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.