What are biological contaminants? https://www.ductless-mini-split-air-conditioner.org/ Biological contaminants are living things or are produced by living things. They include mould, house dust, bacteria, viruses, animal dander, cat saliva, pollen, cockroaches and mites. What are moulds? Moulds are fungi, naturally found both indoors and outdoors. Except for yeasts, which reproduce by budding, moulds spread by releasing tiny spores into the air. Warm and damp conditions inside your home help mould to grow, resulting in mould spores in indoor air. What are some health problems caused by moulds and other biological contaminants? Many biological contaminants are small enough to be inhaled and some can cause health problems. Moulds, for example, can cause allergic reactions. Bacteria and viruses can cause infections. Mould can also cause infections, but it rarely does. Some studies have found increases in common symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and headaches in people who live in homes with dampness and visible mould. What causes moulds to grow? High humidity or indoor air moisture levels cause mould growth. For example, large differences between inside and outside temperatures can cause water to condense on windows causing mould to grow on frames or sills. Water coming in to the house from outside, from the roof or from plumbing leaks can cause moisture. Damp areas can also result from daily activities around the house like bathing, washing clothes or cooking. Moisture from humidifiers or bathrooms without proper ventilation may also help mould grow. How do I know if my home has moulds? Mould growth may appear on damp surfaces such as window sills, interior-facing walls and bathtub caulking. If there are leaks in the roof or outside walls, there could be moisture inside the wall. The back side of drywall, wood studs, insulation, plywood and building paper might be wet. Look for discoloration or stains on damp areas. Mould often looks fuzzy or powdery and is usually light green to brown or black in colour. Mould growth may not be visible on the surfaces of interior-facing walls because of water coming into the wall from the outside. Moulds can also be found on or under water-damaged surfaces, such as behind baseboards, tiles and carpets. Moulds often give off a ‘musty’ smell. What can I do to prevent and control moulds? The key to controlling mould, is to control moisture. To prevent moisture, high humidity and condensation, you can take these steps: Install and use exhaust fans vented to the outside in moist areas, such as kitchens and bathrooms Use a timer to run bathroom fans for 30 minutes after showering Vent clothes dryers to the outside Ventilate attic and crawl spaces to prevent moisture build up. If the crawl space is bare earth, cover it with plastic If there is high humidity in your home that can’t otherwise be controlled, use a dehumidifier. Make sure you have the device that best meets your room size and humidity Repair all internal and external water leaks right away Remove water sources that may contribute to mould growth, such as standing water in planters Stop stagnant water from collecting around heating ventilation and air conditioning system parts. Empty drip pans regularly. Keep stagnant water sources clean and disinfected Do not use humidifying devices with water spray if anyone with asthma lives in the household. If you do use these devices, clean them before each use How can I clean up mould? If the area is small (less than 1 metre square) you can clean the mould yourself. Make sure you wear household rubber gloves, safety glasses or goggles and a mask when you are cleaning. If the area is larger, it may require special training or commercial cleaners. If you are doing the cleaning yourself, make sure to: Clean all smooth surfaces with mould growth using detergent and water Clean and dry water damaged carpets, underlay and building materials within 24-48 hours, or consider throwing them out Throw out contaminated porous materials, such as mouldy ceiling tiles, drywall or carpets with mildew Once clean-up is done, be sure to fix the underlying cause (water damage, too much humidity or not enough ventilation) to prevent more mould from growing again

Whitewash is leaving some of the base color of the plaques, adding white paint mixture and gently skimming off 'some' of the paint. Leaving more paint in the deep parts of the design, The raised parts will be the metal color. A weathered shabby chic finish. Lightly sand them. Mix 1/2 glaze and 1/2 white paint. One at a time. Brush mixture on. Let it stand about 2 minutes. Wipe with a lightly damp cloth 'very gently' over the entire piece. Just skimming the raised surfaces that will remove some of the paint.

I bought a two story condo a year and half ago and turns out it was riddled with mold all throughout the second floor due to an architectural defect from the very beginning of the building 30 years ago. The association just kept ‘patching’ and replacing the roof over and over hoping the leaks would go away (insane) I was lied to by the sellers and association. Non of this was disclosed to me. The sellers painted the whole second floor with a fresh coat of mold resistant paint so no one could see anything. It’s true that once you see it on the walls that’s only the very tip of the iceberg and it’s likely much much worse inside the walls. I was also a naive first time home buyer on my own and didn’t pay for the extra mold inspection. I learned my lesson. I consulted several lawyers and they all came to the same conclusion. The sellers would file for bankruptcy and you’ll get no resolution and spend thousands in legal fees. So I threatened to make holy hell rain upon the association in a last ditch effort and finally after three months they relented and a forensic architect was brought in to diagnose and fix the cause of the leaks and decades of mold was remediated. Btw borax and hydrogen peroxide are great options for killing mold. It took an additional three months for them to remediate and rebuild the second floor. They also found a major support beam that was rotted out and needed to be replaced to keep the integrity of the structure. One month later I found that one of my subground walls downstairs in the living room was covered in black mold when I moved a piece of furniture. Turns out this wall was never sealed to code considering half of it is underground. The association fixed the drainage outside the wall to direct water away and replaced the drywall but still waiting for them to properly address this issue. The mold will only return until the outside of the wall underground is dug up and covered in a water proof barrier. It has been an absolute nightmare for me. I cry myself to sleep often. I have no way of selling this place and getting even close to what I owe on it. Also we are all under heavy special assessments now because it was discovered after working on my unit it was at the very brink of being uninhabitable. All units in this building have had the same leakage problems and now all have to be fixed and remediated. I am trying to make the best of it and hope that someday I will be relieved of this nightmare. Attached is my downstairs subground wall when I noticed the mold.

I don't use sponges, except that kind with that scrubbing material on the other side (to wash the bathtub and bathroom sink, with Ajax, Comet, or such). I let it dry afterward, and maybe use it a few times. If I lived alone, I might use sponges in the kitchen, but in a house full of people, I never know where they've been. I like using stainless steel pot scrubbers (see the picture) and dish wands (not the ones with sponges, but the bristly ones; see the other picture) to wash dishes. Wash cloths or rags (see the other picture) are nice, too. I used to be afraid of using scouring pads, but now they're like the easiest thing for me to use sometimes. I must have had tender skin. Maybe handling all those hot peppers helped. The receptors they activate aren't just for heat, but also for things like abraision (e.g. probably some of the same kinds of pain activated by rug burns and/or such). It would stand to reason that your body might think it needs to develop stronger skin if it thinks you're rubbing it against stuff much.