Latest news with #mold
CNET
a day ago
- General
- CNET
If Your Washing Machine is Growing Mold, This Trick Can Get Rid of It
It's laundry day. You bring your dirty clothes to the washing machine only to open it and catch a whiff of rotting wood, wet socks and damp earth. Wait, is that mold? Mold and mildew feed off of heat and humidity, breeding in dark spaces that don't get properly aired out. During the peak of summer, mold can easily move into your washing machine and cause a problem you'll need to deal with. CNET A quick look around Reddit threads suggests that more than a few people struggle with stubborn mold, mildew and bacteria in washing machine door seals. While some have experimented with using chemicals like bleach, odd smells and stubborn particles in and around the door of their washing machines can be a recurring problem. Thankfully, tackling mold and mildew in your washing machine just requires some elbow grease. All it takes is a proper deep clean and your washer will be back to doing its job without mold, mildew or bacteria interfering. Cleaning the washer, along with allowing it to air out between uses can work wonders. Not sure how to properly clean your washing machine? We'll walk you through what you need to know about killing bacteria or mold in your washer and how to rid your machine of those awful smells. Read more: Are You Washing Your Bath Towels Enough? Experts Doubt It The best way to remove a bad smell from your washing machine If you have mold in your washer, here's how to get rid of it. Doing this monthly will help prevent mold growth. 1. Put on gloves and grab an old towel that you don't care about. 2. Mix a solution of either bleach and hot water or vinegar and hot water. (Never mix bleach and vinegar -- it creates toxic chlorine gas.) 3. Dip the towel in the mixture and start scrubbing away at any visible mold. Be sure to get the detergent dispenser and around the gaskets. 4. Front-loading machines have a gasket around the door. If you have a front loader, clean and dry it thoroughly, including all the folds. Be careful not to tear the gasket. 5. Run the wash cycle on the hottest setting your machine offers with a cup of bleach or vinegar. If using bleach, pour it into the compartment designated for bleach. If using vinegar, pour it into the detergent slot. If your machine has a self-clean cycle, you can use that setting. This should kill any hidden mold that you may have missed. 6. Use another old towel and wipe away all the moisture in your washing machine. This includes the drum, dispensers, seals and any other areas you can reach. 7. Leave the washer door open to allow airflow to dry any parts you missed. Simple ways to prevent mold and mildew in your washer Leave the lid open if you're not washing clothes Mold grows in dark, moist areas, which is what your washer becomes after you've unloaded the clothes. Whether it's a top or front loader, keeping the lid closed traps moisture, which can lead to built-up bacteria and a bad smell. Leaving the washing machine door open helps ventilate the area and prevents mold from growing in the first place. Remove wet clothes right away Damp clothes are another breeding ground for mold. If you're throwing in a load of laundry, make sure you'll be home to remove the clothes right when the wash cycle ends. Not only does this prevent mold from growing in your washer, but it keeps mildew out of your clean clothing, bedding and towels. Dry damp seals and other parts after each use After you're finished using your washing machine for the day, wipe down any part of the washer that's damp. This includes the lid, drum, door, rubber gaskets and detergent dispenser (if your machine has that feature). Keep an old towel on hand for this purpose. Dry the seals along with the rest of your washer to prevent moisture from sticking around. And while mold contamination can happen in any washer, it's especially common in high-efficiency (HE) front-loading washers. That's why you should regularly wash the gaskets and seals around the door and keep them dry. The gaskets make sure water doesn't leak out around the door and they also do a good job of sealing in the moisture that can help mold grow. You should also remove pet hair, crumpled paper or any other debris from the machine right away. If you have a high-efficiency (HE) washer, use a powder detergent made for HE machines. Taylor Martin/CNET Use a high-efficiency washing machine Liquid detergents can leave a residue in your washing machine, giving mold a food source. So if you have a high-efficiency washer, the first thing to do to keep mold in check is to make sure you're using a laundry detergent made specifically for this type of washer, which will produce fewer suds. (Look for the letters HE on the bottle.) Better yet, steer clear of liquid detergent altogether and switch to powder detergent or pods. Whichever you choose, make sure you're only using as much as you need to wash your clothes. If you use too much, your clothes may have a smell and residue. Once you've cleaned your washer, it's time to move on to the rest of your house. Start with the bathroom: Here's a simple one-hour hack for degunking your showerhead and how to unclog a toilet without a plunger. FAQs What cleaning chemicals should I avoid mixing when cleaning my washing machine? You're going to have to apply some elbow grease, put on some cleaning gloves and break out the cleaning chemicals to clean out your washer. A cleaning solution of hot water and bleach or hot water and vinegar is what you'll want to use to scrub out the inside of the machine, but you never want to combine bleach and vinegar -- that creates chlorine gas, which is toxic to you and anyone else in your home. What should I do after I finish running my washer? After you clean your washer and return to regular use, you'll still want to prevent new mold or mildew from developing within the machine. When you're done using your washing machine, make sure to dry the inside of the machine to avoid the warm, wet conditions that bacteria usually flourishes in. More cleaning tips and tricks for the home
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Multiple tenants at apartment complain about mold problem
DEL CITY, Okla. (KFOR) — News 4 has received several complaints from Oklahomans regarding their apartments being overrun with mold. They say management with the Heights on Forty4 has made temporary fixes, which have only been making it matters worse. That is why they turned to News 4 for help. 'When we went up there, they had freshly painted everywhere around, and they said it was a no mold and no flooding going on,' said Wenoka Williams, a tenant. Williams had believed them when she was told that. However, Williams says that she should have listened to the warnings she received when first moving in. Former federal agents turned beekeepers protecting bees with friendly competition 'When we first moved in there, our neighbors across the way told us they just moved out like a month ago because of the flooding and mold,' Williams said. 'It was like about two years we had been complaining about it,' said Shawn Williamson, another tenant. 'Then they moved us over here, to this apartment, and then two months after that, they moved my neighbors in over there, and they had the same issue.' Williams and her family were moved out of the apartment last week because of how bad the flooding and mold got. News 4 tried checking out the apartment, but were asked to leave. Williams was glad to be in a different apartment, until they saw it too, had mold. 'I'm tired of this,' Williams said. 'I said, y'all steady talk about what you're going to do and nothing is happening.' She says every time maintenance has come out, they don't apply a permanent fix. 'They patched the ceiling yesterday, but still, when they flush the toilet up over there, it still falls down,' Williams said. News 4 went to speak with management, but were told no manager was there. We then called the company that apparently owns the apartment complex, Ghan and Cooper Commercial Properties, but they didn't answer, and we haven't heard back. Williams hopes for better days ahead. 'You want more money, but you're not fixing anything,' Williams said. 'Something needs to be done.' Williams told News 4 she might have to find a new place to live if something isn't done soon. She's worried for her and her family's health, but doesn't want someone else to live their experience. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
The ocean is swallowing San Francisco in this curious novel
Bay Area rain has an insidious way of creeping into the bones — of people, of buildings. When I lived there, my bathroom maintained a clammy topicality, even in drought months. Once, a strip of paint and damp plaster peeled off the wall and exposed its innards, confirming my worst fear: that the whole house was largely glued together by black mold. There was an inevitably to it as sure as there was to the damp, the kind of ongoing apocalypse that you can only live with, never really prevent.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Live Oak Manor Apartments tenant voices concern about mold and mildew
ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY) — Longtime tenant of Live Oak Manor, Vicki Bessard voices concerns about battling alleged mold and mildew inside her apartment. She said in the past she faced the same issues in her previous apartment but requested to move after her daughter was diagnosed with severe asthma. Bessard said in the past she had put up with these concerns with the mold and mildew but the recent incident after returning home from an eight day cruise she returned it was the last straw. 'My daughter comes and shows me a little decorative item of her dress. It was covered with green mold,' she said. Bessard said. She then started going around her apartment inspecting everything and just about all throughout the interior it was covered with mold and mildew. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'My personal belongings and the interior walls and everything that belongs to Live Oak,' she explained. Despite reaching out to management and taking pictures she said she was informed her personal belongings would be clean. However, Bessard expressed she wasn't satisfied. 'You're not going to say you're going to test this mold?' Bessard asked. 'You're not going to send out a professional company to come bust these walls to see what's going on behind it? She basically told me no. So here we are.' Bessard also added that she is not the only resident experiencing this is problem and hopes to see a change for the better in the future. 'It's ridiculous. Some of these apartments back here they're in deplorable conditions and people shouldn't be afraid to speak up but I get it. I'm going to speak up if you have to take just me to speak for all these tenants back here,' Bessard said. 'I feel like just because some of them don't probably properly take care of their apartment, they are still human beings. These people have young kids back here. They still need to be treated equally regardless of how they have the conditions of the apartment or whatever. It doesn't matter. Everybody needs to be treated equally. I have been living in Live Oak Manor for the majority of all my life. It is not the best of living, but I have never in my 42 years of living experience the deplorable conditions that I'm experiencing now in Live Oak, especially with these mildew and mold.' A statement from councilwoman Terry Broussard expressed the following: 'For quite sometime now Live Oak Manor has had many issues ranging from management, lack of services, and unkept apartments with the latest complaint being mold infested apartments. I take issue with families that are having to live in unsafe and unhealthy dwellings. It should be Live Oak Manor's mission to ensure that every tenant is safe and can live healthy lives. I encourage all tenants to report mold issues if they have any and it is my hope that there be no retaliation from owners of property or the management.' –Councilwoman Terry Broussard of District D House panel unveils tax portion of Trump agenda bill Live Oak Manor Apartments tenant voices concern about mold and mildew Breaux Bridge family seeks justice after fatal hit and run Showers Over the Mother's Day Weekend, Next Week Will Be Hotter & Drier… Woman arrested for animal cruelty in St. Landry Parish Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
