Category:

Healthy Home

DIY Home Testing and Cleaning—Before Getting a Professional Quote AND Before Panic Sets In

by Catherine 11:04 pm

Hi, Friends! Today, I have a very exciting post to share with you. It comes to me from a reader of the blog. He encountered a mold problem in a friend’s home and decided to help her do something about it. He employed his OCD tendencies–you see, sometimes they actually help you–the science of mold, some inexpensive (although some of the dehumidifiers can get up there in price) industry-standard equipment, and some How To Clean for Mold-reader know-how, and conquered the project himself. I can’t say that I would recommend embarking upon such a feat without the proper training and proficiency, but he seems to have made some really useful inroads in cleaning for mold, and has some resourceful methods to share.

So…here is his story.

11:04 pm 0 comment

Cleaning Tips Healthy Home Mold Prevention

How to Freshen a Room Prior to Move-in

by Catherine 4:32 am

Now that we are fully “moved,” I say that lightly, because we are FAR from settled, into our new house in Tennessee, we are working room-by-room to make it comfortable, beautiful and homey for our family. It is a time consuming, but very rewarding task. As each room takes shape and comes together, we feel more and more like this home is really ours and a place where we can thrive as a family.

By virtue of of what I am doing everyday in my home, I wanted to share some simple cleaning techniques that I have employed to clean my house for mold prior to positioning our furniture or things, or hanging any window coverings. I highly, highly recommend this for someone who has allergies or whose family members have allergies. Each technique is extremely simple, but packs a big punch in terms of future mold prevention. An added bonus is that your home will smell fresh, clean, and your allergies (if you have them) will not be as aggravated by the dust and dirt associated with moving—you know, with all of the boxes, furniture and movers/contractors that may be traipsing in and out of your home constantly during this time. I actually find that when I take the time to do these things, my home stays cleaner, and I have to do less cleaning in the future.

4:32 am 0 comment

Cleaning Tips Healthy Home Mold Prevention

Cold Fogging: A Useful Mold-Cleaning Tool for Larger Projects

by Catherine 5:11 pm

Today’s post incorporates a new device—new to me, anyway—and one of my favorite all-natural mold cleaning products, the EC3 Mold Solution Concentrate—it is important to me to use an all-natural and safe product, because many mold killers contain toxic pesticides, bleach or ammonia. When you see how it works, this easy mold-cleaning technique is going to blow your socks off!

Ladies, and gentleman, I am now the proud owner of my very own electric, portable cold fogger.

If you are interested in how cold foggers actually work, here is my short, incredibly simplified version for your reading pleasure.

5:11 pm 0 comment

Healthy Home Mold in the News Products

Is the DIY Mold Test Kit by My Mold Detective an Innovation or a Step Backward?

by Catherine 7:40 pm

Have you watched television lately? I know in a world where most of us are watching Netflix or Apple TV, instead of live television, we miss many of the commercials and breaks in the action. But, if you have watched live TV lately, you have probably encountered a commercial featuring the Mold Test Kit by My Mold Detective.

Because the commercial doesn’t say much about how the testing works or what it bases its science on, I became suspect. So, I decided to investigate it myself to see if it was a legitimate product and way of actually finding out if your home or workplace had a mold issue. When I see something like this product going mainstream to the point where it is advertised on national television, it excites me, because it means that enough people are questioning the safety of their environments to warrant its being advertised to such a large audience.

7:40 pm 0 comment

Cleaning Tips Healthy Home Homemade Products Mold Prevention

How To Clean Painted Walls for Mold

by Catherine 3:52 am

Right now, I’m still in Atlanta at my parent’s house—the home where I grew up. My parents are the most wonderful, giving people, and are always, always taking people in and having various house guests. Their home is well over 20 years old, and has definitely undergone its fair share of renovations, repairs, updates and general maintenance. One of the many things that my parents will not compromise on in their home is air quality. The air quality in their house is top-notch and almost without parallel. My parents have spared no expense and have installed the best systems, filters, ducts, dehumidifiers and ventilation aids that money can buy. They also frequently clean for mold with the EC3 products.

The reason I’m telling you all of this is because I want to be crystal clear that even the cleanest homes with excellent air quality, can still have some mold-specific issues that need to be treated. Every home should be cleaned for mold sometimes. Mold is a year round antigen, and the only antigen that is often left untreated. Therefore, it is necessary to clean specifically for mold in every home to help keep those living in it healthy. After all, a home is a living, breathing, ever-changing structure, made of natural materials that can break, leak, flood and falter, just like the people who live inside of it.

Thus, when I arrived and settled into one of the upstairs guest bedrooms at my parent’s house, I encountered some dreaded pinkish/orangish mold dots in the paint over the shower stall. I assume that whoever had used the shower last had not been turning on the bathroom fan while showering, or after showering to help clear the bathroom of excess moisture. The steam from the shower created condensation on the ceiling that beaded into water droplets, and never really fully dried. Those droplets were sitting on a painted surface. So, here we have water, the paint for food and a cooler, darker room, because it wasn’t used, unless a guest was there. All of those components created the perfect environment for mold to grow. Yuck!

3:52 am 0 comment

Cleaning Tips Healthy Home Personal Stories

The Return of the Drapes: Mold TAP Testing After EC3 Spray

by Catherine 4:03 am

As promised, I’m returning to my parent’s dining room silk drapes that I TAP tested for mold with the EC3 Mold Test Plates a few weeks back. If you want to read the whole original post, here it is. After I tested them, and found out that they had a higher mold count than I was comfortable with–they cultured 5 colonies, which, according to the reading key for the plates, means that the mold can present a moderate risk of inflammation for low sensitivity sufferers and a high risk of inflammation for severe sufferers–I wanted to treat them with the EC3 Mold spray. I wanted to see firsthand how quickly just spraying the drapes and doing absolutely nothing else would take the mold count down to an acceptable level. I wanted to not be me, crazy mold-cleaning lady, and instead, be the average Joe, who would just prefer to purchase a ready-to-use product, spray it, and then trust it to do its job.

Sooooo…I had to really temper myself and hold myself back from spraying and steaming the dickens out of those drapes. I mixed myself some EC3 Mold spray, using the EC3 Mold Solution Concentrate and distilled water, per package instructions, sprayed the drapes once and made myself walk away.

4:03 am 0 comment

Healthy Home Mold in the News Personal Stories

Mold in the News: Stucco Defect to Watch For

by Catherine 5:30 am

When the defective stucco is cut away, the underlying toxic mold is clearly visible and thriving.

The article I’m linking to today is not necessarily groundbreaking information, but it is important to know about. The information it contains could actually help you to make a more informed decision when purchasing a home.

The article brings attention to a potential builder defect in some stucco homes that can cause the stucco to trap moisture and, thus to be very vulnerable to mold growth. When this defect is not caught and corrected, the walls, floors, etc. can eventually crumble or collapse–obviously making a house very dangerous. Sometimes people aren’t even aware of the problem until it is too late–the article even cites the 7-year mark as the time in which most people start to notice problems for the first time.

5:30 am 0 comment

Cleaning Tips Healthy Home Mold in the News Products

Is Mold Inhalation the REAL Culprit Behind Your Chronic Sinusitis?

by Catherine 4:00 am

Today I’m linking to the Sinusitis Wellness Blog to bring you an article authored by sinus expert, Dr. Donald P. Dennis. The article details 4 very simple, but important steps you can take to lessen sinus symptoms, especially, if your issues are caused by mold sensitivity.

Dr. Dennis says that if your sinus symptoms are accompanied by muscle and joint pain, fibromyalgia, dizziness, brain fog, fatigue, swelling, food allergies, Candida infections, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and hormonal imbalance, you are very likely one of the 16% of the population with a mold sensitivity.

Many doctors try to treat and kill only the active sinus infection. Unfortunately, antibiotics and antibacterials do not treat the fungal component that actually causes the infection in the first place. This article helps to detail and explain solutions to the fungal or mold piece. As a matter of fact, numbers 1, 2, and 3 on his list include using products that I use almost everyday and detail in my blog. (Hint: CitriDrops for sinus washes, EC3 home cleaning products, and Mold Test plates.) Reading it may truly change your perspective, and possibly offer you the relief you have been looking for. Because, chances are, if you are reading this blog post, you know that you or someone in your life has issues with mold.

Take care, be well, and continue to educate yourself about mold!

4:00 am 0 comment

Cleaning Tips Healthy Home Homemade Products Mold Prevention

Remove Stubborn Mildew and Mold Stains from Grout

by Catherine 1:18 am

So, I realize that I have written a previous post about this subject, but I thought it was worth addressing again, for when those stains are STUBBORN–as in, all caps indelible.

My kids and I are gypsies right now, staying with family members here and there, wherever anyone will take us in. Our home in Tennessee needs a LOT of work right now, and we are unable to live there until a good portion of the work has been completed. Moving around constantly is definitely not ideal with two children, but I do have to say, I’m enjoying living light, seeing and loving up lots of different family members and relatives, and really, really making some great memories with my kids.

Another “up” side to our travels has been my ability to assist various family members along-the-way with their mold cleaning dilemmas. As I wrote in my previous article about my sister’s home, it seems, so far anyway, that every home I stay in has a small mold-specific cleaning problem that needs my help. That is why this particular project presented itself.

1:18 am 0 comment

Cleaning Tips Healthy Home Mold Prevention

How To Clean Mold From Drapes

by Catherine 8:31 pm

I am visiting my sister for a few weeks, and because I have started this blog and been experimenting with all of my anti-fungal solutions and potions, she had a few mold-related projects lined up for me to help her with. Oh, joy! I mean, I guess I should expect this kind of reception. Cleaning for mold has now morphed into my acknowledged “specialty,” even in my own family. I guess if that means I’m helping someone, I’ll take it!

One job she had lined up for me was to help her clean some linen curtain panels for mold. The back-story with the panels is as follows: My sister just moved into a new home 6 weeks ago. Many of the windows in her new home are double-height, and all of her window treatments had to be custom-made or altered to fit her windows. Unfortunately for my sister, and the health of her home, the woman she hired to alter her curtain panels lived in a moldy home. When my sister got the panels back, they were basically contaminated with mold. You could smell the moldy smell on them. It was bad and stinky. Her home is clean and beautiful. It wasn’t going to fly.

8:31 pm 0 comment