The Mouldy (Moldy) Horror

Dear Bloggie,

Before I comot Naija, I had never seen or heard of mould in people’s homes. It’s virtually impossible since we always open our windows at least once a day for “fresh air”. Who would have thought that our simple practices were lifesaving practices? There was the occasional mould on bread and that was somehow all the knowledge I had (or chose to have). Fast-forward to me being in diaspora and hearing that mould dey over invade people house. I couldn't understand how this happened… una no dey open window?

But I found out that apart from the window issue, there’s the difference in building structure… we use cement and “block” and they use wood. Which one go hold moisture? You got it! Anyways, you must be wondering where this is leading to. A friend and I were talking and she was telling me how mould had invaded her apartment as the aftermath of a storm. During our conversation, she mentions that the mould is blue in colour. Instant memory rewind! I had worn a sweater and remembered it had a blue stain that I couldn't place at that time. (Runs to the closet thinking please no. No don’t let me have mould in my house!) And there it was; a patch of blue on the pipes closest to where I hang my tops. It was official. I had a mould problem. I was shaking. You didn't know this, but I’m a bit of a hypochondriac. Of course my first thought was I’m going to die! How long have I had this problem?! What are the signs of mould inhalation and what do I need to do now?! This all happened on a Saturday, so the rental office was closed.

I was in full panic mode. I took out all my clothes and shoes. I just kept walking back and forth in the apartment. Wondering where I should go and what I should do. Enter Google search: “what to do when there’s mould in your house”. I got that I was not to touch and to contact the rental office. It’s Saturday I thought! Luckily, one of my sisters called and frightfully, I told her my issue (thank God for siblings). She said to call the rental office and leave a voicemail so they were aware and that it was a very serious issue. I did as I was told, and found that there was an emergency number to call. Of course I called it.

Maintenance came in on Sunday morning and told me he would come take care of it the next day. I was at ease. Next day, I return from work only to find my mouldy friend still chilling on my pipe. What?! You know I slept in the living room and had mould chasing me dreams all night. Next day, no change. Huh. Wednesday, I went to the rental office to complain. She said it would be taken care of. Wednesday night, you got it; still no change. I was getting very anxious. During lunch on Thursday, I called to check on the situation. She assured me it had been looked at and that maintenance said it was a “paint issue” and not mould. Paint?! Madam I've been in the crib for a while now. How paint come pour if I dey inside house?

This calling game went on and on. Monday, I went to the office to speak to them but nobody was there. Hmmm. Tuesday morning, my annoyance was at an all-time high! My detective mode was activated so I wrote a note to management, took a picture of the note and of my mouldy friend. All this time I had been conversing with my friend who also had a mould problem. Two hours after my note, I get a call from management and a message that says to call them back. I felt uber accomplished. I had gotten to them. I called my friend to complain about this voicemail. Why didn't they tell me the problem was fixed? Why did they have to tell me to call them back? While we’re trying to figure it out, a thought occurred to me… what if it isn't mould? Doesn't Cu²⁺ turn blue when exposed to moisture? This blue friend is only on my pipes. But we dismissed that and agreed it was mould and that I would call management.

After work, I called and he explained to me that there was no moisture in my apartment. That he went through with his machine and found nothing. That what I was seeing was just copper reacting with moisture (didn't I just have that thought?) and he gave me a lecture on it (in a polite way of course). I was so embarrassed but only because the thought didn't come to me sooner and that I knew this from my secondary school days! In the end, he cleaned it off because I said it’d make me feel better if it was gone. He did however leave me with a piece of vital information: if you suspect mould in your closet and happen to have suede shoes, check them first. The material holds on to moisture and thus makes a very good mould home.

There you have it Bloggie. My first and hopefully last mould scare. All this drama could have been avoided had I remembered my secondary school chemistry. But now I have new knowledge right? J

Next time Bloggie!

Tonia