Mold in A/C window units

[LNN]

I have a question for mold gurus. My DD has had a dry cough since the week school let out in June. Coughing every 5 seconds. It's worst in our house and seems to subside when we go to a store or outside for a few hours (maybe a few coughs per hour). So something in the house, right? But we went away for a week and she still had the cough - not as bad but certainly not gone by a long shot. Antihistamines and quercetin help a bit but not great. Delsym doesn't do much. An inhaler at bedtime helps enough that she can fall asleep.

 

I reduced her dairy for a few days - didn't eliminate. She still ate foods that used dairy to make them, still used butter. But no milk, no ice cream, no cream cheese... Didn't seem to make a dent in the cough.

 

So I'm wondering if it's our window unit A/Cs (no central air). We cleaned the units before putting them in in late May but only the places I could reach. Certain internal areas were out of reach. We normally only use window units in the bedrooms but this year we also used on on the main floor. And this year she's spent a ton of time inside due the the excessive heat.

 

I don't believe she has mycoP, for reasons not worth enumerating. Just know I considered it but it doesn't fit the data I have.

 

So, my question: Does anyone know an effective way to clean a window unit A/C? I have Thieves Oil and have used an old nebulizer to diffuse the oil in my bathroom. Can't say for certain but it may have helped (it's summer - the bathroom window has been open and there's been no moisture buildup. Hard to say if it's the oil or just better ventilation). Going to try to diffuse the Thieves Oil into the A/C units (wish me luck). But any better ideas? Buying 4 new units every season isn't an option.

[red]

I have a question for mold gurus. My DD has had a dry cough since the week school let out in June. Coughing every 5 seconds. It's worst in our house and seems to subside when we go to a store or outside for a few hours (maybe a few coughs per hour). So something in the house, right? But we went away for a week and she still had the cough - not as bad but certainly not gone by a long shot. Antihistamines and quercetin help a bit but not great. Delsym doesn't do much. An inhaler at bedtime helps enough that she can fall asleep.

 

I reduced her dairy for a few days - didn't eliminate. She still ate foods that used dairy to make them, still used butter. But no milk, no ice cream, no cream cheese... Didn't seem to make a dent in the cough.

 

So I'm wondering if it's our window unit A/Cs (no central air). We cleaned the units before putting them in in late May but only the places I could reach. Certain internal areas were out of reach. We normally only use window units in the bedrooms but this year we also used on on the main floor. And this year she's spent a ton of time inside due the the excessive heat.

 

I don't believe she has mycoP, for reasons not worth enumerating. Just know I considered it but it doesn't fit the data I have.

 

So, my question: Does anyone know an effective way to clean a window unit A/C? I have Thieves Oil and have used an old nebulizer to diffuse the oil in my bathroom. Can't say for certain but it may have helped (it's summer - the bathroom window has been open and there's been no moisture buildup. Hard to say if it's the oil or just better ventilation). Going to try to diffuse the Thieves Oil into the A/C units (wish me luck). But any better ideas? Buying 4 new units every season isn't an option.

I have a window unit in my shop. I regularly soak the floor of the unit with hydrogen peroxide. I then also spray the internal blower and internal housing. I also spray the fins. Now I do it after the sun is down as sunlight breaks down H2O2 rapidly (hence the brown containers it comes in). H2O2 directly breaks down mold into its constituent chemicals. What that essentially means is that it not only kills the mold but then it breaks down the toxic spore which is no longer toxic. When I pour the H2O2 into the pan of the A/C unit you can hear it sizzling as it breaks down organic matter. You should wear a paper mask so you do not inhale the spray. I often wash the pan out with soapy water after I let the H2O2 do its thing. I then run the fan on the unit until dry.

Red

[JuliaFaith]

Vinegar is also a good mold deterrent.

 

Great info. Red!

[LNN]

Red, thanks for the peroxide info. I squirt it in my washing machine at the end of every laundry day - into the hundreds of little drain holes to try to reach behind the drum and fight mold there. I also take the casing off the washing machine once a year to clean the inards.

 

I ended up dismantling two A/C units, taking off covers, inside fan covers, etc and spraying the coils, stryofoam and fans with foaming bubbles, rinsing and then squirting with peroxide. Unearthed a ton of organic material - sludge, decaying bugs, mold - pretty disgusting and not stuff that would've been taken care of with just a spray bottle. One unit was over 10 yrs old and had never been stripped down like this before. The other unit wasn't too bad.

 

Unfortunately, DD is still coughing. So more detective work ahead. But I now know that the other 2 units we have will also be disassembled and cleaned before being put away for the year. It definitely was worth doing.

 

Edit - DD's cough disappeared last night - guess she needed some time for her inflammation to subside. But for the first time in 2+ months, she didn't cough at bedtime (even with her A/C on) and she woke up with no cough. Hoping this was the cause.

Edited August 19, 2012 by LLM

[JuliaFaith]

Red, thanks for the peroxide info. I squirt it in my washing machine at the end of every laundry day - into the hundreds of little drain holes to try to reach behind the drum and fight mold there. I also take the casing off the washing machine once a year to clean the inards.

 

I ended up dismantling two A/C units, taking off covers, inside fan covers, etc and spraying the coils, stryofoam and fans with foaming bubbles, rinsing and then squirting with peroxide. Unearthed a ton of organic material - sludge, decaying bugs, mold - pretty disgusting and not stuff that would've been taken care of with just a spray bottle. One unit was over 10 yrs old and had never been stripped down like this before. The other unit wasn't too bad.

 

Unfortunately, DD is still coughing. So more detective work ahead. But I now know that the other 2 units we have will also be disassembled and cleaned before being put away for the year. It definitely was worth doing.

 

Edit - DD's cough disappeared last night - guess she needed some time for her inflammation to subside. But for the first time in 2+ months, she didn't cough at bedtime (even with her A/C on) and she woke up with no cough. Hoping this was the cause.

So glad to hear your daughter's cough is gone! Mold is a biotoxin and not good for anyone's health much less kids with PANDAS. Way to go!!!

[philamom]

I have a question for mold gurus. My DD has had a dry cough since the week school let out in June. Coughing every 5 seconds. It's worst in our house and seems to subside when we go to a store or outside for a few hours (maybe a few coughs per hour). So something in the house, right? But we went away for a week and she still had the cough - not as bad but certainly not gone by a long shot. Antihistamines and quercetin help a bit but not great. Delsym doesn't do much. An inhaler at bedtime helps enough that she can fall asleep.

 

I reduced her dairy for a few days - didn't eliminate. She still ate foods that used dairy to make them, still used butter. But no milk, no ice cream, no cream cheese... Didn't seem to make a dent in the cough.

 

So I'm wondering if it's our window unit A/Cs (no central air). We cleaned the units before putting them in in late May but only the places I could reach. Certain internal areas were out of reach. We normally only use window units in the bedrooms but this year we also used on on the main floor. And this year she's spent a ton of time inside due the the excessive heat.

 

I don't believe she has mycoP, for reasons not worth enumerating. Just know I considered it but it doesn't fit the data I have.

 

So, my question: Does anyone know an effective way to clean a window unit A/C? I have Thieves Oil and have used an old nebulizer to diffuse the oil in my bathroom. Can't say for certain but it may have helped (it's summer - the bathroom window has been open and there's been no moisture buildup. Hard to say if it's the oil or just better ventilation). Going to try to diffuse the Thieves Oil into the A/C units (wish me luck). But any better ideas? Buying 4 new units every season isn't an option.

Did you ever diffuse the Thieves Oil into the A/C units? How did it work out?

 

Also, I thought I recall you mentioning that you cleaned out your washing machine every month with a certain product. Cant find that post. Could you tell me what you use? Is it Borax?

 

Thanks LLM.

[LNN]

Did you ever diffuse the Thieves Oil into the A/C units? How did it work out?

 

Also, I thought I recall you mentioning that you cleaned out your washing machine every month with a certain product. Cant find that post. Could you tell me what you use? Is it Borax?

 

Thanks LLM.

I did use the Thieves Oil but then opened up the unit and realized there was way too much mold/sludge. I ended up taking the entire unit apart and doing a thorough cleaning. I cleaned 2 units - the one in DDs bedroom survived and she's no longer coughing or congested. The other that was cooling the downstairs was older and didn't survive my overzealous spraying with the garden hose - must've gotten some electronics wet. So DH made me promise to not clean the remaining two units until we're done for the season, just in case. Hardware stores sell some sort of tablet you can put in the bottom tray that inhibits mold growth. May try that and maybe some Thieve's when we go to put the units in next year.

 

I do use Thieve's (actually, a much cheaper knock off with the same ingredients) in my bathroom, in the shower area where mildew tends to grow in the ceiling corners. It does seem to be keeping it at bay. We have a nebulizer from when DS once had asthma and that works great (saved me from having to cough up $$ for a difuser).

 

As for the washing machine, I use borax in the last load of laundry for the day and then use a spray bottle of peroxide, squirting the peroxide into the little holes inside the drum. Then once a year 9I use spring daylight savings weekend to keep it straight), I remove the outer shell of the washer and clean between the plastic outer drum and the inner metal drum with a sponge. The first time I did it, it hadn't been done in 12 yrs. Pretty bad. This past spring, there was only a small patch of soap scum and the start of a little yellow slime. A few wipes with the sponge and it was gone. Mine is a top loader. Front loaders are apparently much harder to clean and mold around the seals is a bigger problem. They sell a borax-like product to reduce mold but not sure how well it works. I know front loaders are better on water and gentler on clothes but after the whole experience, I think I'm sticking with top loaders.

[philamom]

Thanks LLM. I purchased a new front loader without agitator about a 1yr - 1yr half ago, and not too fond of it. It rips up our clothes-leaving strings, thins out the material. Anyway, I think I see mold already. Black and orange gunk around the plastic seams inside the drum. I'll spray it with peroxide. I'm assuming it doesn't need to be diluted? thx

[Hopeny]

I have a question for mold gurus. My DD has had a dry cough since the week school let out in June. Coughing every 5 seconds. It's worst in our house and seems to subside when we go to a store or outside for a few hours (maybe a few coughs per hour). So something in the house, right? But we went away for a week and she still had the cough - not as bad but certainly not gone by a long shot. Antihistamines and quercetin help a bit but not great. Delsym doesn't do much. An inhaler at bedtime helps enough that she can fall asleep.

 

I reduced her dairy for a few days - didn't eliminate. She still ate foods that used dairy to make them, still used butter. But no milk, no ice cream, no cream cheese... Didn't seem to make a dent in the cough.

 

So I'm wondering if it's our window unit A/Cs (no central air). We cleaned the units before putting them in in late May but only the places I could reach. Certain internal areas were out of reach. We normally only use window units in the bedrooms but this year we also used on on the main floor. And this year she's spent a ton of time inside due the the excessive heat.

 

I don't believe she has mycoP, for reasons not worth enumerating. Just know I considered it but it doesn't fit the data I have.

 

So, my question: Does anyone know an effective way to clean a window unit A/C? I have Thieves Oil and have used an old nebulizer to diffuse the oil in my bathroom. Can't say for certain but it may have helped (it's summer - the bathroom window has been open and there's been no moisture buildup. Hard to say if it's the oil or just better ventilation). Going to try to diffuse the Thieves Oil into the A/C units (wish me luck). But any better ideas? Buying 4 new units every season isn't an option.

I have a window unit in my shop. I regularly soak the floor of the unit with hydrogen peroxide. I then also spray the internal blower and internal housing. I also spray the fins. Now I do it after the sun is down as sunlight breaks down H2O2 rapidly (hence the brown containers it comes in). H2O2 directly breaks down mold into its constituent chemicals. What that essentially means is that it not only kills the mold but then it breaks down the toxic spore which is no longer toxic. When I pour the H2O2 into the pan of the A/C unit you can hear it sizzling as it breaks down organic matter. You should wear a paper mask so you do not inhale the spray. I often wash the pan out with soapy water after I let the H2O2 do its thing. I then run the fan on the unit until dry.

Red

 

So Red I spray the H2O2 directly into the unit at night, and then blow the fan? for how long? remove the filter when I do this or leave it in? and this is dumb but I guess even though the H2O2 is wet, it won't grow mold? thanks. DD also has mild asthma so this is always an area of concerrn.

[LNN]

Philamom - no need to dilute the peroxide. Just store it in a dark/opaque bottle. Light causes peroxide to break down.

 

HopeNY - Red's strategy would not have worked for my AC units. They had never been cleaned and were 5-10 years old. Simply squirting peroxide wasn't going to remove the gunk I found in mine. Maybe in the coming years, or for a brand new unit, but not for something that's been used but never cleaned. Too many nooks and crannies and the pans on my units weren't removable. The only way to really clean them was to open the units up. I'll be taking them apart at the end of ever season from now on.

[red]

Philamom - no need to dilute the peroxide. Just store it in a dark/opaque bottle. Light causes peroxide to break down.

 

HopeNY - Red's strategy would not have worked for my AC units. They had never been cleaned and were 5-10 years old. Simply squirting peroxide wasn't going to remove the gunk I found in mine. Maybe in the coming years, or for a brand new unit, but not for something that's been used but never cleaned. Too many nooks and crannies and the pans on my units weren't removable. The only way to really clean them was to open the units up. I'll be taking them apart at the end of ever season from now on.

I always open my unit up when I clean. You have to remove the filter and then the outer housing. This exposes the whole front of the A/C unit. The first thing I do is take a full bottle of H2O2 and dump it into the base of the unit. I start from one side and slowly pore as I move along to the other side. This will saturated the pan with H2O2. I then take a spray bottle with H2O2 in it and spray the fins. I also spray into the unit where the blower is located. I make sure I do NOT go anywhere near the controls. THen after this is done I go back and take mild soapy water and continue to rinse the pan to be sure it is cleaned out through the hole that drains outside. Now I have been doing this regularly since the unit was new. But if the unit is years old and has never been cleaned then I would agree this might not clean it. If I thought I had a unit that dirty I would remove the A/C unit from the housing and take it out. I would clean the housing and if the unit is real dirty then I would take it outside and clean it under pressure. Make sure the to try and keep the electrical control unit dry. I might let it sit in the sun and dry before reinstalling to make sure I do not short anything out when I turn it on. Heck I have done this with a cell phone that got wet. I immediately took out the battery and open it up and let it sit in the dash of a closed car in the sun for the day. It dried out the cell phone and I reinstalled the battery and rebooted it. I was lucky as it work.

I hope this makes some sense.

Red

[Hopeny]

Thanks. Our oldest units are 2 or 3 years old. I think my DD with the asthma's unit is 3 years old. Wow this is a huge endeavor. We have a permanetly installed unit in our basement, now I am concerned about it. It is almost never turned on but it sits close to ground level ugh.