I have a baby cabana that was given to me, and I keep it out in the backyard for my 11 mo old son. I have noticed mold starting to grow along the railings (from the humidity at night?). The fabric doesn't come off, so I can't just throw it in the wash. Any idas? My son likes to chew on the railing, so whatever methods you may have, please keep this in mind.
Thanks!!
Thank you all for your awesome advise-as always. I've decided to throw it away. My son is walking well now, and doesn't need it anymore anyway........
Mold, especially black mold can be VERY harmful to children. I'd probably throw it away, Mama. Sorry.
Ugh! I would toss it. You would need to thoroughly flush the fabric with water because the porous fabric is going soak up way more solution, and do so more deeply, than the rubber toys and etc. that get a dip in the water/bleach solution at baby care facilities.
Also baby care institutions use (or should use) an extremely weak solution. And the only way THAT would do anything on the mold on cloth is if you left it in the hot sun afterwards for several hours.
But of course over time that bleach will rot the cloth, so even if you clean it, it's days are numbered...
Meanwhile, mold is one of the new things to watch. There are concerns that a young child exposed to mold may develop allergies that can become really severe over time. In fact I know a family who had mold in their house and had one child become chronically ill. When the health authorities decided to investigate the environment and then found the mold, they condemned the house and put the kids in foster care.
Throw it away!!! Eating mold is toxic not to mention the possible allergy problems that could surface later. Cleaning solutions no matter what you use will end up in the fabric. Better to buy a new one and be safe rather than sorry.
Toss it. I wouldn't mess around with all the yucky mold stories I have heard about. Let me tell you, I am totally rational. I am not a germaphobe or a hand sanitizing kind of mom. I would suggest throwing it away and if you get a new one, bring it inside when you're done with it.
good luck. Babies don't need to eat mold
Personally, I would throw it away.
Throw it out! Not worth the possible health issues especially since he chews on it.
Hey R.,
MOld is no fun. Yuck - I hate mold. Anyways, I would personally try dish soap and hot water, wash and rinse really well! and then a disenfectent. Of course be careful what you use and make sure it is total dry and clean because dish soaps and disenfectents are really dangerous and poisenous to kids (and adults). I use non toxic, so if you can get a non toxic, DO IT!
Good luck!
B.
I don't know, R.. Me? I really would throw it away. Fabric, vinyl, plastic: all are porous. Some molds can cause serious health issues, or even death. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I just wouldn't take the chance.
I believe that mold is poisonous; certainly, breathing it can cause terrible allergic reactions.
On the other hand, my aunt who had bad allergies had a tincture made of the dust and mold in her home, and I believe that from drinking a few drops of it every now and then she was able to strengthen her immune resistance to those allergens.
However, it might be best to get rid of the playpen. I had to throw my futon away when it developed black mold on the underside from a glass of water that had spilled-- I'd had the futon directly on top of the floor and had thought that I'd cleaned up all the water. For months I was coughing and sneezing without knowing why. My husband took me to Arizona and my allergies went away, but the moment we returned to our home, they began again; we then realized the trigger had to be something in our immediate environment.
C. H.
I would throw it away also, as the other respondent said. Spraying it with mold removers would be toxic for any child and it would be difficult to get the residue off. You can always get another one that will be less hazardous and made more for outdoors and cleaning.
Dear R.,
Just clean it with a mixture of soap and purex, then rinse it with the hose and let dry. I heard that is the way to get rid of mold.
You are probably right about how it got there.
C. N.
Spray a bleach and water solution on it then hose it off really well about 10 - 15 minutes later. If you've got fabric that might bleach out then try something like the mold remover from Melaleuca (it's all natural and safe for children). You can find them online. Don't let your baby play in it for a few days. If the mold comes back, chuck it in the trash!
