Mold is opportunistic and thrives with moisture and darkness so expect it in places where one rarely looks such as under the house and in basements, in the attic, between walls, and in bathroom and kitchen cabinets.
Are there coincidences or plans made in advance of incarnation that prepare us for moments in the future? As fate would have it, my house flooded following faulty installation of a washing machine (by the appliance company) and I took mold remediation training shortly after hurricane Katrina when most of the others in the course were contractors looking for lucrative jobs in New Orleans. I have a lot to share and you can also share this post with those in your circle.
Rule 1
Mold remediation is a job for properly trained and equipped professionals if the affected area exceeds 12 x 12 inches (roughly 30 x 30 centimeters). Even with a small area such as this, proper masks and gloves are essential.
Rule 2
Despite advertising and claims to the contrary, mold can not be killed. It can be relocated, but not destroyed. It can be dormant, sometimes for years, but it will activate when the circumstances favor a vegetative state.
Like many, I have probably seen a lot of videos of flooding, not just Helene and Milton, but the Sahara and Arabian Peninsula, Myanmar and the Himalayas, Germany and Italy, China and Vietnam . . . and this goes on and on. If everything is lost, as has tragically been the case for many, the remnants of buildings and property do need to be relocated to landfills. If the properties can be reclaimed, Tyvek suits, respirators, and proper equipment are needed. Thus far, I have not seen any videos evidencing correct preparations and protection.
To the credit of some, relief has been focused on food, water, hygiene, and temporary accommodations. The public response has been heroic in nearly every devastated area, and when it comes to handling of damaged and contaminated material, most has been added to trash piles without any attempt to reclaim items of sentimental or financial value. Proper remediation can be quite expensive because personal items have to isolated and then cleaned and restored. It is a long-term proposition so more urgent issues have a much higher priority.
Good News
Mold can be inhibited. The first step is to eliminate moisture. Not much can be achieved so long as there is excessive moisture. Once dry and cleaned, the affected areas can be misted with essential oils that are inhospitable to mold. When first researching this, my attention was primarily on rare books and lumber but there were a few anecdotal bits and pieces of information about spraying newspapers so people could sit on a park bench in the open air without mosquito bites or mold. This was important because some people contacting me twenty-odd years ago became infected due to moldy paper used in indoor potted plants.
Becoming conscious of risks is the first step towards reducing the risks. Then, of course, action is required.
Unfortunately, what works externally cannot usually be used internally because the effective doses would exceed safety limits so remediation is a property issue and recovery is an individual matter requiring very careful attention to effective strategies.
Mold Infection
There have been many interruptions so I will write about mold allergies and infections in the next post. Meanwhile, please be careful!
Copyright by Dr. Ingrid Naiman 2024 || All Rights Reserved
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My line of herbal remedies and essential oils can be found through this link. Bioethika International is the main site with a complete list of available herbs. The other active e-commerce enabled sites are Ayurvedic Bazaar, AdrenalHerbs.com, ImmuneFormulas.com. MoldHerbs.com has the herbs I used to recover from very serious mold exposure. ToxicTeeth.com has herbs for chelation. My book is available at seventhraypress.com.
Image Credits
Dromedary: Vof Vermeulen Perdaen & Steyaert | Dreamstime.com
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