Mold and Mermaid Tails

Mold! It's no fun- but it's a reality in the mermaid world. Anything that gets wet or sweaty can grow... you guessed it! Toxic and dangerous mold! In today's block we're going to look at the issue of mold, help you prevent it, and what to do when you get it!

What is Mold- and How Does it End up in My Tail?

Spelled mold or mould, we aren't talking about the shapes used to pour silicone in! Mold is a fungus that grows in moist places. You've probably seen it on bread, cheese, wet walls, or even your bathroom shower grout! Some mold is dangerous, others aren't. Some can even be used in medicine or eaten from cheese! But the mold we get in our tails? Not fun!

Mold can eat away at certain materials. Silicone is one of them. It can also cause really bad skin irritation. Have you ever taken off your mermaid tail only to find your legs are covered in itchy spots, raised bumps, or spots that look like bug bites? Chances are, even if you can't see it yet. There is mold growing in your tail! Some people can have severe allergic reactions to mold. It can even get into the air and make you really sick.

Mold likes damp spaces, and your silicone tail sure is that. Most tails are full of microscopic holes that we can't see. Left by the curing process of the silicone. Some tail makers remove these air bubbles- but the silicone can still be porous and full of tiny hard to see holes. Moisture and bacteria gets trapped in there. From the water you swim in, from your sweat, from the lotions you use to get your tail on, and from your dead skin cells. This is a perfect breeding ground for mold!

Rather than wait until you get a rash, you should ALWAYS thoroughly clean and dry your mermaid tails. Your tail maker may suggest certain cleansers. But remember, drying is just as important as cleaning. Setting your tail up to drain isn't enough to kill mold. You really need the passage of air.

Medical grade silicone is REALLY durable. It can endure hot temperatures and a variety of cleansers. While choosing what is best for you, be sure you don't mix certain cleaning agents and chemicals. Keep in mind if you've swam in a chlorine pool, you should NOT mix with vinegar! https://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/16-common-product-combinations-you-should-never-mix?utm_term=.pgxnaoloX#.dtj482b2P  this link gives examples. Check out my two video tutorials below on how I clean and dry tails.

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What to Do When You Have Mold

So here we are. I took a trip to Florida and didn't have time to properly clean and dry my tail all the time. I got mold all through the waist line and parts of the tail as you can see here! It turned it black. It looked so ugly!! So I started researching online of the best way to get this mold out. Here's what I found.

1. I used this mold cleaner (made for cleaning silicone) after watching tutorials online for it. use in a ventilated space, wear a mask and gloves. Put something like a garbage bag or disposable table cloth underneath
   
   2) Get strong paper towel or alternative like a thin rag that will stay saturated. Totally saturate it with the cleaner. I'm talking sopping wet.
   
   3) Weigh down the affected area with weights and basically smoosh it into the wet paper towel. The reason this works is because simply spraying will not penetrate the porousness of the silicone. Leave for 12 hours, then swap out the paper towel with new re-saturated paper for another 12 hours.
   
   4) You can see a pretty drastic improvement. The dark color you still see in mine, is because before I could clean it I put a thin layer of silicone over that spot in hopes of stopping the spread (because previously I hadn't found a cleaner that worked)
   
   You can do this throughout your tail. I suggest smaller sections for 12-24 hours at a time for best results. I got pretty much all the mold out of my tail.
   
   IMPORTANT NOTE: Wash your tail with regular soap and warm water before putting it on again.
   

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Before                                                                   After

And that's all there is to it! Remember; the best way to deal with mold is to prevent it from getting there to begin with. But hey, we're all humans trying to be mermaids. We're going to mess up from time to time.

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