The Student Room Group

Mycophobe flat life liiving.

Hello, I am a student living in a private shared flat with strangers who I did not know prior. I am a mycophobe (fear of mold/rotting things) so have anxieties around bins and rubbish. I don't mind taking out bins if they aren't overflowing but in my flat the bins often get left until overflowing and then often whoever takes them out doesn't even take them to the bin but rather leaves it in the flat.

Last time I did the bins it was so overflowing from the fact nobody else took the time to do it I was almost sick afterwards.

Currently in my flat some lazy sod has taken the bin out of the box but has left it in the living space and its overflowing and things are starting to go moldy and its making me scared to go into my own kitchen/living space.

Sorry if it sounds really dumb since my fear is a weird one, but does anyone have advice on how to cope with this? I personally cannot take the bin out as the fact there is mold on stuff means I will be unable to because of my fear as i will be unable to bring myself to even touch the bag. Also my flatmates do not know about my fear as im worried they won't understand and will think its me being a drama queen/lazy.
Original post by PhantomL
Hello, I am a student living in a private shared flat with strangers who I did not know prior. I am a mycophobe (fear of mold/rotting things) so have anxieties around bins and rubbish. I don't mind taking out bins if they aren't overflowing but in my flat the bins often get left until overflowing and then often whoever takes them out doesn't even take them to the bin but rather leaves it in the flat.

Last time I did the bins it was so overflowing from the fact nobody else took the time to do it I was almost sick afterwards.

Currently in my flat some lazy sod has taken the bin out of the box but has left it in the living space and its overflowing and things are starting to go moldy and its making me scared to go into my own kitchen/living space.

Sorry if it sounds really dumb since my fear is a weird one, but does anyone have advice on how to cope with this? I personally cannot take the bin out as the fact there is mold on stuff means I will be unable to because of my fear as i will be unable to bring myself to even touch the bag. Also my flatmates do not know about my fear as im worried they won't understand and will think its me being a drama queen/lazy.


Have you told anyone about your fears?
Original post by PhantomL
Hello, I am a student living in a private shared flat with strangers who I did not know prior. I am a mycophobe (fear of mold/rotting things) so have anxieties around bins and rubbish. I don't mind taking out bins if they aren't overflowing but in my flat the bins often get left until overflowing and then often whoever takes them out doesn't even take them to the bin but rather leaves it in the flat.

Last time I did the bins it was so overflowing from the fact nobody else took the time to do it I was almost sick afterwards.

Currently in my flat some lazy sod has taken the bin out of the box but has left it in the living space and its overflowing and things are starting to go moldy and its making me scared to go into my own kitchen/living space.

Sorry if it sounds really dumb since my fear is a weird one, but does anyone have advice on how to cope with this? I personally cannot take the bin out as the fact there is mold on stuff means I will be unable to because of my fear as i will be unable to bring myself to even touch the bag. Also my flatmates do not know about my fear as im worried they won't understand and will think its me being a drama queen/lazy.


Very Many student flats/houses I've visited are disgusting.
If you are not willing to tell your flatmates about your phobia then you can talk to them about the mess and try get them to improve their slovenly ways or you'll just have to make sure yourself that bins are cleared before they get in this state.
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Why can't you clear the bins yourself before they become full and overflowing and thus before stuff starts to go mouldy?
You really shouldn't be complaining if you haven't told them about your phobia. Plus, like the previous poster suggested; why not take the bins out before they're overflowing and things are mouldy?
It may feel bad to be the person who takes out all the rubbish, but if you absolutely need to have it taken out before it starts to go mouldy, it's probably simplest and easiest just to do it yourself.


Also - the best way to get rid of this kind of irrational fear is to be exposed to it. Every time you take out the rubbish, mouldy or otherwise, and you don't get sick and nothing bad happens, you'll be slightly less afraid of mould.
Personally I am something of a mycophile - I think fungi are really cool. I have a healthy respect for them, of course: I don't touch any that I can't identify and I try to avoid breathing in their spores - but other than that, fungi are great. Did you know that lichen is actually a symbiotic combination of a fungus and a photosynthetic bacterium? Fungi have basically invented agriculture.
(edited 5 years ago)
sorry this is happening to you, maybe try to have like a flat meeting and arrange for there to be some type of split flat maintenace, so that everyone has to take the bins out at some point, not just one person stuck with the *****y job??

also try to tell them about your phobia, if you're pals then they should understand. The problem is deffo not going anywhere without someone taking care of it. Also its best to talk about it so that even if this gets solved today or tommorow, it might still happen another day.
You could maybe set up a reward system so that anybody who empties the bin gets a pound.
Just start taking out the bin earlier so that it's not overflowing?
Original post by Akuma
You could maybe set up a reward system so that anybody who empties the bin gets a pound.


As if any student is actually going to pay for someone else to take out the bins
Original post by AzureCeleste
As if any student is actually going to pay for someone else to take out the bins

OP could. Its only a pound and would solve the problem because housemates would be more likely to do it if OP would give them a pound.
Original post by Akuma
OP could. Its only a pound and would solve the problem because housemates would be more likely to do it if OP would give them a pound.


Point is what student would really want to pay-mycophobe or not. They are trying to save money
Original post by AzureCeleste
Point is what student would really want to pay-mycophobe or not. They are trying to save money

Its only a pound tho.
Original post by Akuma
Its only a pound tho.


The pounds will add up though. Our bin gets taken out at least twice a week (same with recycling and food, so for us that is 6 bin trips a week) and as the bins aren't all full at necessarily the same time that would be £6 a week if my flat was doing that.
It adds up,
Original post by AzureCeleste
The pounds will add up though. Our bin gets taken out at least twice a week (same with recycling and food, so for us that is 6 bin trips a week) and as the bins aren't all full at necessarily the same time that would be £6 a week if my flat was doing that.
It adds up,

You could just buy cheaper bread or something. Its clear that cheap bread would be a smaller problem for OP than the unemptied bins.
Original post by Akuma
You could just buy cheaper bread or something. Its clear that cheap bread would be a smaller problem for OP than the unemptied bins.


Yeah....most students buy the cheapest bread and I don't know about you but I don't eat £6 worth of bread a week. A loaf lasts me at least two weeks and costs me £1

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