Mold!

[RasJi7]

Staying with my Mom. She set up an airbag with a foam ikea mattress on top for us. Changing things out today I see mold in between the two. So the air mattress has it on top (and it's one with the felt material on top) and the foam mattress cover had it on it. Took the cover off and can't see any mold on the foam mattress itself.

Is it safe to keep using the foam mattress?
Can I wash the cover and get the mold out or do we throw out the cover?

How about the air mattress? throw it out, right?

Is the house prone to mold? If I am going to only use the foam mattress is there anything I should between the carpet and the foam mattress?

Thanks for any info!

[KimPM]

Personally, I wouldn't use either, and would rather sleep on the floor than a mattress with any amount of mold. If the cover had mold on it, it's possible the mattress also has it in there even if you can't see it. Can you just go get another air mattress?

Where was it stored? What happened to it?

[RasJi7]

It was right in her bedroom She had been sleeping on it but moved into the guest room with a futon so we could have th room with the bathroom in it. So does this mean that the house has mold or the cover for the foam mattress? IDK what to do. If there is mold in the room, I don't know that I want to sleep on the floor! oy.

I can't see anything on the mattress or on the flip side of the cover (i took it off and turned it inside out.

My son and I both had a cough at one point. His sounded croupy so I used homeopathic spongia and he cleared up within a week. I wonder if there is mold in the walls or floor.

How to check? I don't know anything about mold. I better get to work looking into this. If anyone has knowledge about it and time to write, please let me know what you know

[KimPM]

Sounds like the mold was pretty much just in between the mattress and air mattress...? If that was the case, it probably got wet, even just a little, between the layers and never opened up and allowed to dry. Perhaps the heat of your mom sleeping on the upper mattress heated up the top foamy part, while the lower air mattress stayed cold (and completely UNbreathable plastic)...can you say CONDENSATION in between the layers...? If that sounds probable, then perhaps the house is not necessarily prone to mold. In any case, with you opening things up, removing mattress covers and such, it likely disturbed a lot of the mold and it got airborne. Sounds like the bedding needs to be tossed and a HEPA filter needs to be run particularly in that room, but now likely also in the rest of the house, as the air handler (A/C system) or even just simple house air currents took the stuff all over. It goes without saying that she should stop sleeping on the mattress "sandwich" and throw it out. At least that's what I would do.

The cough could very well be a reaction to the mold. I'd try and clear up the house as soon as possible. to prevent further illness in anyone.

They have cheapie home test kits at places like Home Depot - you leave a treated petri dish out and see if it grows mold. You can also get professional testing, but it's pricey.

When you/she gets a new mattress, don't repeat the same setup with a foam topper on top of an air mattress. It will do the same thing. If you want an air mattress, just get an air mattress. No topper. If you want foam, just get foam, no air mattress.

[GreenCleaner]

As the saying goes, better safe than sorry.  Mold can act as a trigger for asthma/allerigies.  If you are concerned about mold levels in your mom's home, I'd recommend talking to a professional about having a mold test done.

Mold Testing Orlando