Korean Job Discussion Forums

[UknowsI]

I have some mould problem in my apartment and I am now looking for an air purifier to improve the air quality. However, I hardly know anything about air purifiers, so I would welcome any advice.

I have a two room apartment and I would prefer a purifier without too much maintenance. The "air washers" with humidifiers are probably out of the question since I don't need any more humidity, and from my first browsing at HiMart it seems like HEPA filters might be the way to go. But from my understanding, I would have to buy new filters for them regularly.

[eamo]

I think you should clean the mold with the anti-mold sprays you can buy in the supermarket and solve the problem at its source.

[UknowsI]

[Tigerstyleone]

I solved my crazy mold problem by purchasing a fan and using on the infected are 24-7 365. Its been one year 2 months since I last had mold.

Don't think you need an air purifier. You need to keep the place really dry.
As you know mold likes to grow in dark damp places.

[Hootsmon]

Hey,

I've been dealing with the same problem since the summer and think I have hit on a simple solution.

Obviously, the first step is to clean the disgusting stuff - but you say you've already done that.

If you have aircon, there's a good chance it has a dehumidifier setting - 제습 - stick that on and it will dry out the room.

I don't know much about air purifiers - perhaps they're the same as a dehumidifier? If not, you could get one...it's called a 제습기. The cheapest I just saw on Gmarket is about 50,000, though more are 70,000 and up.

However, that's not what I've done. I had my mould attack in the summer. I was away during the four week period that there was the really heavy rain and a lot of it seeped inside one of the walls of this old place, I think. When I came back, my home was disgusting...had to throw out loads of clothes and bedding because they were completely infested with mould.

Thanks to buying and running the aircon a lot, it stopped most of the mould...but I could still smell it and recently I found new patches where I'd previously cleaned.

What seems to have completely stopped the smell, and I hope also stopped the mould coming back, are those simple little boxes you get at the supermarket that absorb water. In Korean, they're called 물먹는하마 and have a little picture of a hippo absorbing water, if you're Korean is not up to scratch. They're cheap - I got 4 for about 6000 won - and I chucked one in each of my wardrobes and one next to each of the places the mould had been coming back. Now, for the first time since the summer, there's absolutely no mould smell in my place, which is a blessing because I've come to hate that smell more than any other in the world!

Good luck...mould can really make it unpleasant to be at home.

[UknowsI]

[Swampfox10mm]

If you have a water leak, that is too serious. Get it fixed or move. An air purifier will not help with mold.

You need to be airing out your house at minimum 2 to 3 times per day for 5 to 10 mins or else you will not be able to dry out the house and also exchange carbon dioxide for fresh oxygen. Open all or most windows. The carbon dioxide is what contributes greatly to mold. Dry air in your home will literally suck the water out of the walls.

Westerners often are not used to this problem because our homes are built with central air duct vents, and a forced air heating system that dries the air and circulates.

If you problems are more serious, buy a dehumidifier. But try exchanging air first. Especially after showering.