How and what do I wash clothing in that were in a moldy environment? I’ve heard you need to wash it 3 times, in white vinegar and then borax, etc. Is this accurate? I’ve also heard washing it in white vinegar once is fine.

What are the best air purifiers?

I need to move out of my current place and some of the items I have stored were in mold. I’m going to get rid of things like my mattress, couch, computer chair—but do I need to get rid of books? Boots? My desk? Where do I draw the line on what to get rid of? None of my belongings have mold on them, and when I was living in mold, I didn’t even realize it. But in brought all of my belongings with me to a new place and I’ve since became sick since I have a lot of other health issues.

I’m pretty sick right now since a recent tick bite when my MCAS went crazy and I’m super sensitive. I know my gut is an issue. I’m too sick to aggressively treat right now so my doctor is trying to stabilize me first. Any advice on what I should be focusing on? Not sure if mold is a main issue right now but had a horrendous reaction when going through a tote of moldy items a week ago.

Any device is appreciated.

Hi folks! I moved into an airbnb yesterday and instantly did a mold check after the experience of black mold wrecking my health last year. The building itself is somewhat new, 2019 built, but unfortunately it seems like there has been at least SOME water damage because as you can see there’s a raised surface on top of the ledge near the window. Also near the window between the floorboards and window sill are these dark stains however I can’t tell if this is mold. I’ll be moving out asap if it is as I have severe MCAS

For a couple days in my room, i find that my nose is hurting and bit congested. I try to find out what's causing this. I seem to think these might the suspects. This is in my bathroom. They don't really look like mold to me. I think it looks to dry to be a mold. more like dirt. but i wanted to see the sub opinion on this.

This is my home. About 4 months ago a contractor installed this wallpaper. It’s been hot all summer. On the other side of this wall there is a utility storage area, but it’s probably 15 degrees cooler than the house. No water pipes inside this wall and it’s very unlikely to have leaks inside. This wall has no insulation. I moved the couch and found this. Considering replacing drywall on both sides and insulating the wall while I’m at it. Proximity to the outlet seemed strange.

Located in NV.

We have been dealing with various leaks/plumbing issues for two years in this apartment, and in 2024 we reported seeing mold under the sink where leaks had been occurring.
Our landlord painted over it and insisted it was mildew and was not a cause for concern. When I asked to get mold testing, my property manager said that she could arrange testing, but if no mold was found we would have to pay for the costs of testing ($1000+). This effectively scared us out of getting testing done, which I feel so stupid about.

Now in 2026, we have significant flooding issues with water coming out of the walls. Yesterday, the plumber pulled out a piece of the wall and found this mold (pictured), the same stuff that my landlord insists is mildew and not a cause for concern (but isn’t mildew a type of mold…?).
I know you can’t tell what type of mold something is from a photo, but is there anything I can do right now/any advice anybody has for determining if this is “toxic” black mold OR mildew? If it’s toxic, I want to find a place to stay for the foreseeable future as this is being worked on, but that’s a lot of $$ in hotel stays and I don’t want to overreact.

The plumber also found this type of mold in several other places (including all around and behind the dishwasher) and said the water/flooding is all underneath the kitchen floorboards. He said we would at minimum likely need the entire floor replaced, as well as the wall where the leak/water is coming from. They still do not know what is causing the leak; it may be a connecting unit, but the cause is unknown at this point.

I feel paralyzed with uncertainty and don’t even know where to begin. I should get mold testing done, right?
Is this a cause for concern or am I being dramatic? In finding this sub, it seems the moisture and flooding is concerning and obviously must be addressed.
How does one get mold testing done? What should I be asking of my landlord through this process? Any insight is super appreciated, I am really stressed and have no experience in anything like this.

We're tenants in a single family/one floor rental home in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. We've lived here for eight years and have a great relationship with our private landlord.

Our entire house flooded during the recent hurricane. We evacuated October 8th and returned October 12th to find every inch of flooring wet and the house smelling awful.

My husband owns a licensed and insured flooring/remodeling business and specializes in flooring and tile installation. He offered to handle the removal and replacement, and our landlord agreed to hire him. A written estimate and signed contract will outline the work and costs.

The appeal was having someone we trust doing the work while being able to work around his existing schedule. Of course, that was before we discovered what was underneath the floors.

We have LVP and carpet installed over a concrete slab. During removal, we found smaller areas of suspected mold throughout the house, but what we discovered underneath the kitchen flooring was significantly worse.

The growth is dark and has a web-like appearance. I'll attach photos.

I understand that mold species can't be identified by appearance alone. I'm much more interested in understanding the appropriate remediation process than knowing exactly what type it is.

My husband is fully aware that any mold and moisture issues need to be properly addressed before installing new flooring. The installation itself isn't my concern. It's making sure the underlying problems are handled correctly and the house is safe for our two toddlers (3 and 1½).

My questions:

- Based on the visible growth, would you recommend a professional mold assessment or remediation company?

- What should we be checking beyond the areas where growth is visible?

- How should the concrete slab and surrounding materials be cleaned and dried?

- How do we verify remediation was successful before reinstalling flooring?

- Should we be concerned about belongings that weren't visibly wet but remained in the house?

- A friend offered to lend us an ozone generator. Would it help, or should we avoid it?

We discovered the flooding Monday night, October 12th, and cleanup has been ongoing since then. We don't know exactly when water entered the house or how long it remained.

We're dealing with a whole-house flood, two toddlers, and limited help, so things haven't moved as quickly as we'd like.

I'm not questioning my husband's flooring expertise. I just want to understand the entire remediation process, including things outside his specialty, so I know what questions to ask and what to look out for.

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone with professional remediation experience or who has dealt with something similar.

If possible, please be nice. I know it's the internet but I could do without the negative comments for this one.

Hi !
I wanted to help my parents clean their house and when I lifted the mattress I saw this orange “dust” and I was wondering if this looks like mold?
It’s a very old wooden house, not very well insulated and we can find this orange stuff on walls sometimes. This room is only used by me when I come back from traveling (I leave for more than a year each time) and it’s not cleaned as often as it should be. I’ve had allergic reactions in the past thinking it was because of pollen but I’m now thinking this could be the cause behind my allergies.
What do you think? Should I get this cleaned by a professional? Is it really mold?

Thank you

Have been dealing with a foul smell from behind locked ac door, told property management about it through written letter (previous portal request with no response) and only had maintenance come 7 days later but when maintenance came they said there was no mold however i took pics once they open door (attached) says they will NOW do something “Our contractor, Total Apartment Solutions, will be onsite tomorrow to address and treat the affected area within your A/C closet. We want to ensure that the conditions you've documented receive appropriate attention beyond the HVAC maintenance already performed.” On the day maintenance came said there was no leak through i heard dripping through locked door and they replaced: Covered the fresh-air duct, Replaced the air filter.
, Cleaned the evaporator coil and Identified five supply vents requiring replacement. They said the work for affected area will take a day but are they going to half ass it? They also said they will “Our A/C technicians will return on Monday to address the airflow and ventilation conditions contributing to the issue within the closet. Our goal is to address the contributing conditions, not simply clean the affected surfaces and leave the underlying concern unresolved”, I don’t necessarily trust what they said because their techs said there was no mold however the mold is baddd and seems to be throughout ac and only acted once i sent the pictures that i had luckily because they unlocked the door and left for supplies. What Should i do, is the work trustable i’m already dealing with headaches and stuffy nose/constant sneezing and recently a nosebleed. Stuck in what to do called code enforcement but they are delayed and don’t have lawyer to go over applicable options. Also in Houston TX if that helps. Want to terminate lease but don’t have money like that and don’t think management will let me go easily.

Hey, i’ve wondered if this was mold or not, it could just be dirt, but it doesn’t hurt to ask

Does anyone know what it is , and how I can help help to keep it in control , each time I clean it ot grows back fast

I'm from a country in southeast asia so it's pretty humid.I haven't been able to use my aquaflask in about a week or two because I had to buy a new lid cap after the first one broke and I guess I didn't wash it for that entire period. I was going to use it today but saw these weird rings?? Google isn't exactly helpful tbh.

I live in a house in Tx with hvac. I have a wee one and pets too. Worried when I saw this and this is the first I’ve seen of it

recently had a leak in our kitchen ceiling (was there for like a month until they came to fix it). They fixed it about two weeks ago and this appeared recently (within the week). How concerned should we be?

Hello everyone, I’m quite sure my new apartment (including my room) has mold. Attached pics! Also really hoping you tell me it’s just dirt and I should just break out my good cleaner 😅

I’ve had a cold pretty much since the day I moved in, which made me suspect it in the first place. A cough that hasn’t really gone away, and now postnasal drip. I thought it was just my allergies, but I’m concerned it’s something more. (Not asking for medical advice, I’m going to go to my doctor regardless)

Might be a stupid question…

This HVAC unit POURS after each session. No telling how long. Is this black mold?? Or just really caked dust? Best way to tell??

Is this mold/mildew and is it fixable? This is in the basement (NY) and it got very humid in here in the summer before we could get a dehumidifier in here (like water on the ceiling and stuff) and I didn't even notice the mold/mildew until I moved things on top of the couch today.

I spilled a decent amount of lemonade on my carpet and I’m pretty sure it was moldy because it smell a lot like mold when cleaned it up. I don’t think the lemonade was that old either. Maybe like 3-4 days old. Anyways, I looked up how to clean it and did everything it told me to do.

I blotted the area as much as I could then I used vinegar since it stated it kills the mold but instead I poured a big amount since spraying it wouldn’t have done much if the lemonade spilled a lot. My room still smelled but it didn’t smell moldy. It has a strong sweet smell which I assume is from the vinegar.

I aired out my room for an entire day but it still smelled the same so I used baking soda to kill the odor but no use (I tried that for 2 days).

I got carpet cleaner but I also looked it up before using and it started that it could possibly make the odor worse and mold worse of it happens to be from mold.

I tried to lift up the carpet and check for myself but I rather not try to mess anything else 😭

I would show pictures but my carpet is a dark brown color so you may not be able to tell or see if mold is growing. All I can provide is a description of the smell and how long its been lasting.

It’s been a week since the spill and I’ve been sleeping in another room. The odor still lingers and i have no idea what to do. I also don’t have that much money to call a professional or replace carpet but it’s honestly my last solution for this. Lmk any advice or tips thank you!

noticed the spots and now im concerned

We had large quantities mainly of “penicillum/aspergillus-like” found after we noticed mold in a partially finished closet we used for storage (kind of an attic space off the room above the garage). That space we can see mold has 11,000 ct/cm2 and 2 other unfinished “storage spaces” one off that same room and one off the upstairs of the house have 1.2 m and 3.3 m counts but no visible mold. There is also a spot under the sink I noticed some mold which shows the same strain and some chaetomium as well. The recommendation is a chemical cleaning of affected areas, encapsulation , and fogging of adjacent areas. Along with addressing the humidity in the spaces that caused the problems. The bathroom vanity will be replaced and the wall behind inspected for more issues. I don’t really fully understand everything here but before we went ahead with this just curious what others think of what the company recommended