Did you know that not only the sick people, animals and plants? Alas, the house in which we live, too, can become ill. The most common ailment of our home - a fungal mold. And the most vulnerable for her place in the house - bathroom. This, in general, is not surprising. Bathroom - very humid, and excessive moisture and poor ventilation is the best suited for the comfortable existence of mold. Fungus in the bathroom is able to poison our existence, not only figuratively but also literally, because it is harmful not only walls, but also to those who inhabit those walls.

Mould (like all fungi) releases into the environment debate, which together with air breathes people. Once inside the human body, the spores can trigger a cough, runny nose, nausea, headaches and rheumatic pain, allergic skin diseases and even asthma. Therefore, if you have found a fungus in her bathroom, then immediately take measures to eliminate it.

Causes and symptoms

Mold (mold fungus) grows on a porous concrete surface, paints, stone and plastic. Canned mold spores in large quantities is always present in the air. Getting on the crude surface, they germinate into the finest threads and begin to actively proliferate. Ideal conditions for mold - temperatures above 20 degrees and the humidity is above 90%. Most often it affects the walls of the mold in the bathroom with a bad waterproofing and inadequate ventilation.

The external manifestation of mold - black (gray, brown) spots and dots on the walls, the ceiling, in the joints between the tiles. Mold - is not just untidy look of the room and a musty smell. The fungus destroys the building and finishing materials (almost to the ground), causing cracks in the concrete walls, peeling plaster and paint, and inevitably leads to the need for repairs.

Therapies

To get rid of mold in the bathroom, you must destroy the fungus itself, and create conditions for its existence impossible. Therefore, the fight against the fungus should take place in several stages.

1. Step One. Getting rid of the dampness. To do this, remove all sources of moisture. First of all, plumbing (pipes, taps, toilet) must be in good condition - namely, do not leak. Because the current taps or toilet already increase humidity. In addition, pipes insulated with impaired collected condensate, which also leads to excessive moisture.
2. Step Two. Organization of the ventilation. If no bathroom vent (or is clogged), and the doors are tightly closed, the room poorly ventilated (or not ventilated at all). Exit - clean ventilation, install a small fan in the bathroom, often aired.
3. Step Three. Waterproofing. Paint the walls and ceiling in the bathroom should be exclusively waterproof paints that protect the surface from excess moisture. Before lining the walls and flows required to process their waterproofing coating.
4. Step Four. The destruction of the fungus. It is the most labor-intensive phase of treatment. To begin to dry the walls and stream. Take advantage of this powerful hairdryers or heaters. If the fungus is already thoroughly settled in your bathroom, it may be necessary to remove all the coating from the walls, ceiling and floor. Then carefully treat all surface antiseptics and anti-fungal spray air (available at hardware stores and building). However, this phase of treatment is worth considering in more detail.

Treatment methods

First of all, set the source of the fungus. Yes Yes. Himself fungus (mycelium) may be in any particular secluded place - a bathroom, on the walls of tiles, in the seams and joints, under the plaster. And what we see on the walls - the body, the visible portion of the fungus. Remove the seat of simple mechanical way - scraping and buffed. If the source of the mold are hard to find, you just need to clean up all the affected areas of the bathroom. Tapping on the walls is necessary to reveal all the voids, open them and clean up the ground. Moldy grout between the tile and is completely removed, and if the tile moves away from the wall, then remove the tiles themselves.

After that, all you need to place the bare "ignited" by the construction of powerful hairdryers or heaters. Boiling water will not help! Heat have to be dry! Walls handle antiseptic and waterproofing agents. And once again a good warm up the entire bathroom.

Medications their application

The first signs of the appearance of mold and small lesions can be to try to correct with the help of available tools that are available in the arsenal of every housewife. This hydrogen peroxide, vinegar essence, and chlorine bleach. Treat them all the affected areas, pre-clean off mildew stains.

In addition to these "drugs" can also be used, and other well-known and proven products - copper sulphate, industrial alcohol, strong bleach solution. But you will agree that the special drugs are more readily available today and probably more effective.

Such resources are more than enough for any hardware stores (by the way, they are made on the basis of sulfate, chlorine and alcohol). Consult with the experts and get the remedy to kill the fungus. When buying pay attention to the: effective means must contain antifungal and antibacterial components. Also, do not be amiss to find out how these tools interact with finishing materials: tile, paint, paint, primer, enamel.

Getting treatment, be sure to protect your hands and the respiratory tract, wearing rubber gloves and a dust mask. So you not only protect yourself from the harmful effects of chemicals, but also of the fungus spores. However, all of the above can provide only a temporary effect, if you do not take preventive measures to the appearance of the fungus.

Disease prevention

To prevent this disease in your bathroom should:

• Maintain humidity below 60%. To do this, eliminate all leaks and periodically dry (warm) room.
• Provide good ventilation. To do this, follow the draft in the vent, or put the fan (air conditioning), and often ventilate the bathroom, leaving the door (window) open.
• When repairing used waterproofing coating and waterproof (water-repellent) materials.
• At the first sign of the fungus to take immediate emergency measures: clean, dry, treat!

Compliance with these rules will help to avoid the scourge of the appearance of mold. A basic knowledge of methods of prevention and control will help to answer the question of how to get rid of mold in the bathroom. Still, let the mushrooms in your home will be only in the form of mushroom dishes and marinades, as it appears in the mold only with the expensive varieties of "blue cheese." And nothing else!

Down jackets (coats down jackets, coats, suits) have now become almost the most popular form of the upper warm clothes. They are worn and old and young, regardless of gender and social status. What? Warm, comfortable, easy, practical and fashionable! And no wonder: after all, they were engaged in development research institutes specifically for equipment Arctic expeditions. It is unlikely that there is a family where at least one of the households had no wardrobe down jackets. So sooner or later, we are faced with the task of cleaning or washing of clothes, especially if it belongs to a child or has a light color. And here the question arises: how to wash down jacket?

It is clear that it's best to give the jacket to the dry cleaner. There, all done professionally and accurately. But to take down jacket in reasonably clean after a cold season, before you remove warm clothes saving storage. Because, firstly, it costs money (and sometimes decent), and secondly, it requires time. And during the winter and autumn we have no choice, how to wash down jacket in the washing machine or by hand. Those of us who are faced with the necessity for the first time are often frightened by the prospect of independent washing down jackets. However, nothing wrong with that. Everything is quite simple and easy. One has only to learn some of the features of the product and the rules for its washing.

What's inside the down jacket?

Down jacket we call all bulky padded jackets, no matter what's inside. In fact, a real down jacket to be stuffed down (eider, goose, swan or duck). On the label of the down jackets to tag «down». But this label is quite difficult to find. Most often in such jackets fluff mixed with a feather, and an inscription on it the label - the word «feather» (pen). It is these real down jackets and requires special careful handling when washing.

In addition to these there feather clothing with insulation made of other materials: «cotton» - batting, «wool» - wool, «polyester» «hollow fiber» and «fiberteck» - synthetic insulation. With them, the situation is easier than down, but respect for these clothes are not hurt. Therefore, the rules on how to wash down jackets, it'll go to other insulated jackets winter road. According to the recommendations of the manufacturer of clothing with Feather and downy insulation generally can not be washed or ironed. But, as the experience of our enterprising and brave housewives (and such an experience, it turns out we have in abundance), down jacket can be washed. The question is how to do it without much harm to things.

How to wash a down jacket in the washing machine?

Terms of washing down jackets explained it was their special filler - down. The fact is that in addition to these, of course, excellent quality as the light and heat and fluff has some uncomfortable for us properties. Pooh tends to accumulate dust komkovatsya when wet, absorb the good and bad to give detergents. Therefore, before you wash down jackets, remember that:

• the drum of the washing machine, you can download only one jacket;
• the temperature of the wash water must not be higher than 30 degrees;
• detergents you can only use the most simple or special liquid (liquid soap);
• you need to install the washing delicate, with the low-rev;
• wash down jacket is necessary only turned inside out, buttoned with zippers and buttons;
• rinse the down jacket is desirable not less than three times;
• pressing only at very low speeds of the washing machine.

Some jackets are sold together with special balls for washing. Such balls lay in the washing machine drum and together with them to wash and dry down jackets. If such balls included with your down jacket it was not, then, on the advice of enterprising housewives, use tennis balls (for tennis). Three or four balls in the washing machine will not stray into clumps of feathers during washing.

Why do not want to use washing powder? No harmful effects on the down, he does not have, a powder is very difficult to rinse out fluff. Therefore, the washing powder you just need to more thoroughly rinse the down jacket. Pressing it may also be in the washing machine and also a tennis ball.

If the jacket is not very dirty, it is not necessary to fill it in the washing machine. You can do a more gentle way to wash down jacket and hands.

How to wash down jacket manual?

The most common and fastest dirty cuffs, pockets and collar. To clear it of, put on the fabric a little mild shampoo or soap. Lightly moisten and rub your hand or brush contaminated sites. And then rinse the foam with a damp cloth.

If you need to wash all down jackets, you must put it hang it on a hanger or rope over the bath, the fabric is completely soap and then rinse the foam with water from the shower. Jacket of waterproof fabric does not get wet and thus become clean (though only the top). If the fabric is waterproof, it is only the top layer gets wet feather "stuffing." Therefore, the down will not get off in clumps, and dry it for a long time is not necessary.

How to dry down jacket?

If dry down jacket in the washing machine, it is necessary to put the tennis balls that will whisk down and will not let it stick together. The process itself should last about two hours. Incidentally, after such drying may look jacket has dried, but the inner layers of the pad may be still wet. So leave it some hang in the room, but do not remove the cabinet immediately.

Remember that you can not put cushions on a radiator to dry and very close to other heat sources. From hot air pen will become brittle and will stop warming. Dry jacket in an upright position, periodically removing the rack, shaking and stretching. This is to ensure that the pen is not stuck together and gathered in one direction.

Actually it is the periodic and vigorous shaking - the most tedious of all the washing process. But from such a shake-up jacket will look better than you it will be harder to shake.

So, take note of the recommendations on how to wash down jackets and decide for yourself: is it worth afoot with washing at home or still prefer dry cleaning. And you have to choose - because down jacket must be not only warm and fashionable, but also clean.