Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Mold Tips
In my experience, a person who has been severely sickened by toxic-mold exposure tends to
develop a sensitivity to molds and must be much more careful about their environment than the
average person. We have found a number of things that seem to improve the environment for
the mold-sensitive person over the short term, but we have not found any “quick fix” type of
mold-remediation actions that works to permanently eliminate mold. Here are several tips that
we learned from personal experience and from the late Vincent Marinkovich, MD, a renowned
mold specialist:
• You should eliminate (if possible) and/or encapsulate all active mold inside your
home, including inside wall cavities and basements. Encapsulation should be with
materials specifically designed to encapsulate mold long term, as mold will often
grow through a coat of common paint in just a few months.
• Once mold has a hold on your house, all personal items will be contaminated with
mold spores and could recontaminate your home after mold remediation has been
completed and you move back into your home.
• If you are suffering from mold-related health issues, move out of the home, if at all
possible, and leave the mold remediation to someone else. All of your personal pos-
sessions and furniture from the problem home will be contaminated with molds,
spores, and mycotoxins. Some things can be cleaned and decontaminated, but it is
sometimes safest and cheapest to simply purge everything and start over. Hard-sur-
faced furniture may be washed with a strong chlorine bleach solution (wear gloves
and a painter's respirator). I have also found that a product called Moldzyme that is
quite effective for decontaminating hard surfaces, as well as for washing textiles. I
add a capful of the concentrate to each load of laundry. I have found that some items
of clothing that gave me a burning reaction did not give me a reaction after washing
with a capful of Moldzyme. I buy it a quart at a time in concentrated form.
• All mold experts stress that moisture control is critical to controlling mold growth. If
you don't eliminate the source of the moisture, through patching leaks, proper drain-
age, proper ventilation, and the use of dehumidifiers when necessary, then the mold
will come back. Mold will not usually grow in an environment that has less than 47
percent relative humidity.
• If you have been in a severely compromised physical condition, it is safest to replace
your personal possessions, mattresses, sofas, and so on. You can buy supertight-
weave mold-and-allergen-barrier zippered pillow and mattress covers for all your pil-
lows, mattresses, and box springs. These covers will protect new items from contam-