headaches memory loss, nosebleeds 

 

less severe 

• a runny or blocked nose
• watery, red eyes
• a dry cough
• skin rashes
• a sore throat
• sinusitis
• wheezing

So if you aren’t affected, great, if you are not so great.

[aldriglikvid]

16 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

A rather dangerous statement, as what is “toxic”?

 

From the CDC

The more sever reactions include; body aches and pains, changes in mood, headaches memory loss, nosebleeds 

 

less severe 

• a runny or blocked nose
• watery, red eyes
• a dry cough
• skin rashes
• a sore throat
• sinusitis
• wheezing

So if you aren’t affected, great, if you are not so great.

I have none of the aforementioned issues - but once in every quarter (or so) I get a sore throat and a dry cough; and not having any of this regurlarly I supposed is a good sign (in this context). 

The landlord is a great guy he's told me that he'll pay for a mold source investigation, and we'll take it from there. 

 

Thanks for the input here

[Colabamumbai]

On 8/9/2023 at 3:57 PM, Lacessit said:

It's quite possible the mold originates from night time sweating into the pillow through the cover. Under normal occupation, no problem. When the condo is left for an extended period with no air circulation, the mold starts.

I am not sure how much sweat comes from individual regions of the body. However, IMO the head would be at the top of the list.

Best answer so far. 

[Pdavies99]

Buy an air breathable cover for the mattress and for the pillows, then once every couple of months wash them with bio powder etc.

 

It is a very common issue in humid countries.

[geisha]

I find it helps a lot to properly air your condo a few hours a day. A fan also helps. Phuket was terribly humid , nothing dried, and Bali it’s horrific. A closed condo is why you had this problem. 

[swm59nj]

The mold is appearing due to the hot humid environment.  If it wasn’t hot let’s say a cooler dryer environment it probably wouldn’t have happened. 
You never saw it before because I’m guessing you would run the air conditioner periodically. 
This time you were not there for three months.  Causing a  build up of heat and humidity causing the issue 
 

[Dan O]

Those pillow are probably filled with chunks of foam which tend to absorb and hold moisture. If the ac was off then thats a breeding ground for mold and I this climate mold comes quickly to warm moist items. 

[Sandboxer]

I have the same problem in the crappy "lipstick on a pig" $200k "luxury" condo in Phuket I've intermittently lived in for the last 8 years. It takes about 6-8 weeks (depending on humidity/time of year) of normal Phuket weather to develop mold on my bed frame, sheets and pillows, which also has a crappy quality leather covered headboard. 

 

So over the years I've learned to take off all fabric items before I go away on longer trips, and just deal with wiping down the wooden frame and headboard with mold remover once I return. Mattress has never been affected, oddly.

 

This time I was gone for only 15 days and came back to THIS - thought a friggin' sheep had died on the bed!

 

I know that there are products that instead of just removing it, also prevent future spore buildup, like concobrium, but I haven't been able to find anything here (Lazada, shoppee etc) that seem to do the job. Unfortunately, I can only leave the two balcony doors open about 1 cm, otherwise rain will be brought in by the wind.

 

 

 

I

I'm soooo pissed, this time I had to trash my super comfy/expensive duck down pillow, the only one I can sleep on and get a good night's....

[ericbj]

At risk of recapitulating points already made:

Lack of adequate air circulation in modern buildings breeds mould. Compare the Thai traditional buildings, even those in Bangkok when I first visited in April '67 and it was fast ceasing to be The Venice of the East, with those of today.

There is a huge variety of moulds, some of which may in instances be beneficial, as for example penicillium notatum, said to be present in blue cheeses.  The spores of black mould are pathogenic.  If in doubt, check it out.

Mould likes warmth and dampness.  Much of the Thai year favours its growth.  It can also be encouraged under cooler conditions (my experience in the south of France) when temperatures drop below the dew-point in a temporarily uninhabited building.  My solution for half-yearly absences was to place several kilos of calcium chloride in their supplied sachets (polythene wrappers removed) on galvanised chicken-wire mesh fixed over the top of a bucket.  CaCl2 is deliquescent and dissolves slowly in the large amounts of water absorbed from the atmosphere.  Have not seen the possibility of pursuing this avenue in Thailand, but perhaps some entrepreneurial spirit will take this up.

Use HEPA filters against mould.  And also in the vicinity of a laser printer.  A revelation to see how much toner powder it collects.

Borax, which can be purchased in bulk quite cheaply on the Internet here in Thailand, destroys mould, and, as if that is not enough, bacteria also.  It has been used as a mouth-wash but is best not swallowed unless you wish to disrupt your gut microbiome.  It is often recommended to be added to laundry detergent, but I tend to use it more with the final rinse-water.  Stored clothes do not subsequently acquire a musty smell.

Borax is also an insecticide.  If the insects can be persuaded to consume it.  A little in a strong sugar solution for ants.  For termites an aqueous solution painted on bare timber before finishing (for protection) or scraps of cardboard soaked in it for bait - very dilute (1%) if you wish to wipe out the colony.  For cockroaches, sprinkle the powder in doorways and along walls.  It will stick to their legs which they will clean by licking them.  Their corpses will be eaten by other cockroaches, with a knock-on effect.  Search the Web for more detailed info.

Borax dissolves best in hot water.  And is non-toxic for mammals.

 

[BritManToo]

On 8/14/2023 at 1:16 PM, Sandboxer said:

This time I was gone for only 15 days and came back to THIS - thought a friggin' sheep had died on the bed!

You could try a swinging fan on a timer to give some air circulation.

[ericbj]

16 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You could try a swinging fan on a timer to give some air circulation.

The principal need is to reduce relative humidity of the air in the room or building.
In its simplest form by use of a chemical such as calcium chloride suspended over a bucket.
A more technological route is to use an electrical dehumidifier.
More info here:
https://bestdehumidifier.reviews/how-much-electricity-does-a-dehumidifier-use/