We have mold.
Yes, mold. Well, maybe it's mildew... I can't seem to figure out the difference, but either way, I can smell it when I go to bed, I smell it when I wake up, and I can smell something musty right now as I write this post.
After spending half a day on Saturday trying to obliterate the mold that took up a spot in our bedroom, it still smells musty.... So, we both talked to our co-teachers today and a solution was found - "send the accountant from my school to scope out the situation". Thus my afternoon began. With the permission of both the principal and the vice principal, the school accountant (with her courageous - yet lacking - English effort), the other school accountant (who was enlisted because she has a car - who wants to take a 1/2 hour subway ride when you can ride in the comfort of a Korean car!?), and I set off for my apartment.
After driving around the block a few times (I've never driven up to my apartment, I'm not sure how to get there by car!) we managed to make it to my place. It was 1:30pm at this time. I ushered the school accountant (I'm afraid that I don't know her name, and my co-teachers don't know her name, so, I don't call her anything, which is not uncommon for me in my school seeing as I barely know the names of the people I share an office with!!) into my apartment to see this mold. Although we had cleaned the mold/mildew (whatever!) on Saturday, there was still our "utility room" that needed to be dealt with, and I was ABSOUTELY CONVINCED that there was mold behind our dresser....
Unfortunately (well, maybe fortunately) there was no mold behind the dresser but the accountant was still impressed. She began to tell me how bad our apartment is and how apartments that are only three or five stories tall are usually poorly built... but if we sign on for another year we can move....
After assessing the apartment, the accountant and I headed over to E-Mart to purchase the necessary mold-fighting items. We came home with some one time use boxed dehumidifiers (I think they're filled with salt...), mildew spray stuff, and febreeze. The accountant then proceeded to inform me of how to use all these goods before we headed back to the school.
Environmental Disclaimer - this is a side note, connected to my escapades, but not furthering the story...I have a bit of a problem with the purchases that were made. As a self-proclaimed tree hugger/granola cruncher I was not happy to be spraying chemicals in my house and purchasing things that will only need to be thrown out. But, as a foreigner living in Korea, it is difficult to procure items, especially eco-friendly ones. I can't even find chocolate chips, let alone an eco-friendly mildew remover.... so, for now I must resign myself to the fact that I can only do so much. I will continue to use baking soda in my laundry with less soap, to recycle and compost, and to TRY to buy minimally packaged items (though this is also a very difficult task in Korea....) in order to do my part for the environment.
Okay, I'm out. Here's hoping that by the end of the week we will be mold free (and free from the musty smell!
~Jen
RSS Feed