Sunday, July 22, 2001		Sunday Activity

 No mild treatment will do for mildew

A common sight during the rainy season is the appearance of blackish patches of fungus on various household objects—be it shoes, leather belts and purses, luggage, books or shower curtains—and even damp walls. This dull black mould with a musty odour is nothing but mildew, which thrives in hot, humid weather.

You open a book cupboard, a shoe cabinet or a bathroom shelf in the monsoon and that familiar musty odour assails your nostrils. Beware ! mildew has made its way into various nooks and crannies of your house and is out to attack all those items which are damp or kept in damp places. So, chart out an action plan to tackle this menace of the monsoon.

• Removing dampness from all areas of the house is the key to preventing mildew.

• Improve ventilation in the house by opening doors, windows, cabinets and drawers on wet, rainy days.

• Trim the shrubs and trees that shade your windows and doors, preventing abundant fresh air and sunshine from coming in.

• Absorb dampness in closets and drawers by keeping small cloth bags containing silica gel or activated alumina (available at hardware stores). Alternately, you can place cornmeal or cornstarch in the shelves.

• To protect books, place a container full of baking soda near them.

• Install exhaust fans in damp places such as bathrooms or areas where the washing machine is kept.

• In houses which have a basement, this is the dampest area. In such cases an electric dehumidifier may cure the dampness to some extent.

• Get all leaking or sweating walls repaired at once.

• To tackle persistent mildew on ceramic tiles or concrete surfaces, scrub with a mixture of 1 cup chlorine bleach and 1 gallon of water. Rinse thoroughly and dry.

• Scrub painted surfaces affected by mildew with a mixture of 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 gallon of water. Ventilate the area and wear ubber gloves when using the solution.

• Spread the pages of books affected by mildew under a fan or in the sun to dry. You can also sprinkle the pages with talcum powder to absorb the excess moisture. But first wipe off the loose mould with a clean, soft cloth.

• Brush or vacuum upholstered furtniture and bedroom matresses and air them in sunlight to avoid or tackle dampness.

• For tackling severe mildew, brush the affected material with a whisk broom, then sponge with a solution of equal parts of alcohol and water.

(Compiled by Chetna)