1. Posted by on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 12:15 pm PDT

I live in a home that has black mold around the bathtub seal (it was built in 1945) and I have been having alot of stomach problems over the past 5 months. DO you think it could have anything to do with this?

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2. Posted by lafleur28 on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 12:16 pm PDT

Bake your house! Are you insane! Perhaps you don't have wooden furniture or cherished antiques handed down from generation to generation. Heat like you describe can dry out wooden furniture to the point that it cracks or warps. Not to mention the natural gas bill if you don't live in Arizona in the dead of summer.

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3. Posted by SARA L on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 12:19 pm PDT

thanks for the info. How long does the house need to be at 100? can we do that for a few hours?

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4. Posted by Audrey McG. on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 12:21 pm PDT

wish it was all that easy, living in florida! it hits 100 in the house, without the furnace. also - we do our best, trying to keep the sunshine OUT of the house in june, july, august and september - when the mold thrives on humid conditions!!!

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5. Posted by jeremykirchner23 on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 12:43 pm PDT

'Bake your house seasonally' has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of.

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6. Posted by joewkzoo on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 12:53 pm PDT

Heat your house to above 100 degrees? Are you serious? Oh wise one, how to you propose we do that? Does it involve gas and a match, or just running the furnace until it fails. Maybe we could all heat up our houses and force the energy plants to work harder and spew more cardon into the air. Signed, Al Gore

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7. Posted by joewkzoo on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 12:53 pm PDT

Heat your house to above 100 degrees? Are you serious? Oh wise one, how to you propose we do that? Does it involve gas and a match, or just running the furnace until it fails. Maybe we could all heat up our houses and force the energy plants to work harder and spew more cardon into the air. Signed, Al Gore

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8. Posted by Kitkat on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 12:54 pm PDT

Turn your heater to above 100° for a weekend while you are away? - Yeah, right.

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9. Posted by unknown u on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 1:05 pm PDT

Thank you! It works. "Traditional" methods haven't. Whatever everyone else believes doesn't matter...as long as my sinus problems don't come back I could care less what skeptics say. Yay for being able to breathe freely again!

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10. Posted by SevenCostanza on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 1:33 pm PDT

I don't think many of us can afford to crank up our heaters to 100 degrees. A dehumdifier seems to be the most logical and budget friendly solution.

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11. Posted by Caramel Raven on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 1:43 pm PDT

Okay I live in Texas and we already pay more than any other state for electricity and gas, so noooooooo to the "baking the inside" idea. Also, why were there no chemical treatments listed? Although these may be good tips, some are unrealistic due to forces out of our control-regional weather, price of electricity-so what chemicals are good to use to kill mold spores, especially in the bathroom?

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12. Posted by BAB on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 1:47 pm PDT

I understand the issues behind mold. My family and I, having a battle with it now. We live in an apartment complex and every central air vent has mold. I called the office to look into. I'm going to purchase a couple of volcanic rocks.

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13. Posted by canus_mynx on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 1:48 pm PDT

As one who is married to a microbiologist, I can tell you that baking your house WILL ONT WORK. The mold will not be destroyed, only put in a form of stasis until conditions normalize. There is no way to eliminate mold. But we can reduce its chances of developing a dangerous colony by removing the one thing mold needs: Moisture. Bleach helps, but is not guaranteed. Keep moisture levels down and the mold will not populate.

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14. Posted by Dawn on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 2:15 pm PDT

leave a roast on the counter while your baking the house all weekend and dinner is served sunday night when you get home.... what an idea, I dont think my thermostat goes above 90!

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15. Posted by FaeryDame on Fri, Apr 13, 2007, 2:38 pm PDT

Thank you! I struggle with mold constantly in my new apartment, and I've felt miserable ever since moving in. Although I don't much think my neighbors would be too happy with me for racking up our heating bill with a house baking weekend, I do think the other tips will be useful.

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