Well, that's handy

[ShyBaby]

So I've got problem spot at home: we have a wall that's, umm, fond of growing mold. Various cleaning products/fungicides have either been ineffectual or detrimental (it's a painted, textured wallpaper and well, past it's best.)

I read somewhere that baby wipes are good for getting out stubborn stains, so I tried some and sure enough they did an amazing job of clearing it up. Buoyed by my success I tried them on a bunch of other surfaces; not only do they do a remarkable job of cleaning up muck, but they leave *that smell* behind. What could be better in a cleaning product?

So, that's my ADISC 'Top Tip.' Anyone else use baby wipes for cleaning or find a new use for a baby product they may have had lying around the home?

 

[Mr Alex]

:thumbsup:

Care to tell us how much you spent on more expensive methods before you discovered this one?

 

[Takashi]

Normal cleaning products = EPIC FAIL!

 

[Customizer]

Remember to watch BBC's show "How Clean Is Your House?" for cleaning tips that make it quick and easy. Don't forget to wipe the wall using a bowl of water and a spoonful of bleach. This will kill the spores.

 

[covvie]

They work well for cleaning the leather on my sofa and ottoman. Doesn't work so well on glass.

They also work decently well at cleaning up dirty kitty butts too

 

[annierighthurr]

I've found that wipes pretty much get off almost anything, haha. In my old apartment last summer, one of my dumbass friends decided that it'd be cool and funny to write "420 WEED 4 LIFE" along with a few charming little marijuana leaves across my kitchen table thingymajigger with green SHARPIE, even though it belongs to my mother

I spent days trying to get that off, used a didee wipe and bam, like new (well close enough).

 

[kevindhca]

Hey Shybaby, good tip.

You should fix the cause though. If it's an outside wall, the mold growth could be a sign that the insulation in this wall is degraded or missing. The humidity in the house could also be too high, resulting in condensation on the colder wall. The mold will also be inside the wall, so surface cleaning is only cosmetic, if left unchecked the wall structure could rot and become weak. Since the wallpaper is well past its prime, I would remove the wall surface, and inspect the wall structure. Repair the wood as neccessary, add good insulation to this area, then cover the wall with plastic sheet vapour barrier, and finally drywall the wall, and finish. The wall should grow mold no more.

 

[Charlie]

Baby powder is useful (assuming it has talc) for repelling ants and wasps.

Also, you can put baby powder on your sheets to cool you down at night (absorbs sweat).

 

[Squigma]

Also, you can put baby powder on your sheets to cool you down at night (absorbs sweat).

Wouldn't your sweat being absorbed mean you'd get warmer?

 

[ShyBaby]

Hey Shybaby, good tip.

You should fix the cause though. If it's an outside wall, the mold growth could be a sign that the insulation in this wall is degraded or missing. The humidity in the house could also be too high, resulting in condensation on the colder wall. The mold will also be inside the wall, so surface cleaning is only cosmetic, if left unchecked the wall structure could rot and become weak. Since the wallpaper is well past its prime, I would remove the wall surface, and inspect the wall structure. Repair the wood as neccessary, add good insulation to this area, then cover the wall with plastic sheet vapour barrier, and finally drywall the wall, and finish. The wall should grow mold no more.

I agree totally, alas we're renting (so sick of it too - will buy something soon, but that's another story.) The wall in question is part of a bay window that has been tacked on after the place was built and I suspect it hasn't been done to the standards of the rest of the house. It has been pointed out to the agents eliciting a response along lines of "meh." I'm sure it won't be dismissed so easily when we move out.

The other problem is that our central heating is from the late neolithic period I think and has no thermostat as such. You can control the water temp and set two periods a day on the timer so I think the resulting temperature cycling encourages condensation. It's a pity 'cause otherwise it's a great house (1920's and all cavity wall brick so it won't rot too quickly.)

The fungicide I got worked quite effectively and I used some sort of bleach at some point, but the wipes don't trash the paper so readily.

Anyway, the wipes will come out en masse next time we get the urge to clean stuff and the smell of baby powder sounds like a small but welcome upside to an infestation

 

[Charlie]

Wouldn't your sweat being absorbed mean you'd get warmer?

No.

Don't ask me why it works, just try it. I know it does something, and that it makes you feel cooler, but I don't know why.

And at the very least it keeps ants out of your bed.

 

[Customizer]

BTW, if you store your used stuff in a bag, dump some baking soda in there to absorb odors. Even a piece of BBQ charcoal will help absorb the smell. On trash night, you can take the charcoal out. The powder is also good for scrubbing carpets and walls.

 

[Point]

No.

Don't ask me why it works, just try it. I know it does something, and that it makes you feel cooler, but I don't know why.

You feel cooler because you realize that you are wearing sunglasses and the latest in T-Shirt technology. You can leap large social obstructions in a single phrase and get through hallways faster than the speed of someone breaking up with someone else at school!

And at the very least it keeps ants out of your bed.

Do you taste like sugar, or pizza, or something? Why are they in your bed? :scratchchin:

Edit: I want to taste you now!

 

[ShyBaby]

Even a piece of BBQ charcoal will help absorb the smell. On trash night, you can take the charcoal out.

Hey, maybe you've stumbled across the answer to all those people wanting to hide the smells of #2s in diapers: use ground up charcoal instead of baby powder. :thumbsup:

It wouldn't make the clean-up any easier though.