I was a much younger faculty member at that time and purchasing a new bed seemed like a costly, drastic move. As a consequence, I started to look for information on how to remove mold from beds and box springs. It may not have been an uncommon problem at one time as the USDA extension service actually had a pamphlet that advised putting mattresses out in the bright sunshine. I did that a couple of days and it did in fact work to some degree, but the mold odor always came back. The ultraviolet light in sunshine can kill mold, but it could not penetrate through the depth of the mattress and box springs. We got rid of the "moldy mattresses and box springs" replacing them with new ones. My daughter's respiratory symptoms disappeared over night and did not reoccur until she went on to college where unfortunately a carpet fragment once stored in an unheated space re-exposed her to a mold source. In recollecting events it is likely that mold made its way into the mattress and box springs was through her pillow. At that time she wore her hair long, and I suspect that on showering and going to bed her hair was not completely dry. A somewhat wet head, became a somewhat wet pillow, that then began to grow mold which subsequently infested the mattress and box springs. If one has a moldy mattress or box springs, what do you do with it? Get rid of it (put it out as trash) and replace it with a new one (even if you think you cannot afford to). Indoor Environmental Quality (2004), Thad Godish Ph.D., C.I.H Reprinted with permission. For more information on mold prevention, see our Mold Center and our Mold Solution Buyer's Guide.
First Published: January 2005 .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..................................................
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