A woman's dramatic bathroom find has swept across Reddit after she posted that a bizarre sponge-like material she discovered went on to develop into a mushroom of full size.

Having posted under the username This-Scratch8016 on the r/MoldlyInteresting forum, the woman first spotted what seemed like a sponge in her bathroom. To her surprise, it actually developed into a mushroom.

“I left it for a while because I was interested & wanted to see what it would look like or end up doing,” she wrote. Her post quickly gained attention, racking up over 18,000 upvotes.

During an interview with Newsweek, she described how the growth transformed over time. “At first, it started out looking like a loofah and then would eventually turn into a small mushroom, and it would change very quickly,” she said.

Despite knowing the health hazards, her curiosity prevented her from taking it out. “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,” she continued.

The mushroom later turned orange, with a brown cap and white stem. She then thought it was time to take it out.

mold in my shower
byu/This-Scratch8016 inMoldlyInteresting

Redditusers were split in their response. Some were appalled, while others were fascinated by the strange growth.

One user joked “This is diabolical. I can't tell if your bathtub is attempting to whip up a new drug or form a coral reef.”

Another user imagined that her house could be sheltering“an entire mycelial network," and another just complimented her for being inquisitive, commenting, “Thank you for being a scientific observer and letting the fungus grow. I appreciated that.”

Specialists from Rescue Clean 911, based in Florida, said that high humidity, low lighting, and too much moisture in bathrooms provide the ideal breeding ground for fungi. Mushrooms may develop on tiled walls, shower curtains, and even ceilings.

Cleaning experts advise that certain mushrooms are toxic, and their spores could cause deadly black mold infestations. 

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