Could this mold cause my child's constant illness?« Back to Previous Page
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Our 4-year-old has been having a constant runny nose and cough for the past month, and I'm starting to panic. I just pulled out a stack of winter clothes from the bottom of the wardrobe in our spare room and found a bunch of my husband's jackets covered in black and green fuzzy spots. We live in an older building in Deira and I'm worried the humidity has gotten into everything. Could this mold be the cause of my son's illness, and what's the first thing I should do to clean this up safely?
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It is very possible the mold is contributing to your son's symptoms. The constant runny nose and cough are classic signs of mold exposure, especially in children who are more sensitive. The types of mold commonly found on textiles and in damp wardrobes in Dubai—like Cladosporium or Aspergillus—are known allergens and respiratory irritants.
The first step is to isolate the problem. Immediately remove the moldy jackets from your living area, seal them in a plastic bag, and take them outside. Do not attempt to shake or vacuum them indoors, as this will aerosolize the spores and worsen the air quality. For your son, a consultation with a pediatrician is important to rule out other causes and discuss the potential role of environmental allergens. Given the climate in Deira, with high humidity and older building structures, this wardrobe discovery is likely a symptom of a wider humidity issue. Mold growth on contents often indicates elevated moisture levels within the wall or floor cavity itself. The first thing you should do is have a professional inspection that includes moisture mapping of the affected room. This identifies the hidden source of the dampness, which must be resolved before any cleaning is effective, or the mold will simply return. For a situation involving a child's health, a certified inspector can perform air and surface sampling to identify the specific mold types and concentration levels, which provides a clear target for remediation. Until then, improve ventilation in the room and keep the AC running to help lower indoor humidity. |
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