Red spots everywhere!

[Adam Schwartz]

Since moving into my apartment 2 years ago, I've periodically noticed
little red spots and streaks appearing just about everywhere. I clean them
when I can, but they are difficult to remove. Until recently the spots were
limited to the walls, mainly in the bathroom. They always appear in groups,
sometime looking like drips, sometimes like spots, and sometimes like
splashes. They appear both low on the walls near the floor and high up near
the ceilings, near windows and on iterior walls, in just about every room,
sometimes behind appliances, sometimes near light switches, and now on my
furniture! Today I noticed more on the wall in my living room, and, not to
far away, a spray of them on the side of my computer monitor! They are
orange/chocolate/rust in color. I cannot figure out whats causing them.
When they appeared in the bathroom and under light switches I assumed it was
rust stains from the humidity. Then when they appeared in the living room I
guessed it might have been rust from pipes behind the walls. Now that I've
found it on my computer monitor and other furniture, some of which is
nowhere near a wall, I'm completely baffled. Anybody have any clues? It's
almost creepy how baffling it is. I feel like Lady MacBeth cleaning phantom
blood from everywhere!

Thanks,
Adam

[Sweep]

"Adam Schwartz" <swordams@NOSPAMmchsi.com> wrote in message
news:KmR9b.481939$o%2.215109@sccrnsc02...
> Since moving into my apartment 2 years ago, I've periodically noticed
> little red spots and streaks appearing just about everywhere. I clean
them
> when I can, but they are difficult to remove. Until recently the spots
were
> limited to the walls, mainly in the bathroom. They always appear in
groups,
> sometime looking like drips, sometimes like spots, and sometimes like
> splashes. They appear both low on the walls near the floor and high up
near
> the ceilings, near windows and on iterior walls, in just about every room,
> sometimes behind appliances, sometimes near light switches, and now on my
> furniture! Today I noticed more on the wall in my living room, and, not
to
> far away, a spray of them on the side of my computer monitor! They are
> orange/chocolate/rust in color. I cannot figure out whats causing them.
> When they appeared in the bathroom and under light switches I assumed it
was
> rust stains from the humidity. Then when they appeared in the living room
I
> guessed it might have been rust from pipes behind the walls. Now that
I've
> found it on my computer monitor and other furniture, some of which is
> nowhere near a wall, I'm completely baffled. Anybody have any clues?
It's
> almost creepy how baffling it is. I feel like Lady MacBeth cleaning
phantom
> blood from everywhere!
Flies?

[Adam Schwartz]

"Sweep" <sweep@spam.free> wrote in message
news:7eb84cba4c256d4a18f521f35fb072e7@grapevine.is landnet.com...
>
> "Adam Schwartz" <swordams@NOSPAMmchsi.com> wrote in message
> news:KmR9b.481939$o%2.215109@sccrnsc02...
> > Since moving into my apartment 2 years ago, I've periodically
noticed
> > little red spots and streaks appearing just about everywhere. I clean
> them
> > when I can, but they are difficult to remove. Until recently the spots
> were
> > limited to the walls, mainly in the bathroom. They always appear in
> groups,
> > sometime looking like drips, sometimes like spots, and sometimes like
> > splashes. They appear both low on the walls near the floor and high up
> near
> > the ceilings, near windows and on iterior walls, in just about every
room,
> > sometimes behind appliances, sometimes near light switches, and now on
my
> > furniture! Today I noticed more on the wall in my living room, and, not
> to
> > far away, a spray of them on the side of my computer monitor! They are
> > orange/chocolate/rust in color. I cannot figure out whats causing them.
> > When they appeared in the bathroom and under light switches I assumed it
> was
> > rust stains from the humidity. Then when they appeared in the living
room
> I
> > guessed it might have been rust from pipes behind the walls. Now that
> I've
> > found it on my computer monitor and other furniture, some of which is
> > nowhere near a wall, I'm completely baffled. Anybody have any clues?
> It's
> > almost creepy how baffling it is. I feel like Lady MacBeth cleaning
> phantom
> > blood from everywhere!

> Flies?
>

It's definaely not flies. The spots rage in size from pinpoint spots to
splotches bigger than my thumbprint. They look exactly like residue from
dried-up rusty water, but there is no source for rust-water nearby.

Adam

[Lorraine]

On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 04:25:14 GMT, "Adam Schwartz" <swordams@NOSPAMmchsi.com>
wrote:

> Since moving into my apartment 2 years ago, I've periodically noticed
>little red spots and streaks appearing just about everywhere. I clean them
>when I can, but they are difficult to remove. Until recently the spots were
>limited to the walls, mainly in the bathroom. They always appear in groups,
>sometime looking like drips, sometimes like spots, and sometimes like

Box Elder bugs? I've read that their poo stains, but nothing about what color the
poo is. The bugs are kind of red, so maybe their poo is, too.

Making things up as I go....
Lorraine

[Lloyd Randall]

In article <KmR9b.481939$o%2.215109@sccrnsc02>,
"Adam Schwartz" <swordams@NOSPAMmchsi.com> wrote:

> Since moving into my apartment 2 years ago, I've periodically noticed
> little red spots and streaks appearing just about everywhere. I clean them
> when I can, but they are difficult to remove. Until recently the spots were
> limited to the walls, mainly in the bathroom. They always appear in groups,
> sometime looking like drips, sometimes like spots, and sometimes like
> splashes. They appear both low on the walls near the floor and high up near
> the ceilings, near windows and on iterior walls, in just about every room,
> sometimes behind appliances, sometimes near light switches, and now on my
> furniture! Today I noticed more on the wall in my living room, and, not to
> far away, a spray of them on the side of my computer monitor! They are
> orange/chocolate/rust in color. I cannot figure out whats causing them.
> When they appeared in the bathroom and under light switches I assumed it was
> rust stains from the humidity. Then when they appeared in the living room I
> guessed it might have been rust from pipes behind the walls. Now that I've
> found it on my computer monitor and other furniture, some of which is
> nowhere near a wall, I'm completely baffled. Anybody have any clues? It's
> almost creepy how baffling it is. I feel like Lady MacBeth cleaning phantom
> blood from everywhere!
>
> Thanks,
> Adam
>
>

Sounds like Serratia marcescens. It's a common red bacterium that
usually spreads through the air and doesn't require much to live.

The reddish "mildew" that appears on my white painted surfaces is
probably this bacterium. I have found a solution of 2 tablespoons borax
and 2 tablespoons ammonia in a quart of water to be a good cleaner for
household surfaces. It removes those reddish spots pretty easily. The
ammonia may not be necessary for this application.

If you don't rinse, the trace of borax left behind will inhibit the
growth of microbes. Studies of borax miners have shown that it's pretty
harmless to humans.

--
Best Regards,
Lloyd

[Adam Schwartz]

> Sounds like Serratia marcescens. It's a common red bacterium that
> usually spreads through the air and doesn't require much to live.
>
> The reddish "mildew" that appears on my white painted surfaces is
> probably this bacterium. I have found a solution of 2 tablespoons borax
> and 2 tablespoons ammonia in a quart of water to be a good cleaner for
> household surfaces. It removes those reddish spots pretty easily. The
> ammonia may not be necessary for this application.
>
> If you don't rinse, the trace of borax left behind will inhibit the
> growth of microbes. Studies of borax miners have shown that it's pretty
> harmless to humans.
>
> --
> Best Regards,
> Lloyd

What causes this bacteria to appear in my apartment? I have never seen it
anywhere else I've lived. I also use an ultra-alergen air filter in my
ventilation system. Could the bacteria be infesting the ducts beyond the
filter? Should I contact my landlord to have the ducts disinfected or could
I do it myself?

Thanks,
Adam

[Lloyd Randall]

In article <ggaab.490073$Ho3.83824@sccrnsc03>,
"Adam Schwartz" <swordams@NOSPAMmchsi.com> wrote:

> > Sounds like Serratia marcescens. It's a common red bacterium that
> > usually spreads through the air and doesn't require much to live.
> >
> > The reddish "mildew" that appears on my white painted surfaces is
> > probably this bacterium. I have found a solution of 2 tablespoons borax
> > and 2 tablespoons ammonia in a quart of water to be a good cleaner for
> > household surfaces. It removes those reddish spots pretty easily. The
> > ammonia may not be necessary for this application.
> >
> > If you don't rinse, the trace of borax left behind will inhibit the
> > growth of microbes. Studies of borax miners have shown that it's pretty
> > harmless to humans.
> >
> > --
> > Best Regards,
> > Lloyd
>
> What causes this bacteria to appear in my apartment? I have never seen it
> anywhere else I've lived. I also use an ultra-alergen air filter in my
> ventilation system. Could the bacteria be infesting the ducts beyond the
> filter? Should I contact my landlord to have the ducts disinfected or could
> I do it myself?
>
> Thanks,
> Adam
>
>
I suppose the spots could be caused by something else.

You mentioned humidity. If it was less humid where you lived before,
that could have kept this germ from growing.

It often gets started when people open windows in the spring and the
spores blow in. It can also start when remodeling stirs up old dust.
Once colonies start growing in the house, they can generate spores to
start more colonies. Cleaning with borax works for me because it
eliminates sources of spores and makes a surface inhospitable for new
spores.

If you have central air conditioning, I suppose it could provide a damp,
dirty place for the bacteria to grow. Alt.home.repair might have people
who know if this happens and how systems are disinfected.

These bacteria are very common and used to be considered harmless. It's
possible for them to cause pneumonia and urinary-tract infections.

--
Best Regards,
Lloyd

[Joe V]

Lloyd, you were exactly right! We had noticed red spots on our bathroom
ceiling also. My wife picked up some Borax and I cleaned the ceiling using
your recipe (without the ammonia) and it worked beautifully! My wife says
it looks like I painted the ceiling! Thanks!

"Lloyd Randall" <broth@eels.net> wrote in message
news:broth-0807F2.16271817092003@corp-radius.supernews.com...
> In article <KmR9b.481939$o%2.215109@sccrnsc02>,
> "Adam Schwartz" <swordams@NOSPAMmchsi.com> wrote:
>
> > Since moving into my apartment 2 years ago, I've periodically
noticed
> > little red spots and streaks appearing just about everywhere. I clean
them
> > when I can, but they are difficult to remove. Until recently the spots
were
> > limited to the walls, mainly in the bathroom. They always appear in
groups,
> > sometime looking like drips, sometimes like spots, and sometimes like
> > splashes. They appear both low on the walls near the floor and high up
near
> > the ceilings, near windows and on iterior walls, in just about every
room,
> > sometimes behind appliances, sometimes near light switches, and now on
my
> > furniture! Today I noticed more on the wall in my living room, and, not
to
> > far away, a spray of them on the side of my computer monitor! They are
> > orange/chocolate/rust in color. I cannot figure out whats causing them.
> > When they appeared in the bathroom and under light switches I assumed it
was
> > rust stains from the humidity. Then when they appeared in the living
room I
> > guessed it might have been rust from pipes behind the walls. Now that
I've
> > found it on my computer monitor and other furniture, some of which is
> > nowhere near a wall, I'm completely baffled. Anybody have any clues?
It's
> > almost creepy how baffling it is. I feel like Lady MacBeth cleaning
phantom
> > blood from everywhere!
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Adam
> >
> >
>
> Sounds like Serratia marcescens. It's a common red bacterium that
> usually spreads through the air and doesn't require much to live.
>
> The reddish "mildew" that appears on my white painted surfaces is
> probably this bacterium. I have found a solution of 2 tablespoons borax
> and 2 tablespoons ammonia in a quart of water to be a good cleaner for
> household surfaces. It removes those reddish spots pretty easily. The
> ammonia may not be necessary for this application.
>
> If you don't rinse, the trace of borax left behind will inhibit the
> growth of microbes. Studies of borax miners have shown that it's pretty
> harmless to humans.
>
> --
> Best Regards,
> Lloyd