This puts the fun in fungus.
A Reddit user has gone viral on the social media platform after sharing a veritable science experiment involving a “sponge-looking” growth in her bathroom shower.
Shocking images shared recently by user This-Scratch8016 received over 18,000 upvotes across several Reddit subforums, most notably in /r/MoldlyInteresting where she initially described the truly wild turn of events.
“I left it for a while because I was interested & wanted to see what it would look like or end up doing,” she wrote in her original post.
“It was really interesting to watch for a while but I’m glad I got it fixed because it’s not healthy,” she added.
Despite its loofah-like appearance, the citizen scientist knew she had some type of fungus infesting her home.
She told Newsweek, “At first, it started out looking like a loofah and then would eventually turn into a small mushroom, and it would change very quickly.”
“I moved the sponge thing, and it kept coming back, so I left it to see what it would do even though I know it’s bad. I just really was so interested.”
Eventually, a full-blown mushroom with a brown top and whitish stem sprang forth from the orange-hued growth — at which point she finally removed her mycelium roommate.
Reddit users responded with equal parts delight and horror.
One gawker posited that This-Scratch8016 might have an “entire mycelial network” colonizing the walls of her home.
“It’s surprisingly pretty,” a ‘shroom enthusiast added.
Despite her ostensible need for a deep clean, a fellow ecological enthusiast also gushed, “Thank you for being a scientific observer and letting the fungus grow. I appreciated that.”
According to the cleaning experts at Rescue Clean 911 — based in Florida, where the humidity creates an ideal environment for mushooms to grow — several factors including high heat, excess moisture, and low lighting are to blame for the fungus among us. Under such conditions, mushrooms can be found growing up through bathroom floors, tiled walls, window screens, nylon shower curtains, walls or ceilings, especially if waterlogged and rotten wood are present.
Safe handling and deep cleaning are critical as many varieties of mushrooms can be poisonous, while their lingering spores can lead to black mold, experts warn.
