Pesky mould. Please help!

boyoutofhell

Hello everyone,

I moved to Ireland late August last year and am currently renting an apartment within a newly built residential building in Co. Kerry. For the first couple of months everything was fine but as winter came along we started to have a serious mould issue. I knew Ireland was a humid country, but I did not expect to have mould growing literally everywhere from the walls and window sills to the curtains and the clothes in the closet.

I've tried just about everything, from scrubbing the walls with bleach and vinegar to buying the most powerful dehumidifier I could find available on the market, but the mould just keeps reappearing and the dehumidifier doesn't seem to be able to go below 80%. There is a vent in the wall for air circulation which we keep open and unobstructed at all times and we also air extensively by opening all the windows several times a day, yet mould is thriving and there's always condensation on the lower half of the windows. From what I can tell, there is no leaking pipe in the walls that could be causing the excessive humidity.

I am at my wits end. Has anyone else been through this and is able to share some advice?

zl1whqvjs75cdy

When you say new build, how new. I'd get on to Iandlord and tell him. They obviously don't want their property destroyed by mould so it's in their interest to get it sorted

boyoutofhell

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

When you say new build, how new.

Not older than 5 years I'd dare say, although I'm not an expert in constructions. The interior is newly renovated and refurbished anyways.

I noticed the walls have some sort of glossy layer of thick, waxy paint on the outside of the building, maybe to repel the rain, I dunno. I'm tempted to think there's excess moisture stuck in the walls as the coat of paint might not allow them to 'breathe' properly. I dunno... I just don't know.

BBFAN

If it is genuinely a new build OP and you have mould you have to look at your behaviour.

Do you have the heating on? Do you open windows? Do you dry clothes indoors?

boyoutofhell

BBFAN wrote: »

Do you have the heating on?

Yes, the heating is on, I keep it on moderate as I don't like when it's too hot inside.

BBFAN wrote: »

Do you open windows?

Yes, I open ALL windows several times during the day and keep them open for a considerable amount of time.

BBFAN wrote: »

Do you dry clothes indoors?

Yes, I dry clothes indoors, because I have no balcony/backyard where I could air-dry them. I do have a washer/dryer unit, but it doesn't dry them completely and it wrinkles the hell out of them so I don't use it.

Graces7

See other thread and a dehumidifier will work wonders

LotharIngum

boyoutofhell wrote: »

Yes, I dry clothes indoors, because I have no balcony/backyard where I could air-dry them. I do have a washer/dryer unit, but it doesn't dry them completely and it wrinkles the hell out of them so I don't use it.

And that's why you have mould.

Everyone renting says they don't dry clothes indoors but they do, but at least you are telling the truth.

There is no surer way to get mold in a small area. They only reason people doing this in houses don't get mould (well they do a lot actually) is the much bigger airspace to take the moisture.

punisher5112

I've lived in apartments and this shouldn't be happening at all.

I've been in the same where only option to dry clothes is a clothes horse including one provided by LL.

We dried a lot of clothes (young child) and had no issues in the apartment.

We lived in a house, didn't dry in the house and we had mushrooms, mould and pure black walls.

The house had no insulation apart from plaster pumped onto a granite stone wall.

Get onto LL as stated previously and get the property sorted as there may well be a leak somewhere.

Is there vents throughout the property?

mbradso2003

I get this in my apartment OP, improved since I bought dehumidifier.

I use the below once a year to clear mould before as it starts

https://www.woodies.ie/hg-500ml-mould-spray-30-extra-free-1126975

Mine is caused by boiling pots and drying clothes and is near windows where condensation gathers.

ELM327

mbradso2003 wrote: »

I get this in my apartment OP, improved since I bought dehumidifier.

I use the below once a year to clear mould before as it starts

https://www.woodies.ie/hg-500ml-mould-spray-30-extra-free-1126975

Mine is caused by boiling pots and drying clothes and is near windows where condensation gathers.

I can vouch drastically for this product too,
Works a treat, but make sure to ventilate the area well as it's very damaging to your airway (speaking from experience!)

boyoutofhell

Graces7 wrote: »

See other thread and a dehumidifier will work wonders

I already have a dehumidifier, most powerful I could get my hands on and it still can't bring the humidity below 80%.

LotharIngum wrote: »

And that's why you have mould.

Everyone renting says they don't dry clothes indoors but they do, but at least you are telling the truth.

Man, I'd prefer drying my clothes outside if I had space for that but I don't even have a balcony.

punisher5112 wrote: »

Get onto LL as stated previously and get the property sorted as there may well be a leak somewhere.

Is there vents throughout the property?

Just so you understand, I've been on my LL's back for sorting out parking spaces, mailboxes and some faulty cabling for the past 4 months and he still didn't do anything about that. I honestly doubt he'll take action. Probably he'll tell me to open the windows more often.

As for the vents, yes, there is one circular air vent which we keep open and unobstructed at all times.

mbradso2003 wrote: »

I get this in my apartment OP, improved since I bought dehumidifier.

I use the below once a year to clear mould before as it starts

https://www.woodies.ie/hg-500ml-mould-spray-30-extra-free-1126975

Mine is caused by boiling pots and drying clothes and is near windows where condensation gathers.

ELM327 wrote: »

I can vouch drastically for this product too,
Works a treat, but make sure to ventilate the area well as it's very damaging to your airway (speaking from experience!)

Thanks for the tip you guys, but I already have that spray and I've ran through an entire bottle in less than 2 months because 2 or 3 days after I spray and scrub the mould is back in full force.

3DataModem

Drying clothes completely indoors in an apartment is going to cause a huge amount of mould. I'd suggest learning to use the dryer properly, or the problem will not go away.

boyoutofhell

3DataModem wrote: »

Drying clothes completely indoors in an apartment is going to cause a huge amount of mould. I'd suggest learning to use the dryer properly, or the problem will not go away.

Look, I know I may not be the smartest one out of the bunch, but operating a dryer doesn't pose a challenge even for someone like me. The damn thing can't dry clothes completely even on the highest setting running for 5 hours. Using the dehumidifier takes care of drying the clothes better and faster than the dryer. It's the rest of the dampness that it can't seem to be able to remove.

snor

I lived in several apartments, always dried clothes indoors as had no choice - did open windows for a few mins every day - but never, ever had mould. Do the same with my house now and again no mould. I don’t think whatvghd OP is experiencing is normal!

LotharIngum

snor wrote: »

I lived in several apartments, always dried clothes indoors as had no choice - did open windows for a few mins every day - but never, ever had mould. Do the same with my house now and again no mould. I don’t think whatvghd OP is experiencing is normal!

You were lucky.
If you let it get as far as bad mold once, you are screwed. Very hard to get rid of the spores after that and it wont take much to bring it back. And you'll more than likely bring it with you to your next place too.

thomas anderson.

Dettol Mould and Mildew remover.

Cost about €5 in Dunnes

Best product I have ever used.

o1s1n

boyoutofhell wrote: »

Look, I know I may not be the smartest one out of the bunch, but operating a dryer doesn't pose a challenge even for someone like me. The damn thing can't dry clothes completely even on the highest setting running for 5 hours. Using the dehumidifier takes care of drying the clothes better and faster than the dryer. It's the rest of the dampness that it can't seem to be able to remove.

A lot of those washer/dryers will only dry properly if it's on a half load, might be worth a go?

Otherwise do you have the space for a clothes dryer? You can get a condenser one that doesn't need to be plumbed in. I bought one recently and it completely sorted out the humidity problems in my apartment.

LotharIngum

bottom line is that if you dry clothes indoors you are providing the ideal conditions for mold throughout the house.

Make all the excuses in the world but if someone does this they have only themselves to blame when they get mold.


Just don't do it.

Graces7

LotharIngum wrote: »

bottom line is that if you dry clothes indoors you are providing the ideal conditions for mold throughout the house.

Make all the excuses in the world but if someone does this they have only themselves to blame when they get mold.


Just don't do it.

and the alternative is not there?

s7ryf3925pivug

You can get dehumidifiers that have a laundry drying mode, which works well both in terms of drying the clothes and in terms of preventing damp.

Delonghi dessicant dehumidifer works great for this. We have a decent drier as well as the dehumidifier and the dehumidifier is generally preferred.

LotharIngum

Graces7 wrote: »

and the alternative is not there?

There are always alternatives.

Dry clothes indoors. Don't cry when you get mold. simple

Graces7

LotharIngum wrote: »

There are always alternatives.

Dry clothes indoors. Don't cry when you get mold. simple

:eek:

Name some alternatives then?

NB I dry clothes inside and no mould

s7ryf3925pivug

Graces7 wrote: »

:eek:

Name some alternatives then?

NB I dry clothes inside and no mould

The dehumidifier is a working way of doing it.

LotharIngum

Graces7 wrote: »

:eek:

Name some alternatives then?

NB I dry clothes inside and no mould

Clothes line outside. Dryer. Dehumidifier in the bathroom with the clothes hanging in a clothes horse in the bath. Do you seriously not know how to dry clothes?

So you dry clothes inside. So when you get mold in a year or two you'll going crying to the landlord and will you tell him you were drying clothes inside.

punisher5112

One vent for a whole apartment isn't enough. Each room should be ventilated.

ELM327

punisher5112 wrote: »

One vent for a whole apartment isn't enough. Each room should be ventilated.

Even so that may not be enough.
I've just had to order a dehumidifier for the bedroom with ensuite shower in my apartment as despite us not drying clothes it gets a bit moldy when the heating is on and shower used regularly. (owner occupier not landlord)

LotharIngum

ELM327 wrote: »

Even so that may not be enough.
I've just had to order a dehumidifier for the bedroom with ensuite shower in my apartment as despite us not drying clothes it gets a bit moldy when the heating is on and shower used regularly. (owner occupier not landlord)

Imagine that. Someone who is proactive with mold issues in their own house.
You sir, are clearly an owner occupier. You didn't even have to say it.

ELM327

LotharIngum wrote: »

Imagine that. Someone who is proactive with mold issues in their own house.
You sir, are clearly an owner occupier. You didn't even have to say it.

In fairness I rented for ~10 years before buying and did the same in those properties too.
Last place I lived in as a tenant we were there for ~4 years and got mold in year 1 in winter (again in bedroom with ensuite) so removed it with the woodies mold spray and repainted the walls. Dehumidifier keeps it at bay. Not sure what it is with ensuites but they don't seem correctly vented in a lot of Irish properties.

LotharIngum

ELM327 wrote: »

In fairness I rented for ~10 years before buying and did the same in those properties too.
Last place I lived in as a tenant we were there for ~4 years and got mold in year 1 in winter (again in bedroom with ensuite) so removed it with the woodies mold spray and repainted the walls. Dehumidifier keeps it at bay. Not sure what it is with ensuites but they don't seem correctly vented in a lot of Irish properties.

I blame your parents for making you so proactive. If only everyone could be like that.

boyoutofhell

thomas anderson. wrote: »

Dettol Mould and Mildew remover.

Cost about €5 in Dunnes

Best product I have ever used.

Thank you. I will give it a go.

o1s1n wrote: »

A lot of those washer/dryers will only dry properly if it's on a half load, might be worth a go?

Otherwise do you have the space for a clothes dryer? You can get a condenser one that doesn't need to be plumbed in. I bought one recently and it completely sorted out the humidity problems in my apartment.

Halving the load was among the first things I tried. The damn thing just doesn't dry them all the way no matter what. Unfortunately the apartment we live is pretty small as is, so I've got nowhere to put a separate dryer.

LotharIngum wrote: »

bottom line is that if you dry clothes indoors you are providing the ideal conditions for mold throughout the house.

Make all the excuses in the world but if someone does this they have only themselves to blame when they get mold.

Just don't do it.

LotharIngum, it's very easy to get up on your high horse and be condescending to other posters without trying to put yourself in someone else's shoes and at least be open to believing they're doing the best with what they've got to prevent mould.

I've been a LL myself so I've been on that side of the fence. I am not the one to cause property damage willingly. Did it maybe occur to you the vent layout and/or placement might be to blame? Because that's what I'm starting to think based on other people's helpful posts.

Bronson Wide Elk wrote: »

You can get dehumidifiers that have a laundry drying mode, which works well both in terms of drying the clothes and in terms of preventing damp.

Yes, thank you. The dehumidifer I own has a laundry drying mode and it does help with drying laundry completely, but it isn't able to keep the rest of the moisture in the air at bay.

punisher5112 wrote: »

One vent for a whole apartment isn't enough. Each room should be ventilated.

From what others are saying I'm believing to think that might be the issue, so thank you for pointing this out as well.

Seeing how I can't get my LL to do his job and take care of smaller tasks, I don't know how I'm going to get additional vents in the walls though.

punisher5112

Contact environmental health in your local council.

They will put an order in place to get things sorted if indeed there are issues.

.......

What dehumidifier are you using - could you link to it?

How often are you running it?

I got one on Amazon last year. I run it on the landing of a 2 story semi d. Initially I had to run it 24 hours a day and empty it several times a day. But as it dried out the place I had to run it less and less. It took about 3 weeks solid for it to truly get rid of al the excess moisture in the property.

Now it takes about a day for it to fill the tank (just under 2 litres) depending on whats going on in the house (it wont fill the tank in a day if I havent been cooking/showering or drying clothes in the house) and in the summer I barely need it at all.

There is not adequate ventilation if there is only one vent in the place.

s7ryf3925pivug

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-DNC65-Dehumidifier-White/dp/B000UVPOUA

This works well for both drying clothes and reducing general hunidity levels from cooking, bathing or laundry. Replaced by a newer model I see which I assume is good too. We also have a challenge compressor dehumidifier which is less effective.

Sarn

The other thing about apartments is the separation between the other units. When the neighbours below were away we didn’t have to run the dehumidifier as much. We could smell their food when they were cooking strong smelling food. On that basis their moisture was ours too.

boyoutofhell

punisher5112 wrote: »

Contact environmental health in your local council.

They will put an order in place to get things sorted if indeed there are issues.

Thanks for the tip, will look into that.

....... wrote: »

What dehumidifier are you using - could you link to it?

How often are you running it?

I use THIS ONE I got on Amazon. It does what it says and removes 12 L of moisture per day and sterilises the air using UV light. I've been running it for about 3 weeks now I'd say and while there's a slight improvement (went down from 95% to about 80%), there still is mould.

Sarn wrote: »

The other thing about apartments is the separation between the other units. When the neighbours below were away we didn’t have to run the dehumidifier as much. We could smell their food when they were cooking strong smelling food. On that basis their moisture was ours too.

I only have one neighbour below, no other apartments around and they're gone all day except for evenings and weekends. There is no trace of condensation on their windows, but if I ever run into them again I'll ask if they have mould.

Poll Dubh

boyoutofhell wrote: »

Halving the load was among the first things I tried. The damn thing just doesn't dry them all the way no matter what. Unfortunately the apartment we live is pretty small as is, so I've got nowhere to put a separate dryer.

Can you clarify does your washer/dryer have a condenser or does it have a air vent?

If it has a condenser do you empty the water out of it?

If it has a vent do you bring the exhaust pipe to a window when you are operating it?

boyoutofhell

Poll Dubh wrote: »

Can you clarify does your washer/dryer have a condenser or does it have a air vent?

If it has a condenser do you empty the water out of it?

If it has a vent do you bring the exhaust pipe to a window when you are operating it?

It's a Hoover DynamicNext washer/dryer unit that came with the apartment, so I don't have a clue what drying technology it uses. I'm assuming it evacuates moisture through the exhaust hose, as there's no air vent or water tank on it.

ted1

boyoutofhell wrote: »

Look, I know I may not be the smartest one out of the bunch, but operating a dryer doesn't pose a challenge even for someone like me. The damn thing can't dry clothes completely even on the highest setting running for 5 hours. Using the dehumidifier takes care of drying the clothes better and faster than the dryer. It's the rest of the dampness that it can't seem to be able to remove.

Do you have it set to cold or warm ?

Do you spin and rinse the clothes in the washer?

5 hours isn’t right.

punisher5112

Top tip..... Run the spin cycle on washing machine again after the full wash.

This will actually help quite a bit.

Make sure there is nothing blocking the vents.

If you can take photos before you clean any mould and document all issues.

Contact environmental health officer ( I had to do this as we had mushrooms, black mould spores etc etc and many many more issues such as windows not sealing or closing, door not stopping any wind or draught)

If you have ensuite open doors and make sure Fan is clean and cleared of dust(use vacuum)

Open windows to get the air circulating and get rid of the damp.

Run the dehumidifier in the worst part of the house.

Open windows when you can but don't over do this either.(I know you said you do this)

Vinegar and lemon is meant to be great or get the mould and mildew spray.

Check for leaks around sinks and outlets.

Does the heat work correctly in all rooms?

Poll Dubh

boyoutofhell wrote: »

It's a Hoover DynamicNext washer/dryer unit that came with the apartment, so I don't have a clue what drying technology it uses. I'm assuming it evacuates moisture through the exhaust hose, as there's no air vent or water tank on it.

I thought the washer/dryer might be causing your humidity problems. However, the manual for the model indicates that the dryer drains straight into your plumbing. I suggest checking the discharge hose is correctly positioned (p.10)

I also suggest checking that your filter is clean (p.13) so that all water is draining out of the machine following a spin.

The level of humidity you have suggests a leak. Have you noticed the mould appearing in a particular area quicker than in others / is the mould thicker in any spot?

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Out of interest how much does a dryer cost to run. That and the immersion are the two things Irish people seen terrified of.

boyoutofhell

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

Out of interest how much does a dryer cost to run. That and the immersion are the two things Irish people seen terrified of.

Well my washer/dryer needs 5-6 kW total for a normal washing + drying cycle (5kg of laundry), which costs a little under €1.5 total. Now I'm on Pinergy which is prepaid electricity so I guess costs may vary depending on the provider.

Dunno about immersion, my apartment is electrically heated.

EDit

One thing to note about most electric dehumidifiers (I have 2 in our house) is that their performance dips in cold environments. It may be that you need to increase the heat in your apartment (and perhaps counterintuitively close all the windows to maintain that heat) to get the dehumidifier to work optimally

loyatemu

EDit wrote: »

One thing to note about most electric dehumidifiers (I have 2 in our house) is that their performance dips in cold environments. It may be that you need to increase the heat in your apartment (and perhaps counterintuitively close all the windows to maintain that heat) to get the dehumidifier to work optimally

dessicant-based dehumidifiers work better in the cold, but that shouldn't be an issue in an occupied house or apartment, the condenser type should work fine down to about 12 degrees.

We've had mould problems in our house, again probably caused by drying clothes indoors; but also if you're cooking, showering, even breathing, you're creating additional moisture.

Dehumidifier in the room where we dry the clothes has helped a lot, also make sure bathroom and kitchen extractor fans are working properly and turned on when required.

I've heard good things about Positive Input Ventilation for older properties, but that's probably not practical in an apartment (particular a rental).

thomas anderson.

thomas anderson. wrote: »

Dettol Mould and Mildew remover.

Cost about €5 in Dunnes

Best product I have ever used.

I second this product. Also, use a condenser dryer.

fash

boyoutofhell wrote: »

I use THIS ONE I got on Amazon. It does what it says and removes 12 L of moisture per day and sterilises the air using UV light. I've been running it for about 3 weeks now I'd say and while there's a slight improvement (went down from 95% to about 80%), there still is mould.

You've only been using the dehumidifier for 3 weeks? That will only prevent the situation getting worse- it can't remove mould that is there.

ELM327

boyoutofhell wrote: »

Well my washer/dryer needs 5-6 kW total for a normal washing + drying cycle (5kg of laundry), which costs a little under €1.5 total. Now I'm on Pinergy which is prepaid electricity so I guess costs may vary depending on the provider.

Dunno about immersion, my apartment is electrically heated.

5-6kWh is pretty standard consumption for a full washer dryer cycle.
Mine takes similar, if we assume 8c/kWh for night rate it costs me 48c to run a wash and dry cycle.

ELM327

fash wrote: »

You've only been using the dehumidifier for 3 weeks? That will only prevent the situation getting worse- it can't remove mould that is there.

+1
I am in this cycle at the moment. Preventative but there was a small amount of mold building.
You need to treat the mold first, then use a dehumidifier.

.......

ELM327 wrote: »

+1
I am in this cycle at the moment. Preventative but there was a small amount of mold building.
You need to treat the mold first, then use a dehumidifier.

Actually we found it better to leave the mould initially, run the dehumidifier for a few weeks, then remove the mould (which had dried out a lot by then) and it wasnt able to come back.

YMMY.

boyoutofhell

ELM327 wrote: »

f we assume 8c/kWh for night rate it costs me 48c to run a wash and dry cycle.

Can't leave it running overnight. Tried it, but couldn't sleep because of the noise it makes. I run it during the day @ 22c/kWh

ELM327 wrote: »

+1
I am in this cycle at the moment. Preventative but there was a small amount of mold building.
You need to treat the mold first, then use a dehumidifier.

....... wrote: »

Actually we found it better to leave the mould initially, run the dehumidifier for a few weeks, then remove the mould (which had dried out a lot by then) and it wasnt able to come back.

YMMY.

I'm kinda in the process of trying both these methods. Will see how it goes.

Mike3549

So do all people who claim its cheaper to run electrics at night have a special day/night meter installed? Cos you do realize that if its a standard one, it will cost the same amount of money, whether you use it at night or day