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Living in the Pacific Northwest, you become very aware of one of our most sneaky environmental toxins…mold. Recently, I have been having my own battle with mold. Now that I have finally replaced my old, single-pane windows that were the cause of condensation that kept the mold growing…I’m ready to get rid of mold allergy for good! How did I do it? Well…here are a few measures I took. But there are many other options. Please feel free to share any other thoughts! - Purchase an air purifier - One of the moldy windows was in my bedroom. So, I purchased a HEPA filter to run constantly in my room to reduce the spores in the air. If you don’t get a HEPA filter, be sure you get one that either filters or kills mold spores (UV light can kill spores). Air purifiers that release ozone into the air (and give that laundry-like smell) claim to kill mold. However, ozone is a respiratory irritant. I don’t recommend ozone purifiers.
- Don’t just bleach it, encapsulate it - Bleach will kill mold, but won’t prevent it from growing back. We had a few dots of mold on the drywall below our culprit windows, and we bleached the heck out of them, which did nothing but probably release millions of tiny spores into the air. Then, thanks to a colleague, I found Concrobium Mold Control. This product is completely safe - no VOCs, bleaches or fragrance. It actually encapsulates the mold and prevents the release of spores into the air. You can paint over it if you’re an out-of-sight-out-of-mind kind of person like me!
- Check-in with your doctor - Many types of mold can cause health problems, or even cancer after prolonged exposure, or exposure above certain levels. Check with your doctor to keep your immune system healthy and fight health problems. If you are feeling fatigued, or haven’t quite “felt right” since your exposure to mold, ask about getting tested to determine the mold burden in your body. This will help determine the appropriate treatment.
- Prevention, prevention, prevention - Keep a clean house. Pay particular attention to any dark and moist areas. These are likely to attract mold. You can prevent mold naturally by cleaning your home with vinegar, a natural mold-killer, or by adding a few drops of tea tree oil (very fragrant!) or grapefruit seed extract to your homemade cleaner.
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