I have written a timeline which details the years preceding our journey to Arizona. It is titled "Our story" and can be accessed under Helpful Links.
Timeline of Events
We are still searching for a place to settle. Today the realtor suggested adding a clause in the rental agreement which allows for a possible adverse health reaction. Seems like a good idea.
Andrea:
ReplyDeleteReading you blog reminds me of some of the stories I have heard over the years from customers of ours. We are a mold abatement company located in Scottsdale AZ. One lady in particular had been out of her for two years and after we assisted with our process she was able to move back in with her Dr.'s approval. Please check out our website, www.nomold.com. Jeanette
Found this add/URL for MCS safe housing in the greater Tucson area in a recent newsletter (MCSAfeeds is a newsfeed list via Yahoo! Groups. Very interesting and useful.)
ReplyDeletehttp://dianeensign.tripod.com/
Also, you might want to watch out for places too near powerlines/cell phone towers, etc., and be sure that you can have wired rather than wireless internet access. (Awhile after developing MCS can come electrosensitivity, which I didn't believe in until it happened to me.)
Hope this helps you in your search for a safe home.
Heather in WI
I had to get permission from the author to pass this on to you. I don't think she wants it openly published on the 'net, though. A lot of this is basic info. we give to people who are new to Toxic Injury, so you've probably heard some of this before. The author also wanted you to know that she's praying for you!
ReplyDeleteHeather in WI
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MAKING A HOUSE SAFER
By Connie Oberholser
This information is criteria that anyone with inflammatory illnesses would benefit from doing. GWS, LUPUS, MS, LYMES, FM, CFS, CHEMICAL INJURY, CNS INJURY, or liver diseases. This is long and best copied for reference.
These are guidelines my family used in making a safer living environment. I have no financial interest in the companies mentioned in this entire post. All homes today have a build up of toxic chemicals from outside air as well as inside furnishings, clothing and wall and floor treatments. Taking in less toxins per day than one can safely/ naturally detoxify often is the determining factor as to whether one becomes ill with inflammatory types of illness. Damages to the CNS, genes and hormones are addressed in various research materials to show this. These pages address the house and some references at the bottom include physicians, catalogs and companies that serve us in these needs.
=It has been recommended by environmental Architects that a house be not more than 10 years old and not less than 5 years old. It has out-gassed and likely has not had time for mold to form but you will be able to tell by this time if there will be some mold problems. Then refurbish the inside walls and floors with safe products to lessen the total VOC’s you take in daily.
=A house on a slab means no basement to contribute to moisture collection and possible mold growth.
=A totally electric house as all petrochemicals are harmful to some degree to those with compromised immune systems. As much as the gas companies say there is no leakage, those with chemical injury or compromised immunes systems like FM or CF or MCS or lupus... do react to varying degrees with cf, fm and neuromuscular or liver disorder symptoms when living in a building with petrochemicals.
=Use ceramic tile and hardwood floors wherever possible. Use real wood and not pressed woods with glue in cupboards, and furniture. Many pre-sealed hardwood floors also leak wood resins thru the cracks, as they are not completely sealed floors. Sealants for hardwood that I found to be safe for me are manufactured by www. Poloplast.com - Crystal Shield by National Coating Co. Inc. from Jacksonville, AZ. 1-800-421-7319.
=To make a home safe means to not use any offensive chemical that adds to our total load. Our genetics and nutritional balance are two factors equal in importance in bringing healing, but here I am only addressing the air and materials in a home.
First take a box and put all cans, jars, bottles and boxes of all cleaning products in it. This includes personal care products as well as paint cans and solvents in the garage. There should be nothing under the sink but the waste can and pot scrubbers so to say. :-)
What you then put back into the house is baking soda, vinegar, products like Nature Clean, Amway or Shaklee products, and All Free and Clear that are known to be the safest of products. Try these first and it may avoid trying several products to find one you don't react to. Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SHARE-FAQ/?yguid=110043063 for all lists of safe products, physicians, housing needs and the like.
=I suggest you start with using baking soda and vinegar and add other products as needed. I tried Amway, Nature Clean, and All Free. Currently I am mixing baking soda with Nature Clean dishwashing detergent for cleaning the bathrooms. Seventh Generation products all bother me for instance and I find they are safe for water supply but not for human bodies. That is their goal as well. Each of us reacts differently to different products. There is one Ecover product I can use and it happens to be the only dishwasher product without chlorine and is safe for me. (Ecover Dishwasher Powder) Bon Ami works well and is non-chlorine for all non-vinyl finishes in kitchen and bath.
=Place charcoal anti-chlorine filters on all showers and use bath balls in tub spigots to filter bath water. Some use whole house water filtration. I find since we drink only spring water, we don’t need whole house water filtration.
=All sources of gas, oil, and wood will keep your toxin levels high. Some environmental architects have recommended total electric heat and appliances in homes for fm cfs and chemical injury,as well as cancer patients. All my physicians have recommended total electric homes if at all possible. Drs. Ziem and Pall states there is no substitute for the safest cleanest indoor air one can obtain.
=It takes charcoal to filter all petrochemicals-- from pesticides/ herbicides, to housing materials, all that burns, to wood, oil and gas. So we need charcoal filters on our return ducts to filter all those man made bi-products of oil like toluene, formaldehyde, vinyl’s, and off gassing from our furniture, walls, and what bedding and flooring we may not be able to make completely safe. Our concept of ”safe” changes once we understand formaldehyde is used in so much home construction and food packaging that we need to look at all of it. There is a test for formaldehyde one can have done if you are already chemically sensitive. http://www.gsdl.com/home/
= Vent Protection: If one uses a room hepa, you can cover the outtake with vent-guard from www.allergyasthmatech.com to filter much of the charcoal. Those in baseboard heat have no choice but to use the room hepa machines. Having seen the tall version of AIREOX room hepa in two physician’s offices, I recommend that. I also hear much complaint from those using other versions and personally react to Austin and Honeywell versions.
= CAR FILTERS Aireox is sold at www.needs.com, www.naturescountrystore.com, or EL Foust ( http://www.foustco.com/airpurifiers.asp). The Aireox brand has the vent at the top and vent guard can be used over that to collect the charcoal dust.
=Paint: Glidden Lifemaster 2000; Pure Performance by Pittsburgh Paint Co.; AFM Supercoat; Envirocare by Kelly-Moore; Eco Spec by Benjamin Moore. It is important to use the NON VOC paint. NEEDS. and AEHF catalogues sell this if your local painter does not.. The more color the more VOC in paint.
As of 2006 there is a new colored non voc paint sold by www.bioshieldpaint.com .
= Avoid wallpapers or fiberglass trimmings. Strip off old papers in a safe way or have others do it for you, and use non-voc paints.
= Avoid formaldehyde in as many things as possible such as clothing, furnishings and carpeting.
= Avoid dry cleaning.
= Central vacuum doesn’t re-circulate any air and takes all mites and dust outside. It can be used to remove odors or smoke from kitchen as well. CFS and fm people find them easy to drag around. It is about the cost of a top line vacuum that uses water. At least try to use a hepa vac but do check to see if they are truly filtering some gases as well as just dust. That means some charcoal in the filter.
= Bedding: Cover all mattresses, boxsprings and pillows with special zipper covers. The Cotton Supreme, from www.Allergyasthmatech.com , is their best that I have found that works for us, and has a tad of vinyl. It has just enough synthetic to have it function as a barrier. www.Harmony.com also sells them. They prevent dust mites.
= Quilts: Most blankets have lots of formaldehyde, so homemade quilts are very thin and prove to be so warm one doesn’t need blankets. We have proven for 20 years now that a quilt can last that long even when used year round, and when the temp in winter may get below O one may only add a sheet on top and double warmth. Blankets also add to the materials that will hold dust mites as would duvets.
=Remove all old carpeting. Though we found a very low nap Berber and padding which has the least voc has worked in two rooms for us since we filter the air 24/7/365. YMMV Dupont nylon Berber has very slow off gassing as it is bound into the fibers and not added on as scotch guard is. Whole house air filtration can take care of this amt. Daily. Scotch guard on carpet is a real cause for ear infections and asthma in preschoolers. They actually ingest it as well as their hands are often on the carpet. In purchasing all furniture or carpets refuse to have scotch guarding or treatments that they add just before delivery. Also you can have them out gas a carpet for two weeks in the warehouse before installing.
=Some can tolerate wool
= Carpet cleaning: with just hot water in a carpet cleaning machine, and no soaps or detergents making sure you make it as dry as possible after washing to prevent molds.
=Humidifier: We use a LLBEAN cast iron pot on the stove round the clock for 6 months thru the winter for humidifying the home. Kids will not bump cast iron around very easily and it is an attractive casserole design. No mold to clean from it and we used distilled water in it as well
=For waxing furniture from kitchen cupboards to fine mahogany: mix 1/3 cup lemon juice to 2/3 cup olive oil. I let the cleaner/polish set overnight and buff in the morning. The shine was amazing, being easier to apply, and overall better than my old Guardsman polish.
THREE TIER WHOLE HOUSE FILTRATION:
There are two types of whole house air filtration systems. The most expensive and comprehensive type includes an air exchanger along with what I call a three tier system. Those I know who use the three tier and exchanger have shared that the air coming into the exchanger is not totally filtered of gases and one smells smoke etc… Those who also include the three tier system have the advantage of filtering all the air within the house both from exchanger and furniture, walls, clothing…. Thus they have a total filtration of gases. If I understand rightly the exchanger system doesn’t filter gases but only particles.
I have come to find the three tiers of filters on the return duct a very adequate system. One real advantage to the whole house air filtration system, as well as the two level filter system, is that the pesticides from outside and all the other pollutants are continually being filtered 24/7/365 if one runs the fan all the time. This has not proven costly, and is cheaper than turning on and off room hepa machines that only give partial filtering and blow more dust through the house. Though room hepa do take out some mold and reduces some chemical /particle load many also find the charcoal bothers them. The whole house system has air being drawn through the filter and thus no charcoal being forced off it. Foust now has a thin layer of fiber to collect any charcoal residue that may come off.
Three Tier System: AEL Foust Co. Inc. 1-800-225-9549 Box 105 Elmhurst, Ill. 60126
Filter 1: Charcoal
Charcoal/ Purpel filter 20x20x1 (or whatever your current filter size is) is placed in the slot where you currently have the pleated disposable filter that you replace every four months. This takes out all gases (petrochemicals include, pesticides, herbicides, chlorine, formaldehyde, toluene, and all gas and oil derivatives.) Foust makes a mixture of Purpel and charcoal as the purpel takes out mainly formaldehyde. Coconut charcoal is used. These are replaced as needed according to size of house and what levels of pollution you have. At this time I recommend every year. The Fume and Odor Panel (customized to your furnace) is shown on this page. http://www.foustco.com/catalog/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FO-STANDARD
Filter 2: HEPA
A 24x24x24 hepa filter that filters particles to .03 microns. You customize the size depending on your ductwork. We used the top of the line which is no. 98D.O.P. (.03 microns) model. http://www.foustco.com/catalog/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FP%20Fine%20Dust (picture) The only thing getting past this filter is gas that the charcoal filter then takes care of. Replaced every 1- 1 1/2 years. These take out large particles and the very smallest .o3 microns and thus save the charcoal filter. We also vacuum the hepa as we replace the disposable ones every 4 mos.
If you don't use the hepa and vac as you replace disposables, and only use the charcoal panel, your charcoal will clog and be used up very quickly and may have to replace it every few months. So you can see how those who developed this three-tier system have found it working the best overall. Some apts. and homes may need to replace them more frequently than I have.
The hepa filter:
Aerostar FP Mini Pleat Filters(Fine Dust)
Filter layer 3: DISPOSIBLE
When you have the heating company make the sheet metal casing for the hepa filter they need to place a slot within that at the top so you can place the disposable filter. These two slot spaces should not be separated but the disposable should be only separated by the thickness of the L supporting brackets for it to slide in on. The throw away disposable 10 dollar filter is to protect the larger 200 dollar hepa.
FINAL PROCESS
The sheet metal casing, that holds the HEPA and the DISPOSABLE filter, has to be made by a local heating company. This casing is placed in the RETURN ductwork just in front of the main furnace filter, which is where the Charcoal filter is now to be placed. They know how to adapt to any size ductwork as they install the frame.
You need to buy the hepa and the disposable filter( from Foust if you wish) MAKING SURE they are both the same dimensions so they fit the same frame). Then take these to your heating co. so they can build the sheet metal frames for them. Exacting measurements are VERY necessary for proper filtering so this process is necessary.
Some companies say we must use bypass systems that only filter part of the air and that eventually all the air is filtered through the day. Not necessarily true. We have found that the total filtration system works and doesn’t put too much drag on the furnace. What you may wish to do IF you are buying a furnace is make sure you get the highest capacity and perhaps one slightly greater than what you need in order to compensate for this. But one need not be overly concerned if you already have a furnace.
.I have not financial interests in Foust but have found them 100% reliable in providing me with whole house filters for 8 years now. Once you purchase a filter from them you may not return it so be sure to measure exactly. They will also remind you of this.
Some gas companies claim to be clean but all one has to do is spend a month in total electric home and then return to gas and you will probably have the test you need.
==For homes or apts. That you have no control over the filtering via whole house filtering you can still use a two-tier system.
Purchase a charcoal/Purapel filter from AELFOUST to fit your furnace. Measure carefully the current disposable filter as that fits the slot where the charcoal one will go. Don't go by what it says on the disposable one but measure, as the FOUST filters are metal frames and don't bend. They don't replace once they send us one. They now have the protective layer on the upper side of the filter, so the charcoal should be caught if any is drawn off. If one also puts VENTGUARD (which I buy from www.allergyasthmatech.com (NFI) by the SHEET), over the out take as well as intake vents, that should collect most dust particles. These may be changed as often as needed and will save the life of the charcoal filter a great deal.
There are several considerations to be addressed when using the heat pump when building a new home such as the duct work being sheet metal verses wood. So using THE HEALTY HOUSE book by John Bower is an excellent guide.
REFERENCES on next two pages
Catalogues
Less-Toxic Alternatives By Carolyn Gorman and Marie Hyde, Optimum Publishing, Texarkana, Tx
www.poloplast.com - Crystal Shield by National Coating Co. Inc. from Jacksonville, AZ . 1-800-421-7319 Hardwood floor sealer.
www.allergyasthmatech.com for masks, bedding protectors, filter guard, and safe cleaning products for safer home air and water 1-800-621-5545
www.needs4u.com .=safe home products, supplements, car filters and books all relating to a safer home 1-800-634-1380
www.AELFoust.com =
754 Industrial Drive, PO Box 105 Elmhurst, IL. 60126
Phone US/CANADA: 1-800-EL-FOUST (353-6878)
Phone all other countries: 1-630-834-4952
Hours: 9:00-4:30 CST Fax: 630-834-5341 sales@...
Harmony Magazine: = water filters and safe home products www.gaiam.com
1-800-869-3446
http://www.aehf.org American Environmental Health Foundation, 8345
Walnut Hill Lane Dallas, Tx 75231 1-800-428-2343 for safe paints, cleaning products.
www.ehcd.com is another Dallas site.
Healthy House Institute: http://www.hhinst.com/booksvideos.html
Additional suggestions for more healthy living free of Toxic substances.
Eat mostly whole foods and organic foods and drink spring water. Avoid processed foods.
Use olive oil and butter as oils and avoid all vegetable oils (esp. margarine).
Avoid microwaved foods.
Avoid aluminum and Teflon cooking pots and pans.
Use as little of plastic containers as possible, and esp. do not place hot foods into them, cool before hand and freeze promptly. When thawing foods from plastic containers remove from plastic before thawing and place in glass container.
Use unscented non-toxic personal products. Health food stores carry these as well as www.AEHF.com 1-800-428-2534, NEEDS.com 1-800-634-1380
Remove all toxic cleaning products from the home and use products such as vinegar and baking soda.
Composed by Connie Oberholser. Please do not forward to others or use on the internet without permission from Connie
I trust that you are all doing better. I was searching the website to find a previous radio broadcast and ran across your mold experience. We have just discovered that our 5 year old is mold toxic as well, so it was great to find your blog. Thank you for sharing. It sounds like you are definitely on the right track and have some great resources, but if you need further information you may want to contact a Chiropractor through Maximized Living (maximizedliving.com) whose been trained to help people with these exact issues. Search for a "health center" and find out if they provide nutrition/detox services. Additional helpful websites: neurocleanse.com and chronicnuerotoxins.com You could also do a search for Dr. Daniel Pompa who has developed the protocol that Maximized Living uses and be encouraged that there is hope. Thankful that you've found help, just wanted to share some additional resources with you. Blessings, Janelle in Florida
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