# Please help: \*$%@ing mold or--

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 4, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779 "2003-02-04T20:43:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![glarGH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/76d3ee/32.png) [@glarGH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glarGH)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779/1 "2003-02-04T20:43:44Z")

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How on ghod’s green earth did we let it get so bad??!?

Last night we weeded through our laundry pile… oh just a wee laundry pile of about 10 cu. ft… what sat next to our leaky shower… for about three or four months.

\>.\<

in the beginning, it wasn’t so bad… then I started sneezing and coughing, and the snot began to flow in clear, gooey rivers down my face.

Fastforward about 12 hours. The irritation is still there, still sneezing, snot rivers replaced by lightheadedness and nausea. I am very worried.

Have the SO and I done some permanent damage to ourselves? what would you, dear Teeming Millions, recommend to help shake off “mold poisoning”? Is there anything we can do? Please, please, please help!

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779/2 "2003-02-04T20:51:00Z")

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Seek medical help.  
Burn those clothes. All of them.  
Do laundry once in a while.  
Move to a new house.

AND DON’T LIVE LIKE PIGS!

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**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779/3 "2003-02-04T20:52:10Z")

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Bleach.

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**Author:** ![glarGH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/76d3ee/32.png) [@glarGH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glarGH)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779/4 "2003-02-04T21:01:43Z")

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I am _so_ resisting the urge to do the head snap like Jenny Jones guests.

let me phrase it differently: Is there anything we/I can do, within normal working class means, that will help reduce respiratory irritation and/or other damage.

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**Author:** ![glarGH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/76d3ee/32.png) [@glarGH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glarGH)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779/5 "2003-02-04T21:02:55Z")

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The above should be a question… Damn lightheadedness!

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779/6 "2003-02-04T21:05:30Z")

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In all seriousness, many types of mold infections are intractable without medical help. If the symtoms are that bad, you really need to get to a doctor. These infections can be life-threatening if left untreated. Do dispose of any infected clothing. Bleach will kill the growing mold, but not the spores.

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**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779/7 "2003-02-04T21:20:18Z")

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Buy a small portable hepa filter unit to clear out any remaining air contaminants.

Also, tossing the clothes is definitely a good move (if you didn’t need them for that long, chances are you won’t miss them!)

I would agree that you probably need to go to the doctor. Mold isn’t like other allergens that you can deal with using OTC antihistamines and whatnot. Lightheadedness is _definitely_ not a good sign.

I know the shame and guilt of having a messy house. Our laundry tends to pile up from week to week, as we don’t have a washer and dryer yet. We once had a pile of 3 week old laundry infested with ants. Yuck!

Any chance that you might be able to hire a maid to come in once or twice a month to help you keep up?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779/8 "2003-02-04T21:23:20Z")

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Not to scare you, but…[here.](http://www.moldschool.net/dangerous_mold.htm)

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**Author:** ![glarGH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/76d3ee/32.png) [@glarGH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glarGH)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-ing-mold-or/152779/9 "2003-02-04T21:35:52Z")

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awww… bugger.