Latest news with #mold
WIRED
a day ago
- General
- WIRED
Get Comfortable With the Frigidaire 35 Pint Dehumidifier
When's the last time you paid attention to the humidity inside your home and not just outdoors? 'What?' you may think, 'Isn't it the same in here as out there?' Not always. It can differ quite a bit, depending on the season and your home's heating system. If you have a basement, then you're likely familiar with how swampy they can feel. Condensation can form on the walls, and water can even seep into your home. This mid-sized Frigidaire dehumidifier may be just what you need to make your basement (or the rest of your home) feel a bit more habitable. The ideal indoor humidity is between 30 and 50 percent, if you want to deter mold and pests, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If the humidity is too high, you'll feel like you're swimming in hot soup, and mildew could form in your home. Too low and your skin will begin to dry out, and your wood furniture can develop cracks and splits. The thing you may notice the most when it's too humid indoors, though, is that it feels hot. Way hotter than the thermostat says it is. Whether you're ready to try out your first dehumidifier or you're already using one and just need to replace it, check out this Frigidaire 35-pint model. You may be just as pleasantly surprised as I was. While you're upgrading your home, take a look at our guides to the Best Air Purifiers, Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products, and Best Dyson Vacuums. Why You Should Dehumidify More humid air feels hotter. Seventy percent humidity at 70 degrees will feel a lot worse than 40 percent humidity at 70 degrees. I was eager to address the swampy East Coast humidity when I unboxed my Frigidaire. Once I plugged it in, it took only 15 minutes to bring the indoor humidity of my two-bedroom apartment from a life-sapping 75 percent down to a comfortable 40 percent. With its smart settings, you set the humidity in five-percent increments from 35 to 85 percent, and the machine shuts off when the indoor humidity reaches that level. Photograph: Frigidaire It won't run all the time. Rather, it'll monitor the actual humidity and turn the fan on and vary its speed as needed. The Frigidaire didn't let the humidity climb more than a couple of percentage points higher than my chosen setting before it turned on again to bring the humidity back. Using a ThermoPro TP49 digital thermometer and hygrometer to measure the humidity level, the Frigidaire had a good read on the actual humidity level of my apartment. When I set it to 45 percent, it stayed at 45 percent, plus or minus no more than a couple of percentage points. Its automatic function of turning off, on, or very occasionally to a medium or high fan setting was smooth and intelligent. When I opened a window to let in the breeze (and that swampy, humid outdoor air), the machine would soon kick into a higher fan speed to suck up the moist air that'd entered my home. As far as noise, I'd say it's not overly noisy for a dehumidifier, but neither is it unnoticeable or "whisper-soft." Even on its lowest fan speed (of three), you'll hear it. That's why I put mine at the end of my apartment, rather than in the middle, even though it should be more centrally located. I like white noise, and I never needed to put it on a speed faster than low, even during sweltering East Coast summers. Using the NIOSH Sound Level Meter app on an iPhone 15 Pro, I measured 50-60 decibels, depending on whether the dehumidifier was humming along on low fan speed or blasting away on high. If you can't stand the sound of even a floor fan, then, well, the Frigidaire is going to bother you, because it's louder than that. Dehumidifiers take a fair bit of energy to run, so expect to see using one show up on your energy bills. The 35-pint Frigidaire I tested used 380 watts. That's markedly better than the 590 watts the GE 35-pint dehumidifier and a fair bit better than the LG 30-pint dehumidifier's 420 watts. Comparing dehumidifiers as a whole to perhaps a more familiar home appliance, Anker says the average 55-inch TV will use 77 watts while on and 2.1 watts in standby mode.
Android Authority
2 days ago
- Android Authority
New fear unlocked: Your brand-new phone could turn into this moldy mess
TL;DR Porous materials, including some leather substitutes, are susceptible to getting damp and harboring the growth of mold. The new POCO X7 PRO features one colorway that includes just such an eco-leather panel on the handset's rear. Over on Reddit, one new X7 PRO owner has shared a pic that appears to show mold taking over the leather. You don't need to be a Last of Us fan to have a healthy fear of fungus, and anyone who's ever lived in a home infested with black mold can attest to how traumatic even seeing that first hint of it can be. And considering how often we're touching our phones everyday, holding them up against our faces, having a moldy phone is just about the worst thing we can imagine. That's exactly why we're feeling some second-hand discomfort upon checking out the image shared on Reddit by user Few_Combination5430 over on the site's POCO phone sub, detailing the fate of their new POCO X7 PRO: The X7 PRO comes in a few color variants — green, yellow, and black — and while the green and black options feature a dual-textured plastic back, the yellow version opts for a soft-touch eco-leather rear. The problem there is that while materials like metal, glass, and even plastic are relatively non-porous, that's not necessarily the case with artificial leather like POCO uses here. There are a lot of different ways to manufacture such materials, using polyurethane or even plant products, and depending on how that's done, these eco-leathers can have the same kind of porosity as natural leather. And just like real leather can get damp and moldy, that appears to be what's going on with the back of this X7 PRO. We've heard of phone cases getting moldy before, and while that's equally as gross, it's also something that's a little easier to move on from — diching the case, giving the phone's hard surfaces a through disinfecting, and picking up a new (maybe less porous) case. When it's your actual phone itself that's harboring a small fungal colony, the best path forward isn't as clear. Of course, prevention is often the best medicine, and you're probably much better off just avoiding a moldy phone in the first place. That means thinking about material choices when making your purchasing decision, and just keeping your phone away from particularly damp and humid conditions whenever possible. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Health
- Digital Trends
Katamari Damacy gave me the strength to keep rolling on
Games can be a great tool for getting through hard times, and at this moment it feels like the times couldn't be harder. The current social, political, and economic climate is more than enough to send any one of us down a dark spiral. Of course, life has a way of piling on and, in my case, it came in the form of a concerning diagnosis. I am still waiting on more tests, but after years of searching for the source of some elevated blood levels we have figured out that I have a mold in my body and brain. While I'm already on a treatment plan, hearing that you have a foreign pathogen in your brain isn't exactly comforting. My natural instinct was to turn to games to help get me through this low point and restore some hope. I typically like to pick games that directly attack the issues I'm dealing with in real life as a way to work through them. In this case, I considered going back to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to revisit Kiryu's approach to mortality, but thought that might be a bit too overdramatic. The Last of Us also came to mind, but mostly as a dark joke considering my specific condition. Recommended Videos In the end, I chose a game that had just come to PlayStation Plus but had never played before. We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie turned out to be exactly what I needed to get out of my own head for a day. We love Katamari Learning that there's an invader inside your head infects every part of your life. A fungus growing in my guts, I could deal with, but my brain? That, pardon the pun, is something I just couldn't get out of my head. The only reason I have been able to hang on to my sanity at all is because it isn't fatal — this isn't a tumor or cancer. In that way, it almost feels unfair to complain. Still, after my morning exercise on Saturday and having an empty day ahead of me, I could feel a heaviness starting to set in. Normally, work would be my refuge. That sounds unhealthy — and it probably is to some extent — but I am in the extremely privileged position where I can work through personal issues in my writing as you are seeing here. I didn't have that luxury over the weekend and needed something else to redirect my thoughts. Games would be my natural go-to, but I didn't want anything too challenging or narratively driven in that state of mind. I needed something comfortable and easy to get into. Enter We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie. While I had never played a Katamari game before, I certainly knew it from its reputation. The gameplay of rolling up objects to grow your Katamari to pick up even bigger objects seemed like exactly the type of mind-off experience I was craving. While it can be that, I appreciated how oddly optimistic the game was. As familiar as I was with the core mechanics and design of the Prince and King, what was new and surprising to me was the framing of it all. I had skipped the intro cutscene in an effort to enjoy the game on a raw gameplay level, but read through the four or five lines that proceeded each level. At first I took these as borderline nonsensical excuses for why I was rolling a big ball of junk in various locations, but started to notice a theme after a few. Each fan in the game handing out levels had a problem or dream they needed help achieving. They were all silly and quite unserious, but I found myself admiring how the game was able to apply the single solution of rolling up objects to anything from making friends to becoming an Olympic swimmer. I could've so easily been turned off by such a naively optimistic take on the world, yet found myself eating it up. I didn't realize until then that I had been starved of any kind of uncompromising positivity for who knows how long. Katamari paints a world where no problems are too big to overcome with some effort and help. But more than that, the Katamari itself was never what those people needed. Time and time again, they would let the Katamari go into the cosmos to become a star or planet. It is overly idyllic, saccharine, and innocent, sure, but it invited me to live in that mindset for a few hours. I, too, could get through this minor crisis if I just kept rolling. I didn't take away any big revelations or new perspectives on my life or the world around me by playing We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie. It was a purely vibes-based experience for me, and that was perfect. If I really wanted to, sure, I could try and find some greater commentary that the game's story was communicating, or what the gameplay of rolling a ball just to make a bigger ball could be saying. The one poignant level I couldn't help but read into was the last one. Here, a meteor is crashing towards Earth and I had to roll up all the countries on the planet to intercept it. The concept of a world coming together against armageddon was inspiring at first, but soured just hours later after I returned to reality and saw the latest news. While it did end on a slightly dour note, for me on that Saturday, just having a bright and colorful game about rolling around a big ball of junk was exactly what I needed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Our families are being poisoned': Military families now suing over the unsafe conditions they're living in
'Our houses are not our safe place.' That's the message U.S. military families are hoping Congress will hear, as they sound the alarm on unsafe military housing they say is making their families sick. 'Right now, our families are being poisoned,' Jackie Talarico, of Key West, Florida, the wife of a U.S. Navy cryptologic technician, told ABC News. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Talarico and other military families are reporting shocking conditions in the rental housing provided by the United States Armed Forces. Her family is one of hundreds that are now suing a private company that manages homes for the military. Another military wife, Antoinette Reeder, from San Diego, California, who spoke to ABC News, has test results that she says show the mold found in her home was also found in her blood. 'I've had my doctor ask me several times, 'When are you moving?'' she told ABC. According to ABC, a recent poll presented to Congress said that 'more than half of the military families who responded had negative experiences, saying that they were living with mold, lead and other issues.' It's a situation Talarico calls 'a nightmare.' 'We were told there was no mold in our house. We were told there was no lead. We were told there was no asbestos — and they lied.' Her family and nearly 200 other current and former tenants in the Florida Keys are suing Balfour Beatty Communities, alleging the company "systematically failed to properly repair and remediate significant problems in the homes, including water damage, mold, structural defects, HVAC, plumbing issues, electrical problems and the presence of lead paint and asbestos." In a statement obtained by ABC News, Balfour Beatty said, 'We are aware of the complaint and intend to defend ourselves vigorously.' Balfour Beatty is one of about 14 private companies that manage military housing, under a deal that began in 1996, when the U.S. Congress approved the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI). The MHPI gave the companies ownership of more than 200,000 military homes across the country. In exchange for agreeing to take on the military housing stock, which was at the time in need of an estimated $20 billion in repairs, the companies were given 50-year contracts. The deals also had the provision that the military could not overrule the housing companies on how properties are managed and maintained. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it Although this situation involves military families, landlord disputes involving unsafe housing can be common for many Americans. Here's what you can do if your landlord is failing to maintain standards and you think your housing has become unsafe. Residential leases in most jurisdictions include an implied warranty of habitability. According to the Legal Information Institute, habitability is 'defined as property in substantial compliance with the local housing code,' meaning your landlord is required to keep the property in compliance. When dealing with an issue with your landlord, remember to always keep extensive documentation. Keep detailed notes about the issues that include dates and times, save copies of any notifications you send or receive in writing, and keep track of any phone calls between you and your landlord. Make sure that if you are documenting phone calls, you check the laws in your state for recording phone conversations. Notifying the landlord in writing is often required, and you can contact your city or county code enforcement office to learn more about what standards landlords must meet. You can also seek out help from local tenants' rights organizations or legal aid clinics. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has a database of state and local tenant protections. The military families taking their landlord to court are a reminder of the collective power tenants can have. If your neighbors are also facing similar issues, consider banding together as a tenants' association or tenants' union — your collective power may sway your landlord to meet your demands for safe housing. 'Our service members give so much every day, and put so much on the line for our country,' Talarico said. 'One thing they should not have to sacrifice is their children's and their families' life, health and safety — when they do that every day for the rest of America.' Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How to clean mold from your air conditioner safely
It's easy to view an air conditioner as a set-it-and-forget-it appliance, but these workhorse machines require regular cleanings to lower the risk of mold buildup. But if you're like most people, you probably don't know how to clean mold from your air conditioner (or how to identify if it needs cleaning in the first place). With that in mind, here's how to check and clean your unit and how to prevent AC mold in your home in the first place. There are a few reasons why mold can grow in air conditioners. For starters, "mold is present almost everywhere," Jamie Alan, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Life. But air conditioners in particular create a mold-friendly environment that allows spores to thrive. "Mold is a common issue in AC units because the cooling process naturally creates moisture," Flores says. "When warm air passes over the evaporator coils, condensation forms." If the moisture doesn't drain properly from your AC, or if the system stays humid due to poor ventilation or infrequent use, it creates an ideal environment for mold to grow, Flores says. There are a few things that can happen with a moldy air conditioner. "Mold will reduce efficiency and can also circulate spores throughout the home, which can cause health issues like allergies or respiratory irritation," Flores says. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), mold and mold spores are incredibly common — you're going to breathe some of them in from the air around you. That said, some people are allergic to mold — their immune systems are overly sensitive to specific types of spores, which can lead to more significant reactions from exposure. Common reactions include sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose and nasal congestion. While there are hundreds of types of molds, the AAAAI notes that the most common ones that cause allergic reactions are Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium. As to what may happen if mold starts growing inside your AC, Alan says that really depends on the type of mold, as well as how your immune system typically responds to such spores. For instance, people who are immunocompromised or who have underlying respiratory issues are more prone to experience symptoms or health complications from mold exposure. Additionally, aerosolization of mold is a bigger potential issue than mold growing on a random surface, especially for people who are prone to mold issues, Alan says. If you're chronically exposed to mold by something like your AC blowing spores around, you could develop chronic allergy symptoms or other health concerns. "Patients could have lung infections, which could look like a fever, cough and trouble breathing," Alan says. Something else to consider: Certain types of molds, like black mold, can release toxins into the air that can make you sick, even if you don't have a mold allergy. "With things like black mold, there are more symptoms that patients may experience like fatigue, mood changes and brain fog," says Alan. There is also a specific immune reaction to mold spores called hypersensitivity pneumonitis where your lungs become inflamed due to mold exposure. "It leads to a flu-like illness with fever and fatigue, in addition to respiratory symptoms," says Dr. Robert Laumbach, associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice at the Rutgers School of Public Health. "Over time, this could lead to permanent lung damage, so we want to try to catch [it] early." A key sign that mold in your home may be making you sick is if you find that you're having asthma- or allergy-like symptoms in your home that seem to get better after you leave for the day. "Symptoms usually occur with exposure and then may resolve within hours," says Laumbach. (However, he says that it can take longer for symptoms to clear up for some people, so this isn't always a given.) Still, all of this doesn't mean you should panic if you happen to find mold in your AC — especially if you otherwise feel fine. "Not every type of mold causes health issues for humans," Alan points out. There are a few warning signs to look out for. "One of the most noticeable signs is a musty or earthy smell when the system kicks on," Flores says. "It is usually the strongest near vents." You may even spot mold on the vents or around the evaporator coils and drip pan, Flores says. "Unexplained moisture buildup around the unit or damp, stale air could also be red flags," he adds. But you may simply be tipped off to the presence of mold in your AC by how you feel when the AC starts running — pay attention for any telltale allergy symptoms mentioned earlier, like sneezing, a runny nose or coughing. While it's never a bad idea to call in the experts if cleaning your AC seems like an ordeal, in most cases, it's possible to tackle basic cleaning yourself. Flores offers these simple steps. Flores recommends protecting yourself first. That means wearing gloves, a face mask and goggles. "Disturbing mold can release spores," he says. Failing to protect yourself can increase the likelihood of experiencing allergy symptoms or irritation. While basic cleaning is fairly straightforward, it's important to familiarize yourself with your unit and to determine whether the company has specific suggestions for ongoing maintenance. You don't want to be poking around with the electricity still running. Removing these components allows you to clean in and around them more effectively, identifying any areas where mold may be growing. "Small amounts of mold in accessible areas like vent covers or drip pans can sometimes be cleaned with a mixture of water and a mild detergent or a diluted bleach solution," Flores says. But as you remove these parts, "be careful not to damage components," he warns. (This is where consulting the owner's manual may come in handy!) Giving your AC a chance to fully dry before turning it back on will reduce the chances for mold growth to return. If you suspect that mold is in deeper areas of your air conditioner, like the coils or blower motor, Flores says it's best to use professional-grade equipment and antimicrobials. "That's where trained HVAC pros come in, as we can safely clean and sanitize all affected areas without spreading the mold further," he says. Getting rid of mold from your AC unit is helpful, but it can come back again if you're not careful. As always, it's best to read the instruction manual for your unit and follow regular maintenance, as recommended. "Proper routine maintenance can address most of these issues before they become a problem for the home," says Sean Goddard, product manager of indoor air quality and coils at HVAC company Trane Technologies. Beyond that, Goddard says it can be helpful to keep tabs on your indoor humidity. "Indoor humidity should be kept between 30% to 50% for comfort and to prevent mold," he says. "Mold tends to grow when indoor humidity is higher than this range." If humidity is a big issue in your home, Goddard suggests investing in a dehumidifier to try to help lower those levels. You may even want to consider using UV light, Goddard says. "UVC light installed over your coil and drain pan can prevent microbial growth and mold," he says. Laumbach suggests wiping down the inside and outside of your air conditioner regularly to remove dust, and to regularly clean and change your filter. "Dust can be enough food for mold to grow," he says. "You want to keep those coils and the filter clean." You may even want to consider using an additional air purifier with a HEPA filter, or seeing if your AC unit can use a HEPA filter to tamp down on mold spores circulating in your air, says Tony Abate, a certified mold inspector and vice president and chief technology officer at AtmosAir Solutions. (Check out our favorite air purifiers.) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also recommends keeping your air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly. Mold can be an issue in any air conditioner. Mold exposure can raise the risk of a range of health issues, from allergy symptoms to full-blown infections, making it important to stay on top of the spores in your home. Doing routine air conditioner maintenance and cleanings will help to lower the risk of mold issues happening in the first place. Omero Flores, CEO of American AC & Heating in Harlingen, Texas Jamie Alan, RPH, PharmD, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University Robert Laumbach, MD, MPH, CIH, associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice at the Rutgers School of Public Health Sean Goddard, product manager of indoor air quality and coils at Trane Technologies Tony Abate, a certified mold inspector and chief technology officer at AtmosAir Solutions Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.
