Here in Bella Napoli, one of the hottest topics of conversation is mold. I wish I were kidding.
Yes, during dinner, you'll ask your friends: "what do you do to get rid of it?" "do you bleach it every day?" "did you get sick from it?" Everyone has a different method of cleaning it - some swear by bleach, others take a preventative approach, using dehumidifiers, mold bags (for closets) and Damp-rid cans (our tool).
During winter, water seeps through holes or the porous parts of the concrete, and mold begins to form on the walls. We had heard the horror stories from friends, and hoped it wouldn't happen to us. In watching the construction of a house next door, I can see why mold is a big problem here. Notice all of the holes in the side of the building? 
In our house, our bedroom has the most mold, forming around the radiator and on the ceilings. Sometimes, it occasionally forms on the bathrooms walls, but seems to be easy to clean when it does. Last week, I opened up a closet that I don't use in the winter and found suits, dresses and shoes covered in mold. Yuck! I had to throw out several pairs of flip-flops but the mold came out of the clothes in the wash.
We have several cans of Damp-rid in our bedroom and our closets and that seems to be helping. We also bleach the walls, but must scrub it every few days. Any suggestions? After scrubbing the walls on Friday, I couldn't believe it when I noticed this morning that it came back already. AGHHHHHH! It's like it's becoming resistant to bleach. Is that possible? Am I not using enough? I'm about to lose it.
This isn't the most interesting post of course, but along with really ridiculous air pollution, a lack of traffic regulations and mob-regulated trash pickup, it is the reality of living in Naples. Stuff you just don't think about as frequently when living stateside. A friend of mine recently moved out of her basement apartment because the mold was overwhelming and affecting her asthma. Her landlady suggested opening the windows, as it's just a part of life. Mine says she cleans her walls once a day! I'm sorry, but I'd rather do anything else than devote a part of each day to scrubbing mold. For us, it's still a nuisance more than a health hazard. I can't wait for the Spring!
