Let’s Talk About Mold How I’ve Overcome Multiple Infestations and Stayed Healthy Along the Way – No matter where in the world you live, one word immediately strikes fear in the heart of every homeowner, landlord, and tenant: mold.
Mold is very good at hiding out in cool, damp places and is also very good at causing symptoms that can drive us crazy when we can’t find the source. I’ve always been sensitive to mold – stick me in a room, and if mold is present, I’ll know within five minutes.
As someone with a history of asthma, air quality is something I work hard to protect in my surroundings, which is why discovering extensive mold in multiple rooms in my house late last year was a nightmare. I finally understood why I’d been feeling off, and then the work began to solve the problem.
Consider yourself lucky if you’ve never dealt with mold in your living space. Chances are it will come up if you don’t stay proactive, so it’s essential to be aware of the actions to take to prevent, cope with, and remedy mold issues.
How to Spot Mold Early
If you’ve never experienced mold, you may not know what to watch out for. When it comes to mold, it’s all about moisture. Mold is far less common in warm, dry climates.
Kitchens and bathrooms are often impacted since water and moisture constantly move in and out of these rooms. As long as you are addressing standing water, keeping your wood cutting boards dry and clean (wood is still better than plastic or glass cutting boards), and do not have leaks in your pipes, you’ll usually be able to avoid mold growth. It’s a good idea to vent your stove when cooking and to open a window after you shower to release extra humidity as a precaution.
The trick is to be mindful of mold within the structure of your home or apartment, which can be challenging. The most apparent clues will be visual. If you see black mold forming in the corners or rooms, walls, or surfaces, you will want to clean the surface and watch. If mold persists in the same area, there may be a deeper problem requiring professional support.
Mold Exposure Symptoms
Exposure to toxic mold (plenty of mold spores in our air are not harmful) can create a long list of symptoms depending on who you are and your health history. According to trusted health author Anthony William, the Medical Medium ®, mold weakens our immune systems, which devote a lot of energy to destroying mold spores that enter our bloodstream. When our immune systems struggle, a long list of symptoms can occur
Mysterious sudden asthma, chronic congestion, headaches, bloating, chest tightness, fatigue, body pain, anxiety, depression, tinnitus, getting sick more often from colds and the flu, and skin rashes can all result from mold exposure. Everybody will react differently; some may not react at all if other factors, like viral and bacterial invaders (which grow in strength when weakened immune systems), are absent.
How to Prevent Mold
In addition to being mindful of moisture, there are a few tricks that help to mitigate mold. With portable objects like cutting boards, clothing, and even furniture, exposure to direct sunlight can be a helpful tool to kill mold. My grandmother used to leave mildewy fabrics exposed to mold in direct sunlight for several hours, which would always solve the problem. Regularly cleaning surfaces with hydrogen peroxide is another helpful tip, and always be sure to address any signs of moisture.
Overcoming Mold Symptoms
There are, thankfully, many helpful tools to help overcome mold exposure. I’ve listed several of the tools I’ve personally used below.
Increased doses of high-quality Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a potent immune support and healer of the lungs, both important when exposed to mold spores. My favorite brand is Vimergy, whose Micro C with rose hips product is the best vitamin C on the market.
Immune-strengthening supplements like zinc also help to make the body more resilient against the mycotoxins caused by harmful mold.
Health author Anthony William (aka, the Medical Medium) published a fresh juice shot designed to help the body deal with mold exposure. Using a masticating slow-juicer, juice ½ cup tightly packed fresh basil, ½ cup tightly packed fresh oregano, two sprigs fresh rosemary, ½-inch piece of fresh ginger, two radishes, and ¼ bulb fennel (½ cup chopped) in that order and consume as a shot on its own at least 15 minutes before or after eating or drinking anything else. This tool alone has saved me from worse symptoms than I would have otherwise during our recent battle against mold in our home.
Anthony William has also shared that diffusing specific essential oils helps to kill mold spores in the air. These include rosemary, thyme, bergamot, and sage oil. Diffuse them one at a time in rotation for best results. Use an oil diffuser or steam the oil in water on your stove and take it with you through the rooms in your home. Another helpful tool is regularly consuming foods that help kill mold in the body. These include apples, apricots, celery juice, dates, figs, grapes, kiwi, melons, oranges & tangerines, raw honey, pears, cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, winter squash, onions, cilantro, potatoes, sage, garlic, aloe vera, and chaga tea.
Treating the Home
When working to kill mold, many commercial products include bleach, which you want to avoid if possible. When bleach and mold mycotoxins combine, a more toxic concoction can form. Three natural products to remove mold are hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinegar, and tea tree oil.
Suppose you have persistent mold growing underneath a windowsill and nothing else works. In that case, you can soak a paper towel or cloth in a commercial bleach product and then leave it to soak into the surface overnight. Do not spray bleach onto the area without a cover or cloth to contain it, and try natural methods first.
With severe mold infestations, you will need professional help. Professional mold support often involves testing the air for mold’s presence and swipe tests, which can detect mold on home surfaces. Air tests are typically more reliable.
Suppose tests reveal worrisome levels of toxic mold varieties. In that case, the mold professionals will isolate the affected area in the home and create a controlled space to isolate and remove the mold. Commercial chemicals are often required to certify that the mold has been effectively removed. It’s also common to bring in driers to remove all moisture from any affected walls or wood to prevent any potential mold reinfestation. It’s critical to remove all possible moisture and address all leaks in the structure of the building.
Stay Vigilant
While mold can be alarming and stressful, as long as we do all we can to anticipate problems before they happen, we can usually avoid them. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, mold forms and begins to cause problems. Thankfully, we have options for helping our bodies cope while we work with professionals to restore our space to the healthy haven our homes are meant to be.
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