Home on Mondays: Aspergillosis (Orange Spores) Grew on the Kitchen Cabinets

The wood removed from our kitchen started growing orange mold spores. They are called Aspergillosis and can cause infection. I felt very unwell after I tended the plants yesterday, so I probably inhaled some of it. Wore a mask when I went out to spray them with vinegar.

The workers were thinking about re-using the cabinets that were removed. After seeing how the wood that was used easily dissipated when it got wet, Mang Gary said it was like biskwit when wet. They just shook their head when they saw that the cabinets eventually developed spores. 

I was so excited when we moved in our new home almost a year ago. I thought the kitchen was perfect. I noticed a strange smell from the drawer though when I started to put away kitchen items. Complained about it and the contractor just adjusted something under the sink. The smell though persisted and we were told to "monitor" the situation. 

Few months later, one of the cabinet doors came off when it was opened. Pest control crew confirmed it was termites. We only found out when we ripped up our kitchen that the smell was coming from where the termites lived. It wasn't the drainage which we originally suspected was the culprit of the bad smell*.

I just thought it was  a good thing we decided to renovate the kitchen. The ruined cabinets due to the termites, the smell, the kitchen lights that got wet and eventually finding out about the bad electrical installation, soured my relationship with my kitchen. Those orange spores would have eventually found it's way in the kitchen since the cabinets do get wet**.

We requested to have the discarded cabinets removed immediately since it was making me sick. I tried to keep it from spreading by spraying vinegar. It helped a bit, but they were just too many and I was afraid it was going to spread to my plants.  The infested cabinets were removed the next day, whew! 

So if you see orange spores (or fungus) growing on your cabinets, do not touch it or go near it (wear a mask). You can remove it with bleach, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide solutions. I used vinegar and it immediately dissipated. I know though it would take several sprays and days to completely remove it, so it was a relief when it was immediately removed. I read that these things grow in the bathroom too. Just keep things clean and you should be alright. 

*There were other issues with the drainage.

**The cabinet doors were installed incorrectly. They were jutting out of the countertops. 

#BeKind #StaySafe