I thought the paint just needed to be stirred, grayish layer on top. Then went back and looked, little white fuzz on inside lid of can. I smell the musty smell. Wiped down with a bleach solution. Still stinky and I'm worried about mold now growing on my wall. Should I just sand the two layers off and repaint. Or sand and use mold preventative sealer and then repaint. Or just use mold sealer. Had no previous mold problems, mold was only in paint. Side note I'm not ultra handy so don't know how sanding would go but I don't want mold so I will give it a go if it's recommended.
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I don't think you'll have a problem. Mold spores are everywhere and you are breathing them right now. If there's moisture, mold will grow. No moisture, no mold. If you had no mold problems before, just because some mold grew on the can does not mean you just inoculated the wall.
The musty smell probably comes from the normal release of moisture as paint dries.
Cheery
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In your situation, I would seal the wall with the mildew resistant primer and then repaint. This will sidestep any issues with musty smell and airborne particles.
DelphicOracle
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If the mold was in the paint itself, it's smart to be cautious—painting over it may trap spores against the wall and cause long-term issues. Since there's already a musty smell, the safest bet is to sand off the painted area, then apply a mold-resistant primer/sealer before repainting. This gives you a clean surface and peace of mind that you're not sealing mold into your wall. A light sanding should be doable even if you’re not super handy—just wear a mask and ventilate well.
John W
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