Wet Season - Musty smells and Mildew

[richone]

Now we're into the prolonged rains of the wet season, I am suffering with mildew and musty smells in the bedroom, mainly the wardobe and shelving.

I leave the wardobe doors open, ventilate the room and the wardobe, used the dehumidifying programme/mode of the AC, leave the fans on, put a small light in the wardobe, and washed all affected surfaces with a water, floor cleaner and bleach solution.

I also, frequently wash clothes and linen, and/or air them in the sun etc etc. Though still can't seem to get rid of the musty smells. I reckon it gets into the particle board of the wood furniture.

(I live at the foot of the jungle covered hills (Kamala), where it rains frequently)

Does anyone have any solutions or ideas?

[LivinLOS]

Once you do get a mold spor in that formica style wood it really gets in.. Bleach cleaning can kill it but thats not my job..

I know you can buy cupboard heaters.. They are supposed to keep the damp down.. I would have thought a 100w light bulb would have done the job too..

[Dodger]

Heh mouldy old dough to the recue, pop down to surin/laguna and on your left opposite new plaza just passed Red Room is ZeeZee Interiors.

Purchase an overly expensive little mould eater heater, think it was 1k or 1.5k? cant really remember bought it last year, but don't rear up and scoff at the price, pay it with a little smug smile on your face, even if its gone up in price.

You might need an extension lead, little bit more cost, getting angry at Dodger for the cost of petrol to laguna, stupid little lamp, extension lead all biting into serious drinking time period.

But plug the beauty in, hang it in your wardrobe with or without the doors open, you can do it either way, half or one day later no mould, no smell, give it a little blurter session every few days, or when you smell old musty venturing back and your done, I'm now your best friend in Phuket and you cannot ever buy me enough beers everytime you see me anywhere.

*please note the following mould heater is sponsored by Dodgy Promotions, all profit is place squarley and firmly in his pocket never to be seen again.

[Coolhand]

Same problem in HK this time of year.
Option 1 buy a dehumidifier - get one that cuts out whem the water bin is full, or it will make a hell of a mess - abot 2k HKD (9K baht).
Option 2 wardrobe heaters - 15W electric heater, probably untidy if no socket in wardorbe.
Option 3 - boxes of moisture absorber available from supermarket, probably same as silica gel sachets you get in electric goods boxes.

[richone]

Thanks Dodger, I'll follow that one up.

What actually is the product you mention? Do you know, is it just a heater, or does it have some chemical within it, that soaks up, or neutralises the mould and related odour?

I'm also thinking of getting some of the (kitchen style) larger (plastic coated) metal racks, so that I can put clothes in those and the air can circulate all sides very easily

[Nero]

Come and live in Wellington, New Zealand.

We have a unique climate where it is very humid as it is an island country surrounded by ocean, but the humidity is cold and therefore damp!!!!

I run a dehumidifyer 24/7 and it extracts in winter 5 litres of water every two days from the air in my house!!!

Cant wait for my next tour to LOS I tell you.

[Dodger]

Don't remember its trade name but it is like a little bar heater, no chemical or anything else just warms and drys the air and kills off old mouldy face pretty damn quickly.

I tried everything, chemicals, dehumidifiers, I washed every part of my wardrobes in mould killer stuff, aired everything everyday in the sunlight and mouldy old joester just kept coming right on back, even appeared for no reason on a bronze statue?

But then one glorious day, in total desperation I saw an advert for the mould eater heater thingy and thought ' well Ive tried everything else' popped over to Zee Zee Interiors and heh presto, eat your heart old mouldy, your outta here!!!

Lent it to loads of people and they all say the same, exquistamundodooshish!!

[Denver]

That last place I had was badly effected and you can see the stains in the woodwork where the mold had taken hold. Looks like nasty stuff.

That other strange smell in the bedroom I used to get was 4-5 weeks worth of under-crackers I'd kicked under the bed. Quick trip to laundry lady followed by half of Kamalalala's dog pack usually sorted that out.

Might have to get one of them thar lamp-heater-moldifier-thingies then!

[richone]

Dodger, thanks that sounds just like what the doctor ordered then. I note you (like me) had tried everything else before you found the "mould eater heater", or whatever it is. You sounded so enthusiastic about it, that I wondered if you had a vested interest, i.e were on commission or are a partner in the business.

[les1999]

Originally Posted by Denver

That last place I had was badly effected and you can see the stains in the woodwork where the mold had taken hold. Looks like nasty stuff.

That other strange smell in the bedroom I used to get was 4-5 weeks worth of under-crackers I'd kicked under the bed. Quick trip to laundry lady followed by half of Kamalalala's dog pack usually sorted that out.

Might have to get one of them thar lamp-heater-moldifier-thingies then!

either that MrD or stop kicking your under-daks under the bed......!!!!!!!!

p.s. - one of those dogs asked me if he could come round and live under your bed..........5555555555555

[richone]

Well, I got one yesterday. It's a "tubular heater", (made by Argus Heating, New Zealand), nothing exciting, but expensive at 2500baht - discounted to 2200 baht - for a small one. So it's a case of wait and see now, if it does the job.

[Lightemup]

So richone....Whats the verdict?
I might be heading up to ZZ myself tomorrow to pick one up then.

Not that I dont trust Dodgy's recommendation, but 2 favorable reviews are better than 1

[richone]

Yes, I got one, it's a 42 watt tubular heater, sits in bottom of wardrobe.

It works, in that it certainly warms and dries the wardobe, and stops any new mildew arising and reduced the smells. But in my situation it didn't eliminate the smell completely, just reduced it and changed it to a dry musty smell.

Also note you can't put the heater inside drawers, which often have the mildewy smell the most. I put drawers outside in the sun for many hours, but it doesn't really get rid of the problem.

I think the problem I have is that the wardobes have acquired mildew within the wood particle board over the last few years and therefore it can't really be eliminated. Since using the heater the clothes in the wardobe haven't taken on a smell which is good, but the wardobe still has a smell.

I think the only real solution is to discard the wardobe, buy a new one, ideally solid wood (or use open hanging rails) and then install a tubular heater in your new wardrobe from the outset.

If your wardobe is relatively new and the mildew hasn't got into the particle board, then certainly worth buying a tubular heater. It was also much more effective than a light bulb. When buying bne only, they discounted for me from 2500 baht to 2200 baht.

[Dodger]

Oh you of little faith Mr Lightemup.

Another little technique we use for pillows or strange shape objects that do not go too well in the wardrobe (no I'm not elaborating on what they are!) we build a little sort of bridge with them over the top of the super mouldy old dough boy munching machine and does the trick, super doopery.

Heh I didn't remember it costing 2500 or 2200bht, was their different sizes? perhaps theyv'e changed stock or something.

[les1999]

Originally Posted by richone

Yes, I got one, it's a 42 watt tubular heater, sits in bottom of wardrobe.

It works, in that it certainly warms and dries the wardobe, and stops any new mildew arising and reduced the smells. But in my situation it didn't eliminate the smell completely, just reduced it and changed it to a dry musty smell.

Also note you can't put the heater inside drawers, which often have the mildewy smell the most. I put drawers outside in the sun for many hours, but it doesn't really get rid of the problem.

I think the problem I have is that the wardobes have acquired mildew within the wood particle board over the last few years and therefore it can't really be eliminated. Since using the heater the clothes in the wardobe haven't taken on a smell which is good, but the wardobe still has a smell.

I think the only real solution is to discard the wardobe, buy a new one, ideally solid wood (or use open hanging rails) and then install a tubular heater in your new wardrobe from the outset.

If your wardobe is relatively new and the mildew hasn't got into the particle board, then certainly worth buying a tubular heater. It was also much more effective than a light bulb. When buying bne only, they discounted for me from 2500 baht to 2200 baht.

and just who's 'drawers' are these may I ask......5555555

[Lightemup]

I trusted the old "Dodgy" characters verdict, but like I said, 2 is better than 1.
Anyway, I went there today and picked one up.
2500 baht, couldnt haggle it down.

Now for the extension cord....