mold is back

I didn't intend to spend my day cleaning yesterday.  Even on my meager PC stipend, I actually pay a poor woman from the country to clean once a week, and she does an amazing job, much better than me...and I'm a serious cleaner.  I do this because she has even less money than me and my apartment needs it, not because I'm a slob (well, maybe a little), but it's dirty here, nothing stays clean for long.  

Mold is everywhere in this part of China; it's a way of life, so the PC health handbook goes over dealing with mold in exact, precise details: providing names for the cleaning chemicals and outlining cleaning steps.  Finding the borax acid took some effort.  I spent much of my first week in my apartment wearing rubber gloves and the PC issued respirator mask cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.

Now 3 months later, I've notice the mold growing again in my bedroom.  It's a subtile change, a gradual darkening of the walls.  I'm in disbelief,  "What, how can this be? I left the borax acid on the walls, I open the curtains for light, I open the window for air, I live on the 6th floor!"  But, it's true and so immediate action is required. 

washing the bed after the move

My solution was to move to another seemingly mold-free room.  As took the bedding off, I saw mold on the box-springs and bed frame; now I'm really bummed.  I went to the woman who handles foreign teacher housing.  After I explained the situation, I asked her what I should do.  "I don't know. I'll call the maintenance guys and see what they think."  They came right over, decided I should move to another room, and then they moved the bed.  I had to stop them from putting it all back together; I mean it's covered in mold! I need to clean it!  I can't sleep in a mold bed!  I guess, moldy beds don't bother them, they think it's ok.

Since they were already in my apartment, I showed them the various plumbing problems and they worked for hours, successfully fixing leaks, drain covers, and toilet issues.  I have a western toilet, a completely baffling fixture that required someone else to come have a look.  

mold on the box spring

While they were plumbing, I was cleaning.  I ended up pushing the mattress into another room, since I didn't know the Chinese to ask them to take it away, and I'm really sure they wouldn't have taken it anyway.  The apartment came with a broken, moldy couch which is now stored, unused, on my porch.  Understandably, these guys do not want to carry anything up or down 6 flights of stairs.  They are really nice and helpful, and I try to stay on their good side by bringing them little things from time to time, like American tea.

Today I need to go ask for a new box spring, and I'm not looking forward to it.  When I've asked for basic things in the past, forms were filled out while promises were made, but nothing happens, and I end up just buying whatever I need.  I can't just go buy a box spring.  This feeling of helplessness is hard.  At home, I'm used to making my world spin, solving problems, just taking care of things.  We all do it without much thought.

after cleaning, still moldy

When I'm frustrated with my apartment problems, I just need to think of the other PCVs who are dealing with the same issues, some are much worse, like rats.  I'm glad I don't have that problem.  And, I'm glad that I'm not having bad respiratory problems from the mold like another PCV that I know.  I run my PC issued air cleaner at night, hopefully that helps.

air cleaner

doesn't look that bad, right?