mold prevention | pinkbikepinksand

What began as a simple packing-for-holiday exercise yesterday has turned into a full scale clean-the-house weekend. I am taking a breather now and surfing a euphonic google-trip as I search for ways to remove mould from a wool suit.

MOULD or MOLD? The middle-english variation MOHLD is more aesthetic.

The lifecycle of this saprophytic filamentous mycelium is as elegant as the words used to describe it – just look up the wikipedia page on hyphae and you are confronted with the phrase

the arbuscules of mutualistic mycorrhizal fungi

I have only a wild-guess idea as to what that means but elocution lessons with Miss Clutterbuck would have been more fun using the language of fungi. (kikekokekoo – my sole memory of those lessons, but yes she really was called that)

I first read that mould is a problem on Bermuda over a year ago from the pink book Tea with Tracey but up until today had arrogantly assumed “of course it’s a problem if you don’t keep your home clean” :O

Now I have found my own mould I will get off my podium and admit I was ignorant. :$

There is no shortage of web advice on prevention –

air circulation – makes it harder for spores to settle, so fans on and create a cross draft
light – after all, mushrooms are grown in the dark, cupboard doors open and lights on
clothes circulation – rotate wardrobe and chuck what you don’t wear (beginning to enjoy this)
keep it clean – sweat = fungi food, (enzymatic wash vs eczema, thats a harder choice)
closet heaters – takes moisture out of clothes, new use for the hairdryer maybe
dehumidifiers – air con on dry cycle and small units in the cupboards

Not such useful advice for solving the problem –

toothbrush dipped in bleach – maybe not on husbands best suit
white vinegar – will the brown stuff work too or does it have to be white?
make a paste with baking soda – I don’t bake (another embarrassing confession)
borax, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, grapefruit juice – nope, not in my cupboards
spray with tea tree oil – hmmm, sure he will love going to work with that aroma

Then I came across a serious site that advocated disposing of any clothes with visible mould.
Our mould is most definitely clearly visible:

Mould: a coating or discoloration caused by various saprotrophic fungi that develop in a damp atmosphere on the surface of stored food, fabrics, wallpaper…. .. actually doesn’t look quite this bad on the hanger!

I read on, pulled into the story of biodeterioration by hydrophobic spores of Aspergillus, opportunistic pathogens, aflatoxins and extrinsic allergic alveolitis. That last field has really expanded since I was in med school when I am sure it was just called Farmer’s Lung.

My conclusion is : the suit must go!

Suits – awaiting verdict

Moldy Warp?
Just a play on words.

Old English for mole.
Molde = soil
Weorpan = to throw

moltwerf ( old German); muldvarp (old Danish)

Moldy Warp the Mole lives nearby in his cosy underground house. One day, he finds a tiny square stone painted with a golden eye and realises that it must be part of a bigger picture, from a long time ago. There is nothing Moldy Warp loves better than finding things.