Mold/Mildew in closet

[balboni]

We just noticed that the back right corner (on an outside wall) of my daughter's closet has mold or mildew on it. I think there may be one or two causes for it. We keep her dirty laundry in the closet and sometimes some of it is wet. We also keep a humidifier on in her room at night and I think it's probably too humid when we go in in the morning. How do I get rid of it? Is there a difference between mold and mildew? Is one more dangerous than the other and do they need to be treated differently? There are also lots of clothes hanging in the closet. I'm assuming we need to wash everything but does it also need to be treated somehow?

Thanks

[Bob]

[m Ransley]

If humidity is to high condensation forms on the coldest spot , that just happens to be the outside wall. Wet clothes make it worse. Mold is mildew and bleach will kill it. But why have a humidifier in there at all, you dont need one do you. you can introduce a whole new set of issues and problems with to humid air. You have not shown that a humidifier is necessary by any reliable means. Uncalibrated humidistats are considered unreliable means.

[tev9999]

I've had similar issues in my bedroom and the front closet - both areas are outside walls and my 1950s Michigan house does not have very good wall insulation. In the bedroom I just make sure I don't let any clothing, blankets, etc. stay up against the wall. For the closet I try to keep the door open an inch in the winter to let some warm air in. I've been meaning to put an opening in the door or wall to let air circulate with the rest of the house, but have not gotten to it yet.

Wash the clothes, clean the wall with regular household cleaner - maybe something with bleach to kill the mold.

[chattycat]

You might want to look into possible causes by the outside wall. Are there drainage issues? Is there a planter on the outside wall? Is there wet dirt up against the outer wall of the house? Are there sprinklers that hit that wall of the house? In my opinion there are other causes other than wet clothes if that's the only area with mold. In answering your question about whether or not mold is dangerous... it can be. People react differently. In my experience, my kids are very, very sensitive to it. It would be on the safe side and get rid of it and address the cause of it at the same time.

Good luck!

[balboni]

I don't think there are any causes from the outside wall as the level of the floor is raised about 5 feet above the ground. There is only a

10' wide cemeted sidewalk gangway between our building and the next one over. I will try cleaning out the mold with water and bleach and am considering painting the wall when I'm done with Kilz.

[chattycat]

Is the adjacent wall connected to a bathroom? If not, it sounds like you're on the right track and you might just want to better ventilate the closet to reduce humidity.

[Norminn]

Mold and mildew spores are everywhere - they grow only when conditions are right. Dry out the room, get the wet laundry out of the closet. If the corner in question is cooler, which is likely, it probably gets more moisture collecting from condensation. Wipe the wall in that area with mild bleach solution. A fancy basket in the room might be a better laundry hamper...can hang wet stuff over it until it is dry or find a better place for the wet stuff.

[balboni]

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what primer/paint I should use? I know Zinsser makes a product called Perma-White which is mildew resistant so I plan on using that. Apparently it's self-priming, but should I use a different primer?

[David Combs]

For the closet I

Well, I keep my closet door closed, plus have a towel folded up and tight against the space at the bottom of the door -- precicisely to keep the air *from* circulating!

Why? So the moth-ball gas can be at a high enough concentration to kill off or keep away those moths, which otherwise eat ugly large holes in suits, etc.

So, it's a catch-22, I guess.

Fix one, the other one gets you.

David

[Goedjn]

The mothballs ought to kill the mildew, too.