Tag:

cross contamination

Help! We Just Uncovered a LOT of Hidden Mold in Our Home!

by Catherine 12:37 am

How to Stop Mold and Mycotoxin Cross-Contamination Once Mold Has Been Exposed and/or Disturbed

Recently, I recieved the following email from a reader who found herself in the middle of a mold and mycotoxin cross-contamination nightmare after starting on demo for a home renovation:

Dear Catherine,

Thank you for your time and willingness to share your expertise. We are just getting started on this mold journey…Here is what was behind my vanity where I wash my face and brush my teeth. It is perhaps why my eyes have burned since January! Sadly, we didn’t really know and just had regular contractors doing the demo. No serious containment. I’m now trying to figure out the next step. Any advice on what we do from here? Also, did you consider hiring a company like SERVPRO to help with the cleaning process?

Before I share my answer, I need to tell you where I stand on any kind of indoor demo without containment, especially if you are mold sensitive–I DON’T THINK YOU SHOULD TAKE THAT KIND OF CHANCE WITH YOUR HEALTH. Setting up containment is not that time consuming, not that expensive, and not difficult enough to not do it, in my opinion. Because my family is mold sensitized and we have already been taken out by a significant toxic mold exposure in our home, I am NOT willing to take chances these days. When it comes to work being done on our home that requires demo and opening up walls, ceilings, or ripping out building materials, we always set up proper containment around the area where we are doing the work before we begin. It is a non-negotiable precaution for us these days.

12:37 am 0 comment

Cross Contamination From a Moldy Home

by Catherine 11:15 pm

Do We Really Have to Leave and Get Rid of EVERYTHING?

Mold cross contamination when you have to leave or remediate your home is a huge concern—and, if it is not, it should be. The stressful topic can begin with a large cross-contamination question, like if we have mold, does that also mean that all of our possessions have mold too? And, can scale down to more focused questions: Is my car also contaminated since I drove it while living in the moldy home? Is a mattress contaminated if it wasn’t in the same room in my house as the mold? Can some things be cleaned and taken with us immediately? Can one contaminated object infect my whole home? As you can see, the line of questioning, scrutiny, and intricacies of cross contamination can be totally endless and totally overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be, though. The matter of cross contamination can actually be broken down quite scientifically and methodically to help you with the whole ordeal.

To begin, I think it can benefit anyone dealing with mold to look at the cross-contamination issue from a macro-perspective and to understand how mold, mold spores, fragments and mycotoxins (gases emitted by some mold species) actually spread and contaminate an indoor space in the first place. With that knowledge, you can better approach dealing with your possessions and deciding which things to try to save or to take with you. There will always be unique situations or specifics that don’t fit this guide, but for the most part, it should help just about anyone dealing with a mold problem.

When the Mold Issue Is Small

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, I want to acknowledge that not every situation requires drastic action. There are many instances when a mold issue is confined and small. In these cases, simply containing, fixing and remediating the mold problem, and then washing, wiping down, or getting rid of items close to the source is enough. Also, if your immune system is robust and the mold hasn’t affected your health, you may be able to tolerate cleaned possessions better than others would. But, if you are ill, your family members are ill, and you have had to flee a moldy home, you should take the utmost caution in regards to your possessions and cross contamination.

What is Cross Contamination and Why Is It Such a Problem With Mold?

Cross-contamination is the process by which bacteria or other microorganisms are unintentionally transferred from one substance or object to another, with harmful effect. It is an issue in a “sick” indoor space, because mold spores, mycotoxins and the other pathogenic microbes in a water-damaged environment spread by way of central HVAC systems, disturbance, and contact to all surfaces and materials. Porous materials are especially vulnerable to mold. This is because the toxins produced by molds are basically free radicals. They have the ability to bind to fabrics and to release spores and additional mycotoxins over time. The finer spores and particles released by molds can permeate porous surfaces and are not easy to remove.

11:15 pm 6 comments

Cleaning Tips Healthy Home Mold Prevention Mold Remediation

How Understanding Mold Micro-Particulates Can Make Your Remediation Attempts More Successful

by Catherine 10:41 pm

Sometimes, It’s The Things You CANNOT See That Matter The Most to Your Health

You may have read the title and freaked out a little. Mold micro-particulates? Are you kidding? Something else to worry about when it comes to my home and my health?!!!!

Believe me, I get it. If you are already having to deal with mold in your home and with trying to either get your mind around the task of remediating it yourself, or getting your finances set up to have it professionally remediated, the absolute last thing you want to have to worry about is a tinier form of contaminant that you must take into consideration. You are probably wondering, “Will it ever end?”

Well, I am here to tell you that the existence of micro-particulates as they relate to molds and bio-contaminants are not something to be afraid of, but, rather, something that you NEED to properly understand. This is, because, if you understand micro-particulates, aka the mold that you cannot see, you will be looking at your home and what is ailing it through the lens of a toxicologist, fully aware of the mechanisms that all of the many microscopic organisms also living in your home employ to hide, disperse, and stay alive, so that they can again flourish and multiply. With this new perspective your mold remediation attempts will be made much more successful, because you will not be ignoring these highly-allergenic and inflammatory hangers-on that are often missed and keep mold sufferers sick and reacting, even when the source of the mold has been removed.

Ok, so let’s get started by first defining exactly what micro-particulates are and how they differ from what we understand about your average mold spore and properly cleaning up a “sick” or water-damaged home.

10:41 pm 4 comments

Healthy Home Mold Prevention Mold Remediation Personal Stories Q & A's Wellness

Reader Q & A: We are Reacting to EVERYTHING—Is it Mold Cross Contamination or Our Environment in General?

by Catherine 3:57 pm

When You Seem to be Sick Outside as Much as Inside….

My ultimate goal with this blog is to attempt to make this whole “mold thing” simpler. The concept of mold cross contamination happens to be one of the more confusing and debated pieces of the mold puzzle. I am going to try to tackle some of the difficult to understand, confusing, and conflicting information on that topic today and to break it down and present it to you in a way that makes some sense. In doing so, I hope each of you will feel empowered to use some of the tools and protocols I write about (that actually work, might I add) to take control of your situations and environments, so that you can get better and get on with your lives. That is also the main reason why I like sharing reader Q & A’s so much. I believe that by sharing some of my one-on-one correspondence, I can help others who have the same or similar questions–if there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that many people have questions, but very few actually take the time to ask.

That being said, not all personal advice is universally viable, because each of us is unique and should tweak and omit things according to what works best for our lives and bodies. Overall, though, I believe our goals are the same and hinge on adopting a “new normal” that

1) works to attain and keep wellness, and

2) doesn’t create fear or anxiety in the process.

To achieve those goals, you have to

1) learn as much information as possible about mold and why it makes you sick, and

2) learn as much information as possible about products and treatments that work for mold-related illness.

There is no magic cure, obviously, but there are some things that have, over time, proven to be more efficacious than others. That is where today’s reader Q & A comes in. It is a discussion that starts with a question about cross contamination, but that spans much more than that. It gets into the topic of cumulative body burden from previous mold exposures, how much your surroundings and outdoor environment matter to your recovery, and how using what you already know about your body’s reaction to mold helps you to make informed choices about your future.

To bring you up to speed with exactly what this reader is dealing with, I will share some portions of her email:

3:57 pm 0 comment