Healthy Indoors Magazine - USA Edition

26 | August 2022 May's Ways Continued from previous page in full time. They both then experienced asthma symptoms. They were concerned that the dirt crawlspace under part of the house might be a source of mold spores. The crawlspace had been thoroughly remediated, with surfaces HEPA vac- uumed and paint sealed, and with a mesh-reinforced vapor barrier installed over the dirt and attached securely to the foun- dation walls. There were even pressure-treated planks laid on the barrier to create access pathways. The owners were also adequately controlling the relative humidity (RH) in the crawl- space, keeping the RH under 50 percent. The culprit was mold growth on most pieces of their furniture, which were family heirlooms and had no doubt at one point in their history been stored in damp spaces. In addition, the house didn't have air conditioning, and the couple opened windows in the summer to let in the fresh sea air. That air was full of moisture that fueled mold growth on surface dust. When I check furnishings with a mirror and flashlight, I often find mold growth on the bottoms of chairs and tables (even a drop-leaf table), because at some point such pieces were stored in damp basements or garages. I have even found mold growth on the bottoms of piano benches and the backs of pianos. Mold growth at the back of a piano. 5. Pet hairs and dander Pet-dander particles and pet hairs remain at sites long after the animals or people carrying pet dander or hairs on their clothing have left the premises. I worked with one woman who was highly allergic to cats and who had pur- chased a condominium in which a former occupant had had pet cats. She had the house thoroughly cleaned before she moved in, but there were still cat-dander particles in the dust trapped between the fins of the baseboard heat- ing convectors. She had the fin tubing cleaned with steam vapor from a steam-vapor machine and no longer suffered allergies in the condo. Micrograph of wool cuticle particles, many respirable, in sample taken from a bedroom rug. Carpeting and rugs can also be reservoirs for mold spores, pet-dander particles, and other allergens. No mat- ter how often or how thoroughly carpeting and rugs are HEPA vacuumed, all these particles can never be com- pletely removed. In addition, when wall-to-wall carpeting is "steam cleaned" (using hot water rather than live steam), microbial growth can ensue if the carpeting is not complete- ly dry within 24 to 48 hours. 4. Moldy furniture I have often found that people will put that old couch they've had for years or that used to be stored in their par- ents' musty basement into their own basement family room. Such pieces can be mold reservoirs. Some families store a child's car seat in a damp base- ment or garage and then use the seat again when a new baby is born. Such car seats can be full of mold growth, flourishing on all that spilled food and juice. Then the new member of the family is exposed to the spores. Mold growth on child's car seat. I investigated one house that was near the ocean and that had been a vacation home until the owners retired and moved

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