Cyndi Norwitz
2006-10-06 03:00:17 UTC
Date: Thu, 05 Oct 2006 17:58:35 -0400
From: "Pam DeVries" <***@ndzh.com>
I need some advice. I have lived in my condo for 3 years, and for the
past year have had chronic sinus infections and serial viral infections
(colds). Even on a "good" day I have swollen lymph nodes in my neck and
a sinus headache. Today I discovered a black substance that is coming
out of the seams of the bath/shower enclosure.
Yeah, that could be why...
It's the plastic/vinyl type of enclosure used in lieu of tile. I assumed
it's mold and the building super looked at it, confirmed that diagnosis,
and suggested Tilex mold remover, to spray in the seams "and that will
take care of it". I tolerate bleach, and assume spraying it with bleach
will be a better solution.
You're both wrong.
There is nothing you can spray in the seams to fix a mold problem that is
so advanced. You have to get behind the enclosure and see what you're
dealing with. And of course the super and owners don't want to do that
because it's expensive.
If you're lucky, it's just surface mold and you can use surface cleaners.
Maybe some drywall will have to be replaced. Maybe it's all the way into
the wall.
As for what to use to clean it...Tilex is completely unnecessary and I
sincerely doubt it works half as well as bleach. So why subject yourself
to something toxic you probably don't tolerate when you could use something
toxic you are okay around?
There are nontoxic things too. Vinegar works on mild mold problems, but I
wouldn't bother here. TSP and TSP alternative will clean off the mold.
Ozone will kill it, which is extremely helpful and far more helpful than
many people indicate (yes, you can react to dead mold too but I've seen
people's symptoms go way down just with one ozone treatment and no physical
cleaning).
Every year or so, I get Michael to clean the ceiling over our shower with
bleach. I tolerate it too, though know better than to use it more than
sparingly. I think we've used less than a pint of the stuff in the last 5
years. He does it when I'm out of town (which hasn't happened since I got
pregnant) and then ozones.
1.) Do I use straight bleach or dilute it with something?
Straight.
2.) Spraying will only get at the mold that is in the seams, there is no
way to get in there and clean the whole wall behind there. Do I assume
this means I need to get the shower enclosure replaced? (and the mold
remediated)
Yep. Or at least peek in there to see what you're dealing with. Rather,
get someone else to.
3.) Was is the best type of replacement to consider, that would also be
cost-effective? I'll do what I have to do, but am not loaded with money.
Don't know...but something that doesn't need to be glued.
4.) Do I need to get the mold cultured, so I know what type it is, or it
that a moot point?
It's a good thing to do, so you know what you're dealing with. I think a
test is around $100, maybe less since you only have one location to test.
I don't know the places to do the test but others here do.
5.) If this is the cause of the problem, I'm curious as I got much
better with no sinus infections May-August, which is the time when the
place is closed up (I'm on the coast of S. Carolina). Very humid here,
and the windows stay closed pretty much all the time from May to
October, until the humidity breaks. But for 3 months I had no sinus
infections or colds, and the cycle started again beginning of August. If
this shower mold is causing the problems, why did I do so well for 3
months???
Maybe it's not the shower mold that's causing the problems...or maybe the
dehumidifier you were running (that includes an A/C) helped.
Cyndi
_____________________________________________________________________________
Cyndi Norwitz, Administrator for the Immune Lists
***@immuneweb.org -- admin mail personal mail -- ***@tikvah.com
http://www.immuneweb.org/ http://www.tikvah.com/
Tikvah -- products for people with chemical sensitivites
Get the Tikvah Newsletter -- go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TikvahNews/
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_________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________
From: "Pam DeVries" <***@ndzh.com>
I need some advice. I have lived in my condo for 3 years, and for the
past year have had chronic sinus infections and serial viral infections
(colds). Even on a "good" day I have swollen lymph nodes in my neck and
a sinus headache. Today I discovered a black substance that is coming
out of the seams of the bath/shower enclosure.
Yeah, that could be why...
It's the plastic/vinyl type of enclosure used in lieu of tile. I assumed
it's mold and the building super looked at it, confirmed that diagnosis,
and suggested Tilex mold remover, to spray in the seams "and that will
take care of it". I tolerate bleach, and assume spraying it with bleach
will be a better solution.
You're both wrong.
There is nothing you can spray in the seams to fix a mold problem that is
so advanced. You have to get behind the enclosure and see what you're
dealing with. And of course the super and owners don't want to do that
because it's expensive.
If you're lucky, it's just surface mold and you can use surface cleaners.
Maybe some drywall will have to be replaced. Maybe it's all the way into
the wall.
As for what to use to clean it...Tilex is completely unnecessary and I
sincerely doubt it works half as well as bleach. So why subject yourself
to something toxic you probably don't tolerate when you could use something
toxic you are okay around?
There are nontoxic things too. Vinegar works on mild mold problems, but I
wouldn't bother here. TSP and TSP alternative will clean off the mold.
Ozone will kill it, which is extremely helpful and far more helpful than
many people indicate (yes, you can react to dead mold too but I've seen
people's symptoms go way down just with one ozone treatment and no physical
cleaning).
Every year or so, I get Michael to clean the ceiling over our shower with
bleach. I tolerate it too, though know better than to use it more than
sparingly. I think we've used less than a pint of the stuff in the last 5
years. He does it when I'm out of town (which hasn't happened since I got
pregnant) and then ozones.
1.) Do I use straight bleach or dilute it with something?
Straight.
2.) Spraying will only get at the mold that is in the seams, there is no
way to get in there and clean the whole wall behind there. Do I assume
this means I need to get the shower enclosure replaced? (and the mold
remediated)
Yep. Or at least peek in there to see what you're dealing with. Rather,
get someone else to.
3.) Was is the best type of replacement to consider, that would also be
cost-effective? I'll do what I have to do, but am not loaded with money.
Don't know...but something that doesn't need to be glued.
4.) Do I need to get the mold cultured, so I know what type it is, or it
that a moot point?
It's a good thing to do, so you know what you're dealing with. I think a
test is around $100, maybe less since you only have one location to test.
I don't know the places to do the test but others here do.
5.) If this is the cause of the problem, I'm curious as I got much
better with no sinus infections May-August, which is the time when the
place is closed up (I'm on the coast of S. Carolina). Very humid here,
and the windows stay closed pretty much all the time from May to
October, until the humidity breaks. But for 3 months I had no sinus
infections or colds, and the cycle started again beginning of August. If
this shower mold is causing the problems, why did I do so well for 3
months???
Maybe it's not the shower mold that's causing the problems...or maybe the
dehumidifier you were running (that includes an A/C) helped.
Cyndi
_____________________________________________________________________________
Cyndi Norwitz, Administrator for the Immune Lists
***@immuneweb.org -- admin mail personal mail -- ***@tikvah.com
http://www.immuneweb.org/ http://www.tikvah.com/
Tikvah -- products for people with chemical sensitivites
Get the Tikvah Newsletter -- go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TikvahNews/
_____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, send email to ***@balaca.com and say:
unsubscribe immune <your-email-address>
For full subscription directions: http://www.immuneweb.org/lists/
Visit the Immune website at: http://www.immuneweb.org/
_________________________________________________________________