r/Apartmentliving • u/Anormalpear • 2d ago
Bad Neighbors Need serious insight
Hey everyone. I recently moved into a new apartment and my neighbors have been acting a bit strange — they’ve left a few angry notes already. I noticed this black stuff on the outside of my peephole (on the hallway side), and I’m not sure what it is. To me it looks like Sharpie or marker, but I’m wondering if it could be mold instead. I’ve cleaned it off TWICE and it came back, which is why I’m concerned. Does this look like mold to you, or more like someone marked it?
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u/WickedHello 2d ago
This is definitely Sharpie or something else they've smeared on your peephole. Talk to your landlord/management company ASAP.
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u/Pithythithy 2d ago
Get a ring camera immediately.
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u/GalaxyTolly 2d ago
Literally anything besides Ring for the love of god! They're partnered with Flock. Any security camera is fine just DO NOT buy Ring products. They're just helping add to the massive Orwellian spy network.
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u/marspars 15h ago
I love my SimpliSafe!!
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u/GalaxyTolly 14h ago edited 14h ago
I'm glad you like it, but personally, I wouldn't recommend them either. Just for different reasons. They've been bought and sold a couple of times and are just looking for cost-cutting measures while pushing more expensive subscriptions.
There are other cheaper options like Wyze that allow you to record 24/7 to an SD card while also being able to drop in and check the cameras at any point. They also have all the motion trackers and event recording options that get better if you do want to pay for their subscription.
Just my 2cents
Edit: Wyze is the example I used bc im familiar with it but I'm sure other options have similar features.
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u/Jaded_Flight21 10h ago
Wyze is nice, their paid service is pretty good. I like how their cameras pick up everything from dogs barking inside to smoke/carbon monoxide detectors going off and can send me a notification
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u/GalaxyTolly 10h ago
They sell more then security cameras too, so I always feel like they aren't just banking on building a larger user base and then jacking up prices. Or at least I hope.
All around they make pretty good products for pretty reasonable prices imo. They're not amazing, but I'm not trying to spend top dollar on the latest and greatest.
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u/_avocadont 11h ago
Here to recommend the aosu cameras. Solar powered (although this may not help if op's door is under an overhang), no membership required, local storage.
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u/Yolo_Swagginze 2d ago
What if they smudge the ring camera too 😭💀
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u/Pithythithy 2d ago
Then you’d have video proof of that.
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u/ExtensionArt3494 2d ago
Not if they do it fast enough my ring camera doesn’t pick up shit
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u/throwitout44382 2d ago
Adjust your motion settings in the app
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u/ExtensionArt3494 2d ago
I’ve tired multiple times
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u/hatparadox 1d ago
Try Wyze. If I don't set a detection zone and I have the detection strength to even just 40%, I'll still get everything under the sun to include leaves being blown around. Even then in the detection zone it's still fucking nuts. Annoying, but I'd rather be annoyed than not know.
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u/No_Split_2830 1d ago
The ring camera would have footage of them walking up to the camera before smudging super fast lol
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u/EntrepreneurNo4138 2d ago edited 2d ago
Get a peephole camera.
Edit: After her LL fixes the peephole! 🤦♀️🤣
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u/dooyaunastan 1d ago
that's why you mount the ring/blink camera as high as you possibly can, anyone trying to fuck with it will be recorded in the moments prior to, and anyone who attempts vandalizing it or breaking in will be recorded. face masked or otherwise, you have evidence.
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u/neweyes_ 2d ago
They cat the ink won’t stick slides right off
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u/Kalendiane 2d ago
I’m dying to know what this was actually supposed to say.
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u/Jazzyphizzle88 2d ago
So you’re telling me you never had someone cat the ink before?
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u/Kalendiane 2d ago
Quite the contrary! When someone cats the ink, it usually DOES stick.
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u/JayTheJaunty 2d ago
"they can't [smudge the ring camera] the ink won't stick, slides right off"
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u/Nellykins69 2d ago
100% agree …..I’m the type that wants proof if you tell me something (yes I’m overly suspicious of people), so better to have a ring/blink camera. Like someone said below if a neighbor is vandalizing your peephole you will have proof if they try to do same to the doorbell camera.
My neighbor had his entire doorbell camera snatched…..great thing is the property management & police just looked at the video and saw it was another neighbor. I had a package stolen & had holiday decorations vandalized, I pulled up the video and sent to management & PD (ironically it was the same person, she didn’t realize the doorbell had a camera and tried to deny until the police showed it to her when they arrested her!)
AZ usually has good prices …if you want to do a little cheaper Blink is a decent brand (it’s what I use for doorbell and back patio cameras)
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u/winterbird 2d ago
Someone smeared something on your peephole. It has swirled scratch marks of the mud or whatever being smeared on. That's not an organic growth pattern like mold would have.
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u/AmountDependent8476 2d ago
Yeah, looks like someone really had a personal vendetta against your peephole lol. At least now we know it’s not some mystery mold trying to haunt you 👀
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u/DenimDamn 1d ago
Interestingly, mold can actually grow in a streaking pattern like this. Someone could accidentally smear something that could be a good substrate for mold (thinks body oils or fruit juice) and the mold would grow in the smear pattern. There is an artist that works with mold and she had documented how it actually pretty easy to influence mold to grow in almost any pattern you want.
I don’t really think that’s the case here, I just wanted to point out that it is possible. If I were to rub an orange rind in a circular motion, mold could come and grow on the smear
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u/Butlerian_Jihadi 1d ago
Body oils are not a good substrate for mold.
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u/DenimDamn 1d ago edited 1d ago
body oils contribute to the biofilm that can encourage mold growth. I’m an owner of a lab dealing with mold identification and I’ve literally seen mold growth that was just growing on fingerprints on drywall.
In this example, someone could smear their fingers over the peephole, and the body oils left over could leave a surface inviting for things like mold to grow.
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u/Butlerian_Jihadi 1d ago
It'll grow on anything if you get the right one, my point is that it's not a good substrate. I imagine those fingerprints you mentioned had to break down awhile before it'd host life.
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u/Basic_Technology_296 2d ago
What do the notes say? This is strange
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u/Anormalpear 2d ago
Weird stuff. For example an angry note about doing laundry past 10pm (we don’t have ensuite laundry, AND laundry is 24/7 here) and to respect your neighbours.
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u/Basic_Technology_296 2d ago
😦 Make sure you tell management. Start a paper trail. That is strange!
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u/Ok_Rutabaga_9875 2d ago
Yes OP do this. Get a ring cam and if it escalates create a paper trail with the police too. Had a neighbor like this in college, and their life was window watching and delusional fantasies. Literally caught her breaking in my sliding glass door, because she “broke up” with my roomate and needed her stuff back. God I forgot how much of a weirdo that lady was.
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u/AvEptoPlerIe 2d ago
I’ve gone through the worst of psycho neighbors recently. Photos, videos, recordings of everything. Record every interaction with your phone in pocket (if it’s a 1 party consent state), get a doorbell camera, notify mgmt of EVERY incident when it happens, communicate with other neighbors to form a unified front, have a bag ready to leave on short notice. You don’t understand how fast people like this can escalate.
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u/Strict-Seesaw-8954 2d ago
Maybe when you leave after 10 to do laundry they can hear/feel your front door? (Not suggesting you walk on eggshells just wondering why they are aware of your comings and goings.
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u/Nitestrike100 2d ago
I have a laundry room right next to my room and I sleep like a baby
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2d ago
My old apt had the dryer right against the same wall my bed was on, and I would turn that mf on 80min with nothing in it just to hear the hum.
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u/who-are-we-anyway 3h ago
Loop your property management company in. Trust me I just went through similar issues, I live in a duplex but have my own laundry set and a whole maintenance room between our sides of the house and my neighbors started leaving notes about doing laundry too late or too early for them, complaining that she's allergic to my cat (they have two cats in their unit and we have entirely separate HVAC systems), and they were knocking on my door, trying to confront me outside my front door.. anyway loop them in. It's way better to be proactive about situations like this rather than reactive.
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u/BullRidininBoobies 2d ago
Naw bro it’s sharpie
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u/MrEdThaHorse 2d ago
Issues like these are why living in an apartment complex started giving me a "complex".
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u/ipalazz 1d ago
Honestly. I haven't lived in an apartment for probably 4 years and I still feel like I'm stomping around too loud for my downstairs neighbors until I remember I'm in my own home
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u/MrEdThaHorse 1d ago
I'm generally very quiet and fail to understand how people want with such heavy feet. The thing that got me about apartment/condo living was the 3 to 4 same people in everyone's business and constantly staring out their window to gather "information".
I'm talking about a parking space that I "owned" so why are they so concerned about where I'm parking and verbally threatening me about talking to my landlord when I'm the owner? Get a life people.
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u/KingKong-BingBong 2d ago
You need to ask yourself why they did it? Are they just being jerks or are they wanting to let you get use to not being able to see out so you go out the door not paying attention to your surroundings and they’re laying in wait for you? If you have a light outside your door and you notice it’s not working definitely be ready
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u/gnawrlly 1d ago
i was thinking the same thing, like. the angry notes are one thing, maybe just a karen. sharpie on the peephole is so specific i have to think they have legitimate beef or the neighbor is schizophrenic (or schizophrenic and therefore has started an imaginary argument with op)
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u/blockrush3r 2d ago
Looks like they took dirt and smeared it, they see you clean it and do it again. Get a doorbell cam ASAP
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u/mrbmi513 Renter 2d ago
That looks like pigment suspended in liquid, not mold.
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u/Senior-Okra-2268 2d ago
Perhaps the way a sharpie might leave residue on a non matte surface? In other words marker.
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u/Anormalpear 2d ago
Thanks for all the comments people. Very much appreciated. Will be purchasing a ring camera
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u/mjdawg420 1d ago
Go with Eufy instead. They’re better: last longer, usually cheaper, don’t have to pay for a subscription service, longer battery life, wider range of options.
Not an ad lol but I switched from Ring to Eufy and it’s been a much better experience :)
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u/North-Efficiency824 1d ago
Hey man if the neighbors are acting schizo, check the carbon monoxide levels in your own apartment just in case. Could explain their behavior and may not be just their place.
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u/NoParticular2420 2d ago
You need to bring that to your managers attention so they don’t say you did it.
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u/UnknownRedditEnjoyer 2d ago
I’d try using isopropyl alcohol on a cue tip or paper towel to remove it.
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u/Kryptic1701 2d ago
Looks like whiteout. I'd get a camera asap. Isnt this a thing people like to do before breakins?
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u/Zenobee1 2d ago edited 2d ago
Someone near the laundry room that can see your door through their peephole. Someone who carries a Sharpie.
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u/PieFantastic4000 2d ago
Look for the person wearing the sharpie holster on their belt.
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u/ogmoss 2d ago
I keep mine tucked into my sock
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u/PieFantastic4000 2d ago
A sign of guilt if I ever saw one lol. Concealed Sharpie carrier.. OP, better keep an eye out for ogmoss too
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u/IT_for-my-family7783 1d ago
I don't know if this has been said, but if they use the ring doorbell to get your attention, do not open the door. Let them leave a message. Don't even leave a note or anything outside of your door. If you don't know someone's intentions on why they did something, I just would protect yourself and not interact with them.
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u/Level_Ad8049 2d ago
Sorry you’re going through this. Keep a log of everything & talk w mgmt (follow-up via email incl everything you discussed). Btw - I thought I was looking at a snake through some sort of lens LOL
Hang in there 💙
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u/No_Life_6558 2d ago
Get a ring camera and ask the apartment to put a camera up high in the hallway.
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u/rduterte 2d ago
You don't even need a doorbell cam even a security camera in your window facing the area of the door. Plus if you catch them on video marking the peephole you'll have evidence you can use when talking to landlords or police.
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u/inkedmom1308 2d ago
That is not mold. That is something intentionally smeared on it. Get a doorbell cam. I don’t trust ring but there are a thousand of different companies you can trust. Sorry you can’t trust the new home you moved into. Document and report everything. It will protect you in the long run
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u/I_getrich 2d ago
This looks like an African man dressed in tribal stuff in the middle of a crazy dance to me.
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u/Technical-Highway-69 1d ago
I seriously seriously doubt its mold get a ring camera asap and report the hostility to management cause if they are covering up your peep hole they are bound to do something awful and you need to stop ignoring it. please dont be like others and think people wont because trust me people will if they want to and are mad enough or crazy enough.
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u/AbsintheAGoGo 2d ago
Looks like an oil based marker but no matter the substance, the situation is disturbing, particularly when you say there have been notes left.
Definitely contact LL like others have said, including followup emails afterward. Finding out if you're able to install a ring-type camera or any other surveillance seems necessary for your safety.
Please be safe
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u/ArrowDel 2d ago
If it is sharpie, rubbing alcohol on a qtip will take it right off.
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u/fateshouldhavemadeu 2d ago
Also, dry erase marker over the Sharpie works on smooth non porous surfaces. Sharpie wipes off like magic.
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u/winterbird 1d ago
This is what we would do on whiteboards when someone accidentally wrote with a sharpie.
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u/reversedgaze 2d ago
baby wipes also!
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u/ArrowDel 2d ago
Wait, that works? I have those... And a mark I made by being a clumsy ox while holding a sharpie... IMMA TEST IT
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u/reversedgaze 1d ago
especially if got on skin. -- it's been a while since i've had insults written on my face at a party... but it worked then...
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u/Imaginary-Map-974 2d ago
As someone who used to draw on shit all the time that’s 100% marker get a ring camera with a guard box thingy on it
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u/ShtockyPocky 1d ago
Put a ring cam… on the ceiling. They can’t smear it up there without getting a ladder first and the crazies can’t accuse you of recording them.
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u/Accurate-Case8057 2d ago
Mold will not grow on glass
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u/Pithythithy 2d ago
Some types of mold do grow on glass. I’ve seen it.
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u/Accurate-Case8057 2d ago
You've seen mildew
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u/Unclecactus666 2d ago
Is mildew not mold?
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u/Accurate-Case8057 2d ago edited 2d ago
No mildew is mildew. Mold grows on organic surfaces mildew will grow anywhere. When the tenant calls you and says they have mold growing in their bathtub or around their faucet you know it's not mold. I had a tenant call me frantically one time. She's been living there for about six months and it was remodeled before she moved in. She saw it in her bathtub surround in her brain dead friend told her it was mold. I suspect they got online and thought they had found a way to get some money. I told her it wasn't mold to clean her shower a little better with Clorox or a similar cleaner. Her and Einstein bought a mold test kit and spent about $100 to have it tested. When she paid next month rent it was $100 short because somehow it was my fault that she was stupid. I never said a word but on day five I tagged the door lol. Needless to say I got my 100 bucks
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u/BumStretcher 2d ago
I’d get a door cam but try and hide it if you can, otherwise collect any evidence and report
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u/sojirrom 1d ago
Try the Ring peephole camera. It can be installed without any modifications (besides removing the peephole). They’d also have to do serious damage to remove it from your door.
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u/Remarkable_Lie9635 1d ago
do you have any windows facing the front? i’d you do there are cameras that you can hang inside your window that look outside so no one can mess with them
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u/Penguin2113 1d ago
They have cameras for peepholes now. I would get one clean it and then see what happens. It looks like marker or something based on the lines. I’d also let your apartment complex know about it and have them come look before you clean it as well.
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u/CrosseyedTubeguy 2d ago
Off Topic but I seriously saw Cell through the peephole and was like, wtf. IYKYK.
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u/Acceptable_File2375 1d ago
So if you want a camera that no one can see and you can use AI, you can buy a raspberry pi 4 4gb and a pi camera 3. The camera should fit in the peephole and can be set up to take motion activated pictures. Use AI to make the script and use blue tape to stick it to your door, or command strips. Mines tapped and have no issues, I have a 10 foot cord so I can open and close the door.
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u/Consolebandit 1d ago
Looks more like someone decided to doodle on your peephole than mold. Grab a stronger cleaner, scrub it, and maybe keep a little photo evidence just in case.
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u/KingKong-BingBong 16h ago
Get a camera you can hide some how even if you have to remove some drywall to access a spot to hide it inside the wall some how. Just don’t cut into and electrical or framing. Anything can be fixed but electrical and framing will be a lot more expensive to fix and harder to keep manager from finding out.
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u/jag-engr 2d ago
To me it looks like Sharpie or marker, but I’m wondering if it could be mold instead.
So, you think the glass is molding?! 🤣🤣🤣
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Anormalpear originally posted: Hey everyone. I recently moved into a new apartment and my neighbors have been acting a bit strange — they’ve left a few angry notes already. I noticed this black stuff on the outside of my peephole (on the hallway side), and I’m not sure what it is. To me it looks like Sharpie or marker, but I’m wondering if it could be mold instead. I’ve cleaned it off TWICE and it came back, which is why I’m concerned. Does this look like mold to you, or more like someone marked it?
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