# Mold



## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

I discovered a pretty big mold problem in my bathroom a few weeks ago. Grrr. I can't see the mold, but I can smell it, so every weekend I've been bleaching the whole bathroom from top to bottom. But I think it's the countertop and it's rotting from the inside so all that cleaning only does so much.

My landlord knows and he's going to replace the ceiling fan (it's pretty old and not very strong) and if that doesn't help draw out enough moisture to kill the mold, he'll replace the countertop. He's on a 2-week vacation right now, so the whole process will probably take several weeks.

In the meantime, I'm keeping the bathroom door closed at all times with the ceiling fan on, and I set out bowls of charcoal and baking soda to absorb extra moisture and odor. And I started bathing Piglet in the kitchen sink instead. Other than keeping him out of the bathroom, is there anything else I can do to keep him from getting exposed? I'm in a one-bedroom apartment, so even though Pig is in the living room the bathroom is still only ~10 feet away.


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## Heavenly Hedgehogs (Mar 19, 2010)

Mold is very unhealthy for you as well to be exposed to,, I would tell the landlord to replace the counter at the same time. I think you are doing everything you can for your pet at this point


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

I'm not terribly worried about my own exposure to it. I'm very allergic to mold and if it's really bad I'll break out all over with eczema within 20 minutes of being around it. So far so good!

My dad used to specialize in landlord-tenant law and I've kept him in the loop about my conversations with the landlord and his plan of action to make sure he's not screwing me over. I understand how he'd want to start with the cheapest possible solution, and my dad says that's a normal and reasonable course of action for a landlord to take. So until I break out with allergies or my dad expresses concern, I think I'm ok.  I just want to minimize Pig's exposure since hedgehogs can be so sensitive to their environment. If/when the time comes to replace the countertop I'll take him to work with me and maybe leave him with my parents overnight so he's not around when all the dust and mold spores are up in the air.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

You need to be concerned about yourself and your hedgie. The fan is not enough. The counter and anything with the mold has to be replaced. It is a definite health hazard.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

A non-working fan shouldn't cause mold in the bathroom unless there was a leak as well. The fan in my main bathroom didn't at all for 6 years, and there was never any mold or moisture build-up from it. If its black mold its very very dangerous and has to be removed for health reasons.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Ok, I'll push him to replace the counter when he gets back from vacation on July 2nd. Until then, I'll write down everthing I've noticed, gather all the pictures I've taken, and all the cleaning I've done so it's all documented. If he resists I'll ask my dad to help take the next legal course of action.

I'll see if my parents would be willing to take Pig for a couple weeks while all of this gets sorted out. I hate to impose on them like that, but the longer this is drawn out the worse the mold will get and I don't want him around that. Ugh. Keep your fingers crossed that the landlord will cooperate.


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## Heavenly Hedgehogs (Mar 19, 2010)

If the landlord is not wanting to replace the counter at the same time, all you have to do is phone the landlord tenant agency and it would be done asap through them. My daughter had a similiar situation, they took it very seriously and repairs were immediate.


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