Sorry to dump this on you after being so absent, but-- well, now you know why.

I really wish that I could offer art in exchange for your goodwill, but I just don’t have the capacity nor the timeliness...

However, I would be able to promise you cute dog pictures upon request.

oh man... I'm so sorry.

/hugs?

Nightsail: 🫂 i appreciate the sentiment!

So many thanks to everyone who has replurked. It means a lot.

Unfortunately, my situation just got worse… My renter’s insurance won’t move forward with my claim because the incident was due to neglect from my landlord.

I had another heart episode this morning, and it is very likely to be due to the conditions on my apartment. I hit my credit limit yesterday.

Thanks to the two generous people that helped, I can stay one more night somewhere… however, after that, I’m at a loss.

due to negligence from your landlord.... is suing them an option?

I know that probably wouldn't be fast at all, but

I’m going to have to go that route because she is denying any responsibility. In order to be able to sue, I’m going to have to wait at least a month, for all the technicalities.

Waiting two weeks after first notice, and then two more notices after that.

Also, being in Portland, all housing resources are at capacity. I’ve been on the waitlist for four+ years now.

Well, every available waitlist I could find

I’m tremendously thankful for everyone who has shared!!

another cute dog photo, in thanks

such precious babies....

They are the truly the best

give them extra kisses for me...

I’m wondering if anyone could offer me opinions, considering the current predicament-- If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

Continue to find rooms to stay in, in order to prevent any potential for further health problems, for you and your animals? This starts at ~$160 a night, with all fees

Sleep in your car? Imagine you have extreme heat sensitivity, in this scenario, so also not great for your health. This will let you invest in more long term solutions

Do you go home to your abusers, in order to make sure you stay with your animals? They’re extremely transphobic and they might find out you’ve been transitioning tho.

Or do you give up your animals, to make sure they have a safe place, go to a shelter, and risk any mental health struggles?

I’m truly, truly at a loss. It’s awkward to ask, but maybe someone can offer some insight that will help me.

I'd check with shelters, see if there are any that're pet-friendly. some are; people are figuring out that sometimes, protecting a beloved pet is the reason people stay in terrible situations, and with that hurdle out of the way, well....

if things get worse, see if a friend can take them in for a while, while you figure something else out yourself?

Nightsail: I have been calling around to shelters/resource centers whenever I can-- I haven’t found one yet, sadly. Thats what initially made me reach out for help

(also, save every receipt. see if you can find free consults with lawyers that deal with landlord/tenant issues, and see about recovering all the money you've spent on things from this landlord after the fact.)

ah. :/ next cities over, perhaps?

Sadly, I don’t have any contacts in the area any longer. A couple in California. To get from there to here cost be a couple grand, last time

And I have been widening my scope! No luck, but still looking!

what if you looked around for potentially buying a used camper?

I know, not ideal. but it'd be something....

Oh, definitely. I have been for some time, actually. The problem with that is, I have to turn in my car tomorrow - or the next day, at latest

to turn in...?

I’ve been leasing it, and I’ve hit the max term

oh...

So, the plan was to get a motorhome, so I would to have to worry about being stationary without ac/heat/power etc

I was hoping my SSDI would’ve been worked out by then, so I could have some money to work with, but no such luck

I’ve tried looking into other vehicles, loans, etc etc. I don’t qualify, due to how little I bring in on SSDI. Same reason I can’t get an apartment

And people wonder how homelessness happens 🫠

I know it feels like it might be reaching, but have you checked around with churches, to see if any of them have connections or know where to look? theoretically they're supposed to help those in need, so it might be worth a shot. maybe they know of a shelter, or know of someone selling an RV, or... something...?

also perhaps worth checking: the library's resource desk.

I will do that tomorrow, just to see. I didn’t think of churches as a resource, prob due to the whole trans thing lol. I know not all are like that tho.

Thank you for the suggestions.

Is moving back to Cali a possibility? Like do you have to stay in Portland right now?

yeah. but even the most backwards and regressive have supposedly heard of the mandate to help those in need. >_>

you might even try asking other outlets in place for helping those who need it - food banks, for example? those who need to use them sometimes also need other kinds of assistance, after all.

ah, I was going to suggest renting an rv as a long shot, but it's high season and at a glance it's hard to get anything in your area for more than a few days (though a number of them still have a cheaper daily rent than the hotel price you quoted, that doesn't include fees for wherever you have to park it)

RakuRanger: I’ve only been stuck because I
don’t have the money to move, honestly. And I didn’t know where to go.

Nightsail: Yeah, fair points. I will work my way down the ladder. I’m not going to give up. So far, every place designed for assistance has been telling me the same-- the homeless crisis. I’ve looked at a fair radius around the city, and it’s been the same or worse.

superfine: I’m going to double check on that! Last I saw, rentals were 250-500+ a night tho... crazy here

I got an ad for a smaller size that was going $130 (or at least that's what it seemed); lemme see if i can dig it up again

there's also this but it may be "ehhhh" for several reasons: https://portland.craigsl...

superfine: that would be great, thank you

mm. wild idea, then - Craigslist, Facebook, Reddit, etc. I'm not too sure where the real hub for buying a used vehicle is, but maybe someone else does? you might luck out with one that isn't terrible, even if this isn't a great option overall

also: hotels? what about checking airbnb? I don't know the state of that in your area, but....

Rates

superfine: that’s actually around the lines of what I’ve been looking into! I found a smaller class C at under $10k

The problem is, I will have $350 to work with, if gofund me clears tomorrow

Nightsail: FB marketplace has been really useful for keeping track of stuff!! I’ve only ever been scammed on Craigslist tho, so I’m hesitant. I’m blanking on Reddit, so I could stand to take another look there!!

speaking of under $10k, though this might also turn out to have mold problems lol: https://portland.craigsl...

i can smell it through the photographs

And hotels are certainly an option right now, and the most cost effective for short term solutions, tho that starts at $160ish for checking in tonight (fees and all)

also https://portland.craigsl... if you don't care about having a fridge and can afford whatever a brake job would cost (i will stop spamming craigs links now sorry)

I thought that I was getting a room at ~$75/night over the weekend, but idk wtf Portland is doing, allowing them to charge for every little loophole

superfine: trust me, I deeply appreciate your help 💖 I’m going to keep an eye on all of these options

yeah that Cruise America site said they had a standard RV for $110/night but I didn't go to the checkout page to see if there were any fees

they had a trailer listed for $75, dunno what it would look like to rent that + a towing vehicle simultaneously, probably more than the $110 vehicle alone

okay i lied, the paint job on that econoline is too cool not to share: https://portland.craigsl...

Oh wow that econoline is also built out for off grid

superfine: I’ll check out what the fees look like rn. If it’s anything close to motel fees... /shakes fist

And I’ve actually seen that ecoline before!! Very cool

update - I’ve revised my $goal and added a breakdown in the description. I welcome any feedback, and would appreciate your consideration

breakdown of minimum for rv rental... why this

The security deposit costing more than the rental fee fer crissakes

Seriously. How.

Okay, so I’ve been in the car and burning up. Very ill. I don’t think I can manage it. I think I’m going to book a room at the nearby motel 6 for a couple days... That way, I also have a place to keep my stuff while I turn in my car lease, and I’ll be close enough that it won’t be horribly expensive if I have to find a ride.

Reaaally don’t know what I’m going to do when I won’t have a car. Kinda freaked out about it tbh. My health won’t allow me to walk. But one step at a time.

Motorized scooter rental if the weather's nice? Not sure if that would be any cheaper than an uber :/

I’m not sure about the price tbh. Would be difficult with my esa doggos tho lol

jk. They are also booked. At this rate, I might have to be stuck in the apartment or the street jfc

There are other available motels around the city, but too far to reasonably find a way back and forth without dropping at least $30 per ride

And gfm says it can take up to two weeks to process, and up to another five days to go through, so I have to move very carefully rn 🥲

Celebrating a small win-- turns out there is a 3 day grace period to turn in my lease. I’ll take whatever I can get.

while i acknowledge that fundraising and crowdsourcing platforms need to make some money to cover operating expenses, the degrees they go to to make profits is still pretty gross imo

Yah, I was a little disappointed by the process ngl

That said, I added my Venmo handle, if anyone wants to go that route, instead

I don't think I can etransfer to American banks which is a pain because my bank is no-fee for those

I appreciate the thought, regardless

do you have a paypal as well or just venmo?

superfine: I do!! @ SageWilde1

More cute dog photos in thanks for replurking!!

For now while trying to get in a better position I do know that motel 6's tend to allow pets and are on the cheaper side. They'd likely be cheaper than $160 a night.

I used them when road tripping cross country bc they all allowed my cat.

They have a pet policy of allowing 2 pets to stay for free as long as they're healthy and not a safety risk.

I feel like you're probably already on these waitlists, but just in case:FacebookResources — Q Center

Second one also mentions calling 211 for crisis housing help

Yeah 211 is definitely an underrated resource. Sometimes they genuinely have something.

I actually reserved a motel 6 this morning! It was ~$100/night after fees, and a $75 deposit

er--yesterday morning. I finally got some sleep and I’m trying to wake up lol

Thank you so much for the links! I’m definitely going to comb over everything I can, even if I have before. It’s worth a shot.

I made a handful of calls and sent a couple emails before I crashed

So, a place whose waitlist that I’ve applied to invited me in late next week for an application... Now, idk if this is part of the waitlist process, or if they’re doing me a solid due to the situation

I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but this seems like a good thing!

Downside, this particular property is just the tiniest studios you’ve ever seen. Only comes with a fridge, room for a bed and maybe a desk. I don’t see a shower in the photos, so hopefully there is one lol

There is no balcony etc so I would also have to take the dogs all the way down to the community grounds for potty time, which is going to be tough on me - but I’m willing to do whatever I gotta do

on the upside, I can suggest things to look out for in thrift stores and Walmart, so you can actually cook some good inexpensive foods properly, while using very little space! ...I may have helped furnish my friend's back room in his lil store, and done a few things so I could fix myself food in my bedroom at home....

I do have a lot of those supplies already, actually -- my (current/last?) apartment had a kitchenette area, but the only appliance it actually had was a fridge lol

The only thing I am concerned about is the space to store everything... but FB marketplace would hopefully come through with some sort of counter/shelving combo

Of course, I guess it depends on how much I can keep, if there is a bad mold problem 🫠

Another thing-- my landlord actually hired a professional to take mold samples. I was floored.

Unfortunately, that is all she’s done, but whenever we can get the results back (assuming she’d share the proof with me), I could at least know how to proceed

On account of scheduling and lab testing, I’m guessing results wouldn’t be back until sometime next week

tentative progress!

don't suppose you could squeeze in a pee pads for the puppers in a space that small

I could, I’m sure! Tho I find that they tend to not discriminate between those and my rugs fff 🫠 Would still help on the days I Just Can’t tho

More good news, the folks that wanted to give me an estimate on the damaged personal property + junk removal were available to do it today - so that’s taken care of! Very happy about that.

The bad news is that it brings my expenses thus far to just under $1k... but it would have been so much more expensive with anyone else

more cute pups in thanks for the replurks!!

omg guys... someone just backed into me, and they “don’t have their insurance on them”

I have to turn in my lease by Sunday, at the latest.... fuuuck me

I have their license in case they drive off, and the police are on their way. Just, dang. Timing.

pls don’t judge how dirty my car is, i was gonna clean it tomorrow 🥲

ok, so. Have to give the guy a few days to get me his insurance info, or call the police if he doesn’t. My car’s lease dept is just going to charge me a daily overage fee, which... I can hopefully charge to the other insurance company 🫠

Holy shit nooooo

i mean at least it isn't the level of cursed of my other friend's car insurance but that's still terrible timing

Omg yeah, it could have been so much worse, so I’m grateful for that

What happen to your friend? Are they ok?

oh yeah she just had back to back incidents that involved having a brand new car getting stolen and ditched, and having to dodge a mattress dumped on the highway, among other things

also getting t-boned in an intersection when she was not remotely at fault (but came out of it relatively okay injury-wise)

Jfc. Situations like these make me wonder if curses are real lol.

yeah the car curse is definitely a running not-joke now lol

Really glad they’re ok

her insurance rates were not okay after all that but she wound up moving and hasn't had many issues since, so maybe it was more of a Florida curse

I mean, from the stories we’ve all heard, that seems to add up lol

This room is so much better, it’s crazy... I can’t believe it’s cheaper

The only thing I can figure is that maybe it’s directly across the street from the cemetery? It’s in full view from the parking lot

But I mean. For me, that’s a huge plus hahaha

There’s lots of food in a short distance, especially Asian , a dollar tree, a Walgreens, and a Walmart a little further.

Not that I can do a ton of walking, but I might have to, after turning in the car

For the car washed up today, and made an appointment to drop it off at a shop on Tuesday. Decided to hang onto it and fix it, so I don’t have to worry about them fussing about the damages.

Also gets me a couple more days to figure out what I’m going to do about securing another form of transportation-- if it’s even possible. 🥲

Considering the credit situation, and the stupid low income SSDI gives me, it’s not likely

But I need... something... my doctor won’t give me a wheelchair because he’s afraid that I won’t exercise at all and get worse. But I won’t be able to make it to a bust stop with how my health currently is.

Oh, and I sent messages to “affordable” apartments and asked if they have any programs... doesn’t help to ask, right 😮‍💨

Now, i am turning in v early tonight because my body is mad af and my brain can’t cope lol

More cute pups, in thanks for the replurks!!

they look so excited

New place, and gotta make sure I’m not walking off without them lol

A picture that finally shows Hecate’s crackhead personality, too... she always photographs so mellow and innocent. It’s lies.

Oh, and I had another heart incident this morning.

I was not feeling right since I went through the remainder of the moldy belongings on Wednesday, but I put it down to exhaustion? And I went back to the apartment last night to get more clothes...

Idk it could be a huge coincidence, but timing always seems to line up... I’ll be very shocked if the test results come back showing nontoxic

But then it will be more concerning and complicated to figure out. Is it extreme sensitivity from preexisting conditions? Is it just the stress??

Either way, I’m going to have to get my butt out of there.

I don’t have that application appointment until Thursday, and that means I should probably extend my stay at Motel 6, but my expenses are just under $1368 so far 🫠

My dad also left me a voicemail yelling at me for not picking up his call l o l

Had to take a day off from searching today, to visit the clinic and knock out all of the health stuff that I’ve been putting off. (Not by choice.)

I’m trying to stay positive, but I’m just feeling. Really discouraged.

I have these genetic results saying that I have these conditions, but healthcare is telling me that I don’t because I “don’t meet the criteria” which is very specific and doesn’t take into account literally every other symptom I have attributed to them

But what do I know, right

And that one housing place that got back to me turns out to have shared bathrooms and kitchens-- which I spent yesterday having a meltdown about

I just. Can’t deal sharing space with other people, especially strangers. I try to think reasonably about the situation, it’s my CPTSD that’s the problem.

It looks like I’m not going to have any choice. I’m worried that it’s mentally going to unravel me tho.

can you let the housing place know that that's a condition you have so that maybe they can apprise the other tenants and see if any accommodations can be made?

I’m not sure... I think I’m going to call them tomorrow to see if there’s any units that have their own bathroom. I can make due without a kitchen if I have to

But I’m not expecting that they make any large accommodations for tenants

Just because of fairness - and how easy it would be for anyone to say that they can’t share because of X, you know?

I’ll still ask, but 🫠 idk gotta manage my expectations quite a bit

Also gonna take the car in tomorrow for evaluation/fixing

And my landlord isn’t responding to be about the mold results, of course. She said they’d be in today.

Another cute dog picture, as thanks for the replurks!!

this one is better lol

babiesss

My sweet fur potatoes

Also, it appears that there is mold, but my landlord won’t give me results. As expected lol.

I did outright ask for them for my insurance, but yet to get a response

Oof... today is not a great day

I can’t get through to my local office regarding legal assistance, they’re closed for-- idk, something? The message quality was bad, and I couldn’t make out the reason

I also called the place that I have the appointment to file an application with, to ask them about the shared spaces

Turns out that they are just rooms, and they’re also out of my budget, but they “might” be able to make it work

And she talked to me very condescendingly, on top of it. That it was either this, or the street where I “wouldn’t have to worry about sharing spaces, but have all the other craziness going on”

And told me about programs that I “should take the time to look up on [my] phone”, when I have and no one is offering assistance right now because they’re closed/at capacity

That if I “put in the effort to look” I could get a job from home. My migraines make me incapable of any consistency, and if I somehow do maintain work around them, they will have reason to take my SSDI away. Because all of the other conditions I go through weren’t good enough, it was the migraines that got me approved.

oh man i hate it when people who don't know anything about this side of the system get like that

I get an entire $923 a month, if I could be bringing in more, why would I be suffering like this

surely we're just lazy!!!

superfine: right?? Like it isn’t bad enough being in this predicament... they shouldn’t be “helping” us if this is how they’re going to perceive our situations

I’m really at capacity right now. I don’t know how much more I can take, or do.

I’ve been selling off whatever I can, but it’s not enough to keep up with the expenses of the motel

I’m tired of being in a constant state of panic and emotional pain

--caught up GFM page. Included some more photos, and another update.

If anyone has other suggestions to gain traction, please throw them out there! So, so thankful for everything I can get.

Went to my bank and saw if I could get a loan, out of desperation.

It was a hard no. Which I knew it was going to be, but idk, I had a sliver of hope, since I’ve been with them so long and never had any problems.

I was really hoping that I could get just enough to buy a cheap rv/camper/something

Having to apply for that community home tomorrow is really fucking me up, I feel like I’m drowning in panic.

superfine:

Applied to the place. They said they can’t get me in until the 30th “if I’m lucky”.

Also came to the realization that if I’m reacting this way to the mold, I won’t be able to keep my mattress, my AC unit, my air purifier... maybe my clothes will be ok, but they were inside a closet built terribly inside the room with all the mold. Would it even be smart to try... hhh

And I met with a project manager that came out to look at the mold and figure out what needs to be done. He was able to point find actual black mold. So who knows what’s in the walls.

We dont know the spore count because she didn’t share anything about the mold results with him either

I don’t care about what happens to the building, I just need to figure out what to even do at this point

And I’ve been crying constantly with CPTSD meltdowns over the place I’m moving to ughhh... Not the best state to be in when you’re trying to make decisions

would your air purifier maybe be okay if you replaced the filter and optionally cleaned it with rubbing alcohol or something?

It’s one of those Dyson air purifiers, and I’m not sure I can take that big oval piece apart to clean inside 🫠

I’ve been looking into mold foggers, and I’m going to take some time to research on it more tomorrow-- if it’s within my budget, I’m considering just nuking everything I can and tossing whatever seems like it won’t work on??

Maybe I can like... run the air units while spraying them down, so it circulates through?? That’s the only way I can think of

might not be a bad option, depending on the appliance, tbh

Nightsail: I hope so! Tho I might need to downsize, anyway 😮‍💨

I’ve had some big updates over the past couple days - both good and bad - so I’ll fill you guys in tonight

whoof, take your time

OK. I’ve returned.

So, I decided to follow up on the accident with the insurance company, and it’s mainly because they paid to let me have a rental during the process

And meanwhile, my car dealer took note that I had decided to do so, thus I’m paying a daily rate for my vehicle.

However, it’s my normal payment divided by days in the month... so it’s significantly cheaper than if I were to rent a car, in order to bridge the gap of turning in my car and finding another solution to get around

Repairs were done a couple of days ago, but I’m trying to get by for another week and hope they don’t say anything

I’m paying for it, so it’s not like I feel bad about it lol

My landlord also decided to refund me - but that was around the time that she would have received my second notice in the mail. Hmm. What a coincidence.

Just for this month, though. While that would have been the right thing to do, and it does help with covering the hotel stays, she has not offered to help cover any of the other expenses. Junk removal, cleaning out the unit, cleaning supplies... What I’ve spent so far is at least double my typical rent.

I need to update my expense report, but I haven’t had the emotional capacity to yet 🫠

She also got a contractor out to look at the damage... two and half weeks after the flood... she claims it was because she was waiting on her insurance etc

Because she wants to get it fixed “as soon as possible”, she wanted to put a lockbox on the unit. And she decided to travel an hour out (from where she was taking a vacation) to confront me about reporting her to multiple organizations

And slid in there that she believes that she has proof showing she’s been following up on everything that she needed to

And asked that I reach out to said organizations to tell them that she’s taking care of it now. I brushed it off, so the contractor asked me to clarify if I’d be willing to talk to them

I said, “Oh, yeah. I’ll talk to them.” LMAO

I’ve also been sanitizing what can be sanitized, and selling off anything I need in order to squeeze by on paying for hotel rooms.

Now, for the good news--

My SSDI finally processed my backpay

More bad news--

My private disability insurance through my employer wants to claim all of it, in repayment for covering me while I was waiting for approval

Even though, interestingly enough, my pay would be protected if I needed to do something like file bankruptcy

Something that might be a very real possibility for me

Considering I maxed out all of my credit over this debacle

Even more interesting is that I came into the possession of a used RV

Now, said RV is it decent condition in some ways, but an absolute piece of shit in others. Lol. I still made sure it was workable by hiring an official RV inspector... which I had no idea was a thing until I looked it up

Turns out, the guy is way more handy than I thought and can do most of the repairs for me - and offered to let me work alongside him. Whatever I complete, he won’t charge me for.

Which is an incredible opportunity to learn about how to be self sufficient with future repairs, and also let’s me afford some essential work

One of those things is... removing black mold from the motorhome. Which I had no idea until I went in to see it, but considering the issues, I was able to talk the seller down a little bit more so I could remediate it

I’m basically ripping out all upholstery, replacing anything that needs it, sanitizing and sealing. Which I’m ok with because I can rework the space for my needs.

There’s still.... a lot of essential stuff I won’t be able to do right now, but I’m just going to have to get by and make it work

Anyway... I will update the GFM soon with what I’ve been able to do, and still need help with

oooh.... that sounds like a fabulous opportunity!

Nightsail: yes, I’m so excited and thankful for it. It’s going to be really hard to do, considering my chronic conditions, but so has everything else lately lol. I’m going to do my best. 🥲

And it’s also really refreshing to meet someone that isn’t trying to take advantage of/abuse my situation. Lol

at least doing stuff like curtains can be super easy? ....is it bad to say I mostly know the how-tos on finishing touches sorts of things? lol.... but I could at least help with suggestions for those....

I’ll take any advice you’re willing to give. 💖

I'm one of those people who's never really had the luxury of being able to just replace shit, or hire someone else to fix it. my dad's been the handyman, primarily, but then I picked up stuff like repairing PS2s... artsy-craftsy stuff, too....

odd little hacky bits, like taking a second shower curtain/regular curtain tension rod type pole, and sticking it up over the kitchen sink between cabinets, to have something to hang paper towel rolls and utensils on shower curtain S-hooks from, or over the shower stall so I have somewhere to hang-dry my bras and sythetics....

or using the dishwasher as a drying rack when you want to wash stuff by hand, like pots and pans

the weird things that I always took as Just How You Do Things, but it turns out aren't actually common practice? ...but I also do artsy stuff, like mentioned. sewing. a little bit of carpentry and such....

idk, man. wherever I can come in handy, I can try brainstorming!

Ooo. The space I’ll be working with is quite small, not much bigger than a camper van, so I’m sure a lot of that will come in handy!

If I ever need some creative problem solving, I’ll tag you! Thank you so much 💖

I'll look forward to it!

oh, and I'd be happy to pass along a notion already, if you're open to it: a cheap and very effective cleaning solution! I've been cleaning between guests at a friend's airbnb setup, see

it's to take a spray bottle, and fill it with mostly water, about like four to five parts water, a generous one part vinegar, and one part dish soap. it works better than Windex on glass, doesn't leave streaks (just be sure to wipe it all off before it dries!) and seems pretty effective for preventing shower gunk around the caulking....

and great for spot-cleaning, including oil, in laundry: you can get a kind of foaming-spray dish soap thing at the store... they're more expensive than I'd like, but they have a fairly unique spray nozzle thingy on it. but to make refills? about eight parts water, two parts rubbing alcohol, and one to one and a half or so parts regular dish soap.

Nightsail: oh, I remember hearing something like that!! I know what I’ll be buying when I stock up lol

yessss

and a little bottle of bleach just for the seriously bad bits, like the black mold, as mentioned

it's amazing, how clean you can get stuff with a very watered-down bleach solution and an old toothbrush

just never never mix bleach with chlorine or ammonia

yeah having vinegar for cleaning is fantastic, it works on so much stuff, including a lot of types of mold (just not black mold specifically, unfortunately)

I haven't owned an RV myself but I used to research blog posts for an RV camp so I can probably dig those up on the off chance they'd be helpful

sorry your insurance is being a whole entire ass tho

Nightsail superfine I’m glad you guys brought that up-- I kept getting conflicting information on what to use for black mold, and was under the impression that vinegar was the way to go, and bleach doesn’t do it ... back to research

....okay, proof I'm tired tonight, apparently it's "chlorine bleach" which def. checks out scent-wise, iirc; idk why it was in my head as "don't mix chlorine and bleach", lol. and... apparently it's hydrogen peroxide you also don't want to mix with bleach, but it gets rid of black mold pretty well?

seems that part of the problem with black mold in particular is, it's freaking difficult to get it out of porous materials like wood.

I've... mostly been dealing with tile and glass, though, so no wonder that didn't even occur to me. my apologies!

ooh, I'll have to try this!

Start with one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts baking soda to achieve a toothpaste-like consistency. Apply the paste to the areas of mold growth, then allow it to sit for 30 minutes, before returning with a damp scrub brush to scour the area. Rinse well with fresh water and dry with an old cloth. Repeat if needed.

...maybe that'll bleach the caulk around the shower? bit of blackness at its edges lately.... hmmm.

(also, my rule of thumb has been "just don't mix bleach and anything but water", lol.)

Thank you so much for checking on that for me I am going to have to rework my game plan for sanitizing the stuff I’ve packed up from the apartment lol

I do know that bleach is seriously bad for a lot of materials. hydrogen peroxide is far gentler and nontoxic, to boot, but partially because it mostly goes after organic matter! (hence it's so good at tearing up bloodstains... including ones caused by uh. "sharks". even in clothing.)

I believe it's ammonia and bleach that you really don't want to mix

hydrogen peroxide + bleach probably isn't a fantastic combo either, though

peroxide is also something not great long-term on metals; it oxidizes it quickly... as the name would probably indicate. so uh. maybe don't leave a puddle of it on iron/steel stuff for days on end, right?

^

Rubbing alcohol (of 70% or higher concentration) is even gentler than hydrogen peroxide while still killing a lot of stuff. just do a tiny spot test first if you aren't sure.

alcohol is also safe on metals; it doesn't rust it all out pronto. in fact, I use rubbing alcohol to clean circuitry when I do electronics repairs.

that said hydroper isn't really needed for bloodstains in clothing, a soak in a pan with cold water, scrub with soap, then launder in cold water if you can and you'd be amazed how much of it comes out

Nightsail: ayyy, fellow tinkerer

superfine: I keep a soldering iron in my lil bitty toolbag, and a bunch of precision screwdrivers, including triwing. XD ask me how many PS2 lasers I've changed out. lol.

but yeah vinegar is especially used for cleaning out food containers that have gone moldy, since it's (obviously) food safe while bleach is (just as obviously) not, though a good dishwasher clean on highest heat is some nice extra insurance

and absolutely, blood can come out of clothes if you try even without peroxide. but I keep a little 2oz finger-pump spritzy bottle with peroxide in it in the bathroom anyway; I've uh. saved multiple pairs of jeans that way before they ever hit the washer. /cough. XD

I’m sorry that I’m so late to say so, put thank you so much for the information! I’m definitely going to put it to good use-- or try to the best I can anyway lol

I disappeared again, but I’ve been working hard to sell sanitizable stuff I don’t need, it helped me pay for movers today

My stuff is finally out of the apartment, and will be put in storage later today

Next week, I’ll hopefully get some help from my caretaker to scrub down all of it. I’m hoping that I might have an tv to load it into by then.

It going to be a process tho...

I also came to realization that I’ve spent over $4k so far, none of the RV stuff included

And I’ve only bought a couple of shirts from Walmart, a pair of PJs, underwear, and socks... two plates?? I haven’t even touched on essentials

And I’m still having to use stuff from the apartment, so I’m sure the cross-contamination is ruining the new stuff anyway ugh

The fur babies’ eyes haven’t gotten any better, so I’ll need to take them to the vet. Treating them myself isn’t working, and I can’t chance their eyes

oh.... /hugs

I’m hanging in there. Just gotta... keep at it.. lol

whoof, that's so much, I'm sorry

glad you've at least got a caretaker to help out some of the time

thought of you, so I'm checking in... you hanging in there?