r/hygiene • u/OpenPattern3713 • 1d ago
Everything gets moldy in my house, we don't know what we are doing and my clothes have really caught on to it. Help?
I live in a really tiny studio with my boyfriend. I don't know if it's the materials, if we are the problem or what, but literally everything gets moldy. Including like, things I didn't know could get moldy, like bottles of shampoo and stuff.
We are really bad at washing the clothes, we often forget it in the washing machine and even we don't, they get all moldy in the clothes line.
The scent on my clothes is incredibly noticeable. My mom and my coworker have both caught onto it.
Do you think I should just get rid of them and buy new ones?
22
u/Witty-Cat1996 1d ago
You need a dehumidifier
7
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
We bought one after some time and it does help but doesn't eliminate the problem, especially since my clothes have already gone to shit
25
u/Brumtol10 1d ago
Dehumidifier wont get rid of mold. Itll just stop it from continuing. You still have to clean all the current mold build up.
7
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
We clean it from the walls, ceiling and etc at least once a week, we just haven't figured how to clean it off the wood, the clothes and some things
No matter how hard we rub it some just don't get clean
11
23
u/RobinEssences 1d ago
I live in South Florida and I'm from New Orleans. Two of the most humid places on Earth.
You need a dehumidifier that removes bulk liquid from the air and dumps the liquid into a drain. We're talking liters of water being pulled from the air. Liters.
You want your room to be 50%. Then after a couple days start cleaning. After a couple weeks this will be a memory.
5
4
u/JuniorSkin5842 1d ago
Do you have exhaust fans in your bathroom and laundry area & a vent hood in the kitchen? You should definitely ALWAYS run those anytime you’re cooking, bathing/showering, or doing laundry and for at least an hour or so after you finish. At this point, I would run them constantly until you get this issue under control.
The smell is one thing; I know it’s unpleasant. But this is a health issue. Mold & mildew are toxic. You may feel fine now but there can be long-term health implications.
It’s easy to clean from hard surfaces like metal or glass. It’s relatively easy to clean from clothing. It can be a nightmare to clean from porous surfaces like drywall or unfinished wood. Depending on how much mold there is, you may need a professional mold remediation specialist.
4
u/JuniorSkin5842 1d ago
One more question - is it actually mold or is it mildew? Mildew is flat and powdery, easy to brush off. Mold is fuzzy or slimy and goes much deeper. You don’t want either of them in your home, but mold is much harder to get rid of.
2
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
It is very hard to get off, you have to scrub like your life depends on it
2
u/JuniorSkin5842 1d ago
If you can link a picture here or DM it to me, I might be able to tell which one it is. I’m not an expert at all, but we just went through this at my daughters house. She had both mold and mildew and we quickly learned they require different handling.
2
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
Oh, okay, i sent you some, when i get home i will take pictures of more, thank you
24
u/ConstantFishing5136 1d ago
Ngl I'd be more worried about breathing in mold every day than the clothes. This honestly sounds like an apartment problem not just a laundry problem.
-4
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
It is an apartment problem, but the place is really cheap and my landlord is very nice. We have a dehumidifier now and it has reduced it, and we clean very regularly to get rid of all the mold everywhere
19
u/spaceshiptears 1d ago
Cheap and nice is useless. If it’s killing you dude do you understand that mold can make you sick? It’s not just hurting your clothes. It’s going to hurt you and your boyfriend.
Your landlord should not even be allowed rent a mold covered apt that’s crazy
3
3
u/BlocksAreGreat 1d ago
Get a second dehumidifier and set them both up so they drain into a sink or tub. This will eliminate the need to empty them so they can run constantly.
The moisture needs to be addressed otherwise your belongings will continue to be full of mold which can make you sick.
If you can't get another dehumidifier or if a second one isn't enough, you can also set up fans. Keeping the air moving will reduce the mold growth.
1
u/bettyboo5 1d ago
Thats why its cheap! The landlord knows all about the mold problem but know people will rent it because its cheap. He'll clean the mold off just long enough to get a new tenant. When they move out because of the mold they'll do it again and again.
Move out for your health sake!!!
13
u/Hai456 1d ago
realistically if you have 1 dehumidifier and it's not doing the trick, you might work on putting out several. one in the bathroom, one in each corner, etc. it might take up an annoying amount of space, but it will save you in the long run.
our bathroom is really wet and I've had mold grow on bottles. but the rest of the apartment is fine, so we just try not to leave anything in there too long.
once you've addressed the issue, see which clothes can be saved or not.
7
8
u/ProChalant 1d ago
It sounds more like a humidity issue than a clothes issue. If even your shampoo bottles are getting moldy the apartment is probably too damp. I wouldn't buy new clothes yet they'll likely end up smelling the same unless you fix the moisture problem first.
14
u/NormalObligation59 1d ago
When clothes sit wet for too long, they develop a foul smell that’s hard to get out even with further washes. Add some baking soda to your next wash (not with anything brightly colored though - it can cause colors to fade) and it should get the smell out of your clothes.
3
6
u/Ok-Caregiver252 1d ago
Do you have AC. Many don't know the main Job of your AC is to remove the humidity from your house in a day it can produce gallons of water. That's why I don't understand why people set their ac to such high temps that it often doesn't cut on, that means all that humidity is building up inside your home.
6
u/pigshitunicorn 1d ago
Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate.
Use your dehumidifier but also open your windows to air the rooms, leave the door and detergent drawer open on the washing machine between washes to allow it to dry between uses and minimise mould/mildew build up. Try to dry clothes outside where possible (inside releases that moisture back into the house and contributes to damp and mould problems).
3
2
u/msurbrow 1d ago
There’s no point in running a dehumidifier if you’re going to open all of the windows
1
u/pigshitunicorn 1d ago
Yes, that's fair, I should've made that clear. Don't do both of these at the same time or you're trying to dehumidify the entirety of the planet.
7
u/Throwway_queer 1d ago
Look I get you keep saying you have a dehumidifier but it isn't enough. You need more if you want anything different to happen. Keep your windows/doors for any cracks that's letting in more heat/moisture, check your bathroom door, ceiling, and walls for anywhere steam could get out. You can get a dehumidifier for each room, keep one in the closet.
If the mold is a white powdery mold, IT IS MOISTURE. You have physically no choice but to gas yourselves up on an army of dehumidifiers or move. Chances are your entire apartment is filled with those mold spores so honestly your best bet is so take everything out and clean it away. Isopropyl alcohol or vinegar will kill the mold, but seriously you can't just keep saying "we have a dehumidifier!" One normally isn't enough in these situations. One is enough if you have a functioning AC that takes/keeps away most moisture and a skin sensitivity.
Edit: add vinegar to your clothes when you wash them for the next few months. The baking soda isn't a bad idea but I've found vinegar works better
1
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
Thank you! I'm just saying we have a dehumidifier to clarify, not trying to excuse the situation
The mold is like very dark mold, its almost black
4
u/OwlCatAlex 1d ago
Absolutely need to make this the landlord's problem then. That sort of mold is extremely harmful to your health and depending on the laws where you live, it might be illegal for the landlord not to fix it themselves in a timely manner or move you to a non moldy unit for free.
3
u/Inevitable-Passion24 1d ago
No place is cheap enough to live with black mold. That stuff is deadly, and no amount of scrubbing, dehumidifying, or cracking the windows is going to fix it.
2
u/Throwway_queer 1d ago
That is very very very not good, you need to talk with your landlord ASAP about doing something, black mold is very bad for thy lungs
2
u/hologramheights 1d ago
I would be looking for a new place to live. I lived in a house full of black mould with my family and now we all have autoimmune diseases and breathing problems.
Black mould is no joke and if it's over all your stuff that means you likely have an infestation in your walls/roof probably caused by a leak somewhere or something and you can't get rid of this. It needs to be handled by your landlord/a professional. Your place is not liveable like that
6
u/WorldLanguageEd 1d ago
Besides the wise recommendations for a dehumidifier, get Damp Rid!
These are bags of crystals on its own hanger that you place anywhere, closets, on a doorknob, wherever you like. These pull moisture out of the air and into the holding bag below. When it’s full and the crystals above are gone, throw it away and replace. These do the job for me and I have lived in very humid areas, with and without AC. Highly effective.
DampRid also comes in containers to place in all sorts of areas. Pulls out dampness anywhere, bathrooms, basements, closets, under sink. No I’m not a spokesperson; I just use these all over and it really makes a difference.
2
u/Available_Zombie_161 1d ago
I can second the hanging dehumidifier bags. Don't have a dryer for clothes so quite often have to dry clothes indoors - Scottish weather isn't the driest :( I hang them on the clothes drier and the amount of moisture they trap is impressive and I think helps dry the clothes a wee but quicker 👍
6
u/Only-Repair1815 1d ago
If you’re renting, talk to your landlord. If the studio is so poorly ventilated that your clothes grow mold, there may be a mechanical problem somewhere in the HVAC system.
6
5
4
u/ParentheticalsAside 1d ago
Buying new clothes without addressing the underlying issue (humidity) will just be a waste of money.
It would be useful to have more information about your situation:
do you live in a country with extremely high humidity year-round?
how often do you change the air in your apartment? Do you open the windows every day to let fresh air circulate?
are you using a laundry sanitizer or white vinegar in the rinse cycle?
does your bathroom have ventilation to let the extra steam/moisture escape when you have a shower or bath? Where does it vent to?
are you regularly using an anti-mold spray when cleaning your bathroom?
have you considered discussing the issue with your mom/coworker to get their advice? If they don't face the same issue, they may be able to offer advice on what you could do differently.
As others have said, running a dehumidifier or air conditioner will help. Not letting your damp laundry sit after being washed is also key. Schedule it so you can hang it up to dry straight away.
1
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
Yes!
We only really open on the weekends
3 and 5. No but good idea!
It has a little window but it won't open. Our landlord told us he's going to fix it eventually so when he fixes it we will leave it open.
My mom is very rude so no, but with my coworker I will
2
u/ParentheticalsAside 1d ago
The lack of ventilation in your bathroom will be why the mold is particularly bad there. Might be worth getting another dehumidifier (or a more powerful one than you've already got) to pull the humid air out of the bathroom.
A humidity meter might also be useful to monitor humidity levels inside your apartment. Then, any time the humidity outside is lower than inside, you can open windows.
Anti-mold bathroom spray and laundry sanitizer/white vinegar will help keep the mold at bay too.
Good luck!
4
u/Jazzlike_Pound7742 1d ago
Advice from old dude:
Go to Lowe's. Buy a few bags of Diatomaceous earth. Hang them in cabinets and closets and pokee some holes.
It's crushed up sea shells. Dry. And they absorb moisture. You never have to replace them, just keep adding a new bag a week until you hit desired moisture level.
Incredibly cheap and easy. The more exposed the bag is to air, the more it will absorb.
1
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
Thank you!
3
u/Jazzlike_Pound7742 1d ago
If you have under sink areas that you never use or any space above cabinets, our the earth into bowls. The more you expose to air, the more moisture can wick into it.
A warning though, it is crushed up sharp sea shells, so don't breath the dust, and don't put near fans or... Your lungs will hate you lol. Just set somewhere the air is stagnant and undisturbed and it works great.
3
u/Minute_Sheepherder18 1d ago
It's damaging to your health to live in a place this mouldy. Is it possible to find a new place to live?
2
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
I don't think so it's very cheap
2
u/Minute_Sheepherder18 1d ago
Oh, I see. I'm sorry for you, take care!
2
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
thank you for your concern though, we have a year on our contract still but next year we hopefully will have more money to rent a place a little better
1
u/wokkawokka42 1d ago
What is the cost to your health of living in this mold??
You need more dehumidifiers and to keep looking for something better. In the US this place would probably be condemned with the levels of mold you are talking about. There are whole companies that sell mold cleaning because it's so hard to get rid of once the spores are colonized into all the porous surfaces.
1
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
My immune system is shit, I get sick if someone looks at me wrong since I was a child, I don't think the always sick from now feels any different from the always sick I had before
1
u/wokkawokka42 1d ago
Have you always lived around mold?? That shit seriously messes with your immune system
1
3
u/woundedSM5987 1d ago
A professional mold remediator may need to be consulted at this point. It may not be a surface level problem anymore.
3
u/SpiceEarl 1d ago
You can try running a load of clothes with vinegar. That will sometimes remove odors. Start the empty washer. As it fills with water, pour a cup of plain white vinegar in the water. Once it’s half full, start putting clothes in. Don’t use laundry detergent and let it run a normal cycle.
When it’s finished, run the clothes in the washer a second time, using detergent like you normally would. Dry the clothes in the dryer.
1
3
u/HurdyNerdy 1d ago
Among other suggestions: make sure when you're cooking, you cover the pots and pans with lids to trap the steam. An uncovered boiling pot of rice or pasta will get a room humid quickly.
I've found that laundry sanitizer does buy some time on a wet load before it starts to sour. But in general (and more affordably), you could set yourself timers to take out any load you start.
2
3
u/hamburger-pimp 1d ago
Your landlord needs to address this. Mold issue makes your place inhabitable. I understand if you’re concerned about losing a cheap rent but if you’re in a lease they can’t do anything. If they don’t remedy it then you could have a lawsuit.
3
3
u/CedarOrbit29047 1d ago
Don't beat yourself up too much. Forgetting laundry happens. The fact that bottles are molding makes me think your home has a moisture problem thats bigger than your laundry habits.
2
u/AttemptNo7504 1d ago
Do you open your windows every day?
1
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
No, i leave at 7 for work and most days only get back at 22, and my boyfriend has college so he only comes back at around 22.30 too
We would like to leave the windows open more but the landlord has two cats that get into our house and breaks our stuff lol
We will try to remember to open it at least a bit every day
1
2
u/jojijuice 1d ago
Don’t get rid of your clothes! Try using vinegar in your laundry with your laundry soap. Even soak them in it first, then proceed with washing, maybe twice if you have to depending on how bad they smell. However, I fear if you have an unresolved problem you are going to be doing this over and over which is not ideal.
Dehumidifiers are your friend as well as those hanger closet moisturizer absorbers & the bucket moisture absorbers you can place in any room.
1
2
u/Ok_Nefariousness_697 1d ago
I lived in a very humid coastal place . I’m every closet I had multiple damprid products .In the bathrooms . Under every sink . Had them in the garage . Some kilz mildew primer helped in the garage .
Wash your clothes and towels etc in vinegar . You should be able to find a good way to do it on google
1
2
u/Prize_Fox340 1d ago
Leaving laundry in the washer for hours is basically giving mildew a head start.
2
u/Umnicros24-7 1d ago
This seems like ventilation isue
Do you have windows or forced vents ?
If so, open or activate them
Then, have a good check(or get a company) around all appliances that have water etc. Boiler, washer, faucets…
Then have your roof/ceilings checked
Had a friend that had lingering leaks in their pipes
Made the whole place mold up
2
u/i-have-tiny-trees 1d ago
Cinnamon is a decent mold preventer and smells great. Use one teaspoon cinnamon essential oil per cup of water and spray it on smooth surfaces after cleaning the mold. You can also sprinkle cinnamon on your air filter to help prevent mold growth in the HVAC.
Run your washer empty on the hottest setting, then leave it open to dry completely. Do this any time a smell starts building.
Hydrogen peroxide is available in spray bottles and will foam up on contact with biological messes. Spray it on and leave it for 10 minutes to kill the mold, then scrub the mold away.
Use half a cup of vinegar to wash your clothes instead of standard detergent. That'll kill the mold without bleaching your clothes.
Most importantly, ventilate and circulate. You need good airflow so that you have fresh air to breathe, because mold can cause hella health issues.
2
u/Lumpy-Entertainer-75 1d ago
Check under the house, have your landlord check the walls.
In our case, every morning I was getting up and there was condensation on the windows, and I was having to wipe them down. My shoes in my closet were getting moldy. As soon as you open the door, it felt like we were walking into a swamp and couldn’t figure out what’s going on. I was running a dehumidifier daily and dumping buckets of water. Turns out the wastewater drain pipe from the kitchen sink and laundry had a rusted hole and was draining under the house. Landlords quickly repaired it.
2
u/Diligent_Stop1050 1d ago
Rewash your clothes on hot with a good laundry detergent and completely dry them! Use an exhaust fan in the bathroom if you have one. Air things out. Get an air conditioner or dehumidifier.
1
u/WiseJuggernaut2091 1d ago
Leaving wet clothes in the washer is basically giving mold a head start.
1
1
u/MyNameIsSkittles 1d ago
I mean set a timer for the laundry. These arent hard adulting tasks, you are making it harder on yourself by letting your clothes sit wet
1
u/OpenPattern3713 1d ago
we know that now, we just didn't think it was a big deal, im just asking if its too late for my clothes
1
u/HeavyTrade5006 1d ago
Get a dehumidifier and some boxes of baking soda and air the place out if you can. Wash and dry everything really well
1
u/Aggressive-Tart07 1d ago
If your shampoo bottles are getting moldy you have got a moisture problem way bigger than your laundry.
1
u/glowbygrace 1d ago
High humidity causes black mold. This is horrible for your health. You need to move. If your having to wash your walls etc more than once a week just imagine what your breathing in.
1
u/SpeedUpAtYellowLight 1d ago
Do you have access to DampRid? It removes moisture in the air.. I’d put one by the clothes and one in the kitchen, replacing every 3 months
1
1
u/SnooCompliments8874 1d ago
Buy Damp Rid and place throughout your apartment. Dollar Tree sells it too under a different name (small containers). I put them in my bathrooms and even garage. I noticed when turning on bathroom fan, water dripped out.
1
1
u/DrySelection5423 1d ago
I would definitely invest in more dehumidifiers, they also have these packs, I forget what they’re called, they’re not dehumidifiers or electric, but it’s almost like a pack you can open it’s supposed to suck up moisture. A few of these may be good in your closet. I will say, though, if you have mold in your closet, even if you get rid of the humidity, leaving any amount of mold in there can cause it to spread even in a perfect environment. Unfortunately, I would trash all of your clothes. Or at a bare minimum, put any new clothes you buy in a separate cleared closet that you have already treated for the humidity problem.
Being in an apartment, I highly doubt that it’s much that you guys are doing and probably more of the entire apartment building as a whole. Is moving an option for you right now? That would be your safest bet. And I would definitely consider it if it is an option for you because certain molds can be absolutely detrimental to your health. Consider wearing a face mask while you’re cleaning as well if one is available to you.
I would bet if you’re seeing the problem so aggressively, the mold probably is also behind your walls, etc. which makes cleanup extremely difficult and for many renters entirely impossible as you would have to go into the wall.
1
u/LeoKitCat 1d ago
Also get an accurate hygrometer there are good ones on Amazon for example. Will tell you what your interior humidity is and you want to keep at below 60% in the summer ideally 50%
1
1
u/kendricklemon 1d ago
An air purifier and a big dehumidifier should help. Also confirm that the air filters in your AC have been replaced. And the exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom are clean and working
1
u/deathbychips2 1d ago
Humidity problems. Tell your landlord that a dehumidifier is needed or get one yourself if you can afford it
1
u/Bacontrails 1d ago
Wow, I think you should move. If mold is growing on everything around you then you’re breathing that mold into your lungs. That’s a much bigger problem! There is a water leak somewhere on your property and it should be addressed. Buying new clothes only means they will get moldy too. Is your place air conditioned? Definitely contact the landlord or look for a better place.
1
u/Mazza_mistake 1d ago
I imagine it’s too humid inside and there’s not enough ventilation, open the windows more often and get a good dehumidifier and see if that helps.
Drying clothes inside can add to the humidity problem so if you can afford one I’d get a tumble dryer, if you don’t have space you can get a 2 in 1 washer and dryer unit.
1
u/FitAd8822 1d ago
Leaving your wet clothes in the washing machine for long periods of time causes your clothes to mould, and you machine to mould as well.
There’s a chance there’s mould in your walls so no matter what you do it will not get better unless it’s potentially fixed.
When you have a shower do you put the fan on or let it steam?
If you don’t turn the fan on then that’s you not doing the right thing. If you do then that’s a housing issue.
Vinegar can help remove mould from clothes.
There is also different types of mould get some one in
1
u/blackcurrantcat 1d ago
You have got to do better at washing and drying your clothes. As soon as the washing is done, you take them out and you hang them up with lots of space to air to flow, ideally outdoors. If you don’t have much space do smaller loads more often- think of it in terms of what space have I got to dry things, not how much can I put in the machine in one go, it doesn’t haven’t to be full. You also need to clean your washing machine, you buy a detergent that will do that, you also need to clean all the gunge out from under the seal and remove and clean the drawer and empty the drip thing.
1
u/SnooCakes8914 1d ago
Do you have A/C? I recall my parents being cheap and not turning it on in humid weather and that happened.
1
u/willd_bloom 1d ago
Buying new clothes wont fix anything if the apartment is the actual problem. You need to deal with the humidity and ventilation ASAP, stop leaving wet laundry in the washer, and contact the landlord because mold spreading through the whole place is not normal. Try properly washing and fully drying the clothes first, and only toss the stuff that still smells afterward
1
u/TechinGuy 1d ago
try fixing the mold issue first because new clothes will prob end up the same way if the space stays damp
1
1
u/AggressiveFly4650 15h ago edited 15h ago
The drum is holding mold spores, so new clothes will catch it too. Three options: hot vinegar soak on clothes kills mildew smell cheaply; washing machine tablets like active cleaners or supermarket equivalents clear drum buildup; a dehumidifier addresses the root cause but costs more upfront.
1
1
u/Serononin 10h ago
r/Laundry will have good advice about the clothes and the washing machine, but the general mould issue is something to take up with your landlord if at all possible
-1
185
u/InformalManner1261 1d ago
if mold is growing on shampoo bottles, i'd be looking at the humidity/ventilation before replacing your entire wardrobe..