Could this -be what I suspect to be- bug damage?

[Zee]

All over a loveseat and a large sofa. Yellowish spots. Most prominent in places where two fabrics overlap/cover each other.

 

[Zee]

On these pictures the spots don't really look yellow but they are light shade orange and yellow mix.

 

[Mikey P]

looks like mold to me.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think Mike is right, it looks mold.

Is it in a area of high humidity with little or no airflow?

 

[Jim Pemberton]

What is the fiber content of the face fabric? Would you consider the environment to be humid or not? How old is the fabric and has it been cleaned prior to this?

My gut would say mold.

 

[Mikey P]

Does it set up against a wall? Is the wall cinder block of have damp soil at it's base?

 

[Zee]

Cotton. The fabric has been cleaned before. I cleaned these 2 years ago and the same yellow spots were present so I moved almost all of it out to sunshine. That helped tremendously to make the yellows fade out and all the water rings too. (with the help of a bit of oxidizer.... I know it's against cotton religious beliefs but that's the only thing that helped.)
Not sure about the age but if I remember correctly it's at least 8-10 years old.
Not a humid environment. Lots of airmovement in the home. About mile away from the Pacific Ocean.

 

[Zee]

This is how they're set up.

 

[Brian H]

Haitian cotton? Any chance they are cotton seeds?

 

[Zee]

I thought of the seeds a couple years ago when I first tried cleaning them...but I don't think so. The seeds would cause the issue a lot more evenly and not just the hidden /covered parts where the cushions and pillows cover.

 

[Zee]

BTW the home owner is good with it. She appreciates even the smallest improvement and was very pleased with it last time too. I'm just trying to come up with a "learnable" lesson for us all.

And trying to be the hero.....without buying it from her...

 

[Jim Pemberton]

The things that show up like that are usually mold or early stage flame retardant damage. I don't think those cushions are down filled, so I'll say maybe not flame retardant.

Mold loves to eat cotton, food and drink residues, and cleaning detergent residues. The fact that oxidizer and sunlight got rid of it last time would lead me to believe it could be mold as well.

 

[Zee]

The things that show up like that are usually mold or early stage flame retardant damage. I don't think those cushions are down filled, so I'll say maybe not flame retardant.

Mold loves to eat cotton, food and drink residues, and cleaning detergent residues. The fact that oxidizer and sunlight got rid of it last time would lead me to believe it could be mold as well.

Even though the spots are all yellowish tint and not gray/green/blue?

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Some fungal growth can be yellow Zee. That said, is it bright yellow?

Or, answer it this way:

1. Highlighter yellow?

2. Mustard (the cheap stuff, not Grey Poupon) yellow?

3. Urine stain yellow ?

4. Reduced dye yellow (the sort of yellow you see after using a red dye remover at times)?

5. Asphalt on olefin carpet yellow?

Is it sticky or fuzzy or neither?

What happens if it is dabbed with hydrogen peroxide?

 

[Desk Jockey]

I first tried cleaning them.

Here is an ugly thought and I'm not accusing but is it possible the mold came from the last bit of moisture from the cushion that butt up against the inside back of the divan.


No no I didn't think so.

 

[Zee]

I would say closest to a urine stain on white carpet.
No immediate reaction to Peroxide.
All the spots glow very bright, under UV.
Not sticky nor fuzzy...other than the normal minimal fuzz of the fabric.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

All the spots glow very bright, under UV.

Glow yellow, glow green/yellow, glow purple?

 

[Zee]

Here is an ugly thought and I'm not accusing but is it possible the mold came from the last bit of moisture from the cushion that butt up against the inside back of the divan.


No no I didn't think so.

Not possible. All of it got dried outside in the sun.
And wasn't put back together for nearly two days.

As I said the yellow spots were already present before I got to it a couple years ago. Back then I explained about not having a high chance of correcting it but ended up with a big improvement.

Also as I mentioned, these yellow spots are visible throughout but mainly in places where cushions and pillows touch.

 

[Zee]

Glow yellow, glow green/yellow, glow purple?

I could say either very bright yellow or green that almost gets closer to white. In my previous post I actually said bright green but deleted it because it's not really green...too bright to call that. Hard to say.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Not possible. All of it got dried outside in the sun.
And wasn't put back together for nearly two days.

No problem, I believe you Zee.

J/K I believe you.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

This won't help a lot, but here would be my position as an inspector:

"Something" happened to this furniture before you cleaned it. That "something" is acting a lot like a petroleum distillate that oxidized over time. The fact that it glows bright (but isn't urine) wants me to think its oily or silicone based.

Bleaching with chemical and sunlight would make it disappear for a time, but the fact that it comes back after cleaning tells me its insoluble to water based detergent, also a sign of something petroleum.

While the pattern doesn't match what I think it might be (it damn sure looks like mold...), here are things I've seen react the way you are describing this:

Silicone based fabric protector

Insecticide

Lubricants

Lamp Oil

Just my 2 cents...

 

[Desk Jockey]

Wouldn't the digested remains of the mold also glow under a uv light?

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Wouldn't the digested remains of the mold also glow under a uv light?

That's a good question Richard. Have you seen bright yellow mold on cellulose fabric in your line of work?

My experience with mold damage is that it usually turns cellulose black or brown, and weakens the area.

I will say that there are several types of fungus I have found in the wild that are both yellow in color and a few glow in the dark. Since these species usually attack rotting wood, I could see the possibility of it attacking cotton of course.

One such mold that glows in the dark is sometimes called "Foxfire" and is familiar to some in the Appalachian region.

I am trying to imagine one that could survive repeated exposure to cleaning, bleaching, and sunlight and still reflect bright in UV light though. That is the part that leads me to petroleum, not fungal growth.

This is one of those "hoof beats outside your window are more likely to be from horses and not zebras" things. I'm thinking petroleum to be the horses, and mold to be the zebras.

I'm going to ask a mycologist I know about this, though.

 

[Desk Jockey]

That's a good question Richard. Have you seen bright yellow mold on cellulose fabric in your line of work?

I've never checked fabric. Generally any piece that has more than settled spores, we recommend replacement. Actual growth on a piece is not good and has likely damaged the piece and is deeply rooted in the fabric. It doesn't mean we won't clean it, we are not the mold police but we highly recommend they think about the possible consequences.

As far as on other substrates it can be visible with UV when non visible in regular light.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

As far as on other substrates it can be visible with UV when non visible in regular light.

That's the point I'm pursuing right now. The pattern surely looks like mold, its just the way its acting afterward that puzzles me.

Zee: Is the fabric weaker on these spots? What happens if you gently push on the yellowed areas with a spotting spatula? I'd like you to try an unaffected area and a yellowed area so that you can compare the weakness in the fabric, if any.

Do you have a pocket microscope? There really should be some damage to the cellulose fibers at this point that you should be able to see under the microscope.

 

[Desk Jockey]

This is one of those "hoof beats outside your window are more likely to be from horses and not zebras" things. I'm thinking petroleum to be the horses, and mold to be the zebras.

 

[Zee]

That's the point I'm pursuing right now. The pattern surely looks like mold, its just the way its acting afterward that puzzles me.

Zee: Is the fabric weaker on these spots? What happens if you gently push on the yellowed areas with a spotting spatula? I'd like you to try an unaffected area and a yellowed area so that you can compare the weakness in the fabric, if any.

Do you have a pocket microscope? There really should be some damage to the cellulose fibers at this point that you should be able to see under the microscope.

Jim, it doesn't look or act like it's weaker on the spots.
Yes I do have the microscope..(I know Larr.. I'm a dork) I will look at it maybe tomorrow since I left there already. I always try to stop by a day or two later if there is a sensitive issue.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

My mycologist friend doubts its mold, but won't commit since he can't see and test it.

I'm on the fence still, as Richard's practical experience with mold is vast, and the pattern of damage just screams "MOLD"....yet I still feel as strongly that it's acting like a petroleum / silicone residue.

 

[Desk Jockey]

So hard to tell but that pattern just looks like it could be mold. ???

Its also so easy for mold to develop on soft goods. Cotton makes an excellent food source and with Zee in (San Diego..go bolts! ) what I assume could be a high humidity climate, it would seem you have some of the necessary elements for microbial growth.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Another friend of mine who is a respected authority on mold on textiles just shared information with me regarding mold growth on garments in the Virgin Islands. There is a species of mold that attacks cotton there than can be yellow in color, and does respond to bleach and light for removal.

I don't think of your region as being humid, but may I ask if a humidifier is being used in the home in question? Are there several plants in the house/room? The outdoor environment isn't nearly as relevant as the indoor environment of course.