Once you're confident your home is clear of toxic mold, here are some suggestions for keeping it that way.
1. Make sure your bathrooms have proper ventilation. Keep them dry and clean. Replace old fans if necessary. Open a window if possible. Use a small fan if necessary.
2. Squeegee the walls after a shower. Or wipe down with towels.
3. Do not hang wet towels in the bathroom. New towels are best for each shower or bath.
4. Use a lightweight fabric shower curtain liner. Wash frequently. Studies show that vinyl emits toxins and attracts mold. See this article for more information.
5. Keep your refrigerator clean. Keep only fresh foods.
6. Avoid wallpaper, especially in bathrooms.
7. Change cat litter daily.
8. Keep clutter to a minimum. Throw away piles of newspapers, magazines, etc.
9. Avoid swamp coolers. Keep dehumidifiers clean.
10. Check for leaks frequently. Fix all leaks immediately. Consider installing a moisture sensor alarm. If you leave your home for more than a few days consider turning off the main water valve.
About Andrea Fabry
I am a former journalist and the mother of nine children ranging in age from 28 to 12. My husband Chris, myself, and our children find ourselves in the desert of Arizona attempting to rebuild our health and our lives following a massive toxic mold exposure. The organization momsAWARE comes out of this crisis as a means to help educate and empower others on the subject of environmental health. Our family has also launched a natural line of personal care products called Just So, available at our Online Store.
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Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI had to think twice about posting this comment, not only because it's not "directly" related to mold, but also because I hate to give you one more thing to worry about. However, the good news is that there IS good news (sadly, it's at the very end of the poorly written news article -- web link at end of this post).
Anyway, you may find this hard to believe (it took me a few WEEKS to process this myself), but there's a recent study which "suggests that ordinary showerheads are awash in germs, particularly a type that can cause lung disease in people whose immunity to illness is compromised."
The Good News:
"An all-metal showerhead -- not a plastic one with a metal coating" is one way to solve the problem.
I've had the same plastic handheld showerhead since 1995! Ugh! Unfortunately, cleaning the showerhead doesn't do much good since the article goes on to say that "Cleaning the inside of a showerhead is very difficult and may be only partially effective".
"The findings were published in this week's [week of 9/14/09] online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."
Source:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_89334.html
Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you could give me some feedback on this...
I have a shower stall that's in pretty good shape, at least until I noticed the mold growing on the underside of the ceramic soap dish that's typically installed in every shower.
It looks like the caulking got separated from the tile and mold started to grow there. I'm surprised I even noticed it at all...it's the type of thing you can't see unless you bend down low enough to see under there.
Anyway, how would you address this if you spotted something like this in your house? We don't use harsh chemicals in our home for general cleaning (I have asthma), but my husband is thinking about using a strong tile/mold cleaner in there. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks and God bless!
Cary
The best advice I ever received was to treat all mold as a fire. Even if it appears innocent. I would consult a professional before taking action.
ReplyDeleteIf it is truly surface mold consider using hydrogen peroxide to clean it or a mixture of 4-6 drops of grapfruit seed extract diluted in 1 gallon of water.
Either way,with your asthma, you are wise to allow someone else to handle it
great tips Andrea :-)
ReplyDeleteI have MCS so can't use vinyl shower curtains.
I have found that cotton ones are extremely prone to mold but polyester ones seem to do well and are machine washable (with borax or vinegar for example).
Polyester doesn't work for many with MCS but I thought I'd mention it :-)
Andrea, I have discovered that I have some blackish mold growth in the caulking around the tub in about three areas. I had the apartment manager put new caulking on, and I bought some non-toxic type for him to use. He just put it over the old stuff, which I thought was wrong to do. Now I have the black spots coming through. What do you suggest I do?
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this, Ruth. A couple of thoughts. Educate the landlord regarding the risks of an underlying mold issue. If he understands how mold spreads and damages the structure he might agree to a more professional approach.Since it appears that this is more than surface mold consider putting your rent into escrow until the landlord responds. There is an excellent article titled Landlord Liability for Tenant Exposure on the internet. There is also a book titled "Every Tenant's Legal Guide", by Janet Portman and Marcia Stewart.
ReplyDeleteNothing is worth the cost to your health, Ruth. I completely understand your fears and concerns!!
Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI recently listened to a program aired this past summer and now am sure we have a mold problem. I have been in contact with a hygienist. We have two areas of concern, one room with past water damage and a window well in our basement.
I'm writing for suggestions. We are a young family with two small children. No major health concerns at this time but one child and myself have sinus realted problems. We are limited with finances (I'm a SAHM) for the air testing which was quoted at 4-5K. The hygienist is willing to come even if we don't do an air quality test. I'm wondering if there is anything we can do ourselves to help with air quality. I am checking with our home ins. today and am praying the remidiation service isn't to expensive. Any suggestions you can make would be appreciated. I am committed to getting the mold out! Thanks for sharing your families story.
Sincerely,
Angela
Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to send you a note to thank you for your reply re: the surface mold under the soap dish in my shower, but we suffered a loss in our family recently (my beloved aunt whose more like a mother to me, my biggest inspiration). I know she's in the loving arms of Jesus, but it's still been very hard to lose her.
Re: the hydrogen peroxide tip -- thank you, thank you! It worked beautifully on the surface mold in our shower!
Re: the "all-metal showerhead" solution that I had written you about to address the problem revealed in a recent study...I said that I would let you know if I found any good deals on all-metal showerheads. Well, we've tried to find some online in various stores (lowes, homedepot, target, walmart), but the descriptions don't say "all-metal". So, this is the type of thing that will require a trip to the local hardware store.
Thanks again and God bless.
Cary